Ladies and gents, I present to you the Thanksgiving side dish of. your. DREAMZ.
I feel quite blasphemous suggesting that you break with your traditions and add this casserole to your Thanksgiving menu when my family, in fact, has been serving the exact same foods (including this casserole) for years upon years upon years. We never stray, ever, right down to the cranberry sauce in the shape of a can. We are a stubborn holiday dinner folk.
But if ever there was a time to shake things up, or if you’re just getting your own Thanksgiving traditions started, I implore you to give this five-ingredient casserole a try. It’s amazing — to the point where I literally don’t even remember a holiday when my mom hasn’t made at least a double batch of it and it’s gone before the weekend. That’s 27 years of baked bean casserole eating/loving, you guys. I rest my case.
Of course, I know what you might be thinking: MEAT. So much meat. And that’s the reason I hesitated a hot second to post this recipe — because you know by now that the hubs and I are kinda picky when it comes to eating meat and such. But here’s what I discovered when I made it for the first time on my own: It’s just as delicious with grass-fed ground beef and humanely raised bacon. So there’s a little nugget o’ information for ya. Now we can all rest easy, go forth and eat all the casserole.
But before I let you go, let’s talk about what’s going on here: A super-easy, super-simple, super-yummy-in-my-tummy Thanksgiving side dish, that’s what. You mix cooked ground beef, crumbled crispy bacon, Northern beans, brown sugar and barbecue sauce. You put it in a casserole dish. You bake it. You eat it. You eat the leftovers cold with crackers the next day. The end.
You’re going to love the heartiness of it. You’re going to love the crispy, salty bacon paired with the sweetness of the brown sugar and barbecue sauce that caramelize in the oven. You’re going to love mixing it with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce in one bite because that’s how we do. And by “we” I mean I. But you should, too.
And because my 27 years of experience eating this dish — as well as the other dishes we so fiercely stand by for our Thanksgivings — obviously proves their deliciousness, I’m going to share another one of our favorite recipes later this week. So get excited! This is just the start of all the yummy yum Turkey Day yums.
Oh, P.S. This + those pumpkin brioche rolls from last week = best ever Thanksgiving leftover sloppy joe. You best believe that’s happening.
Mom's Baked Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, crumbled, cooked and drained
- 1 pound bacon, cooked until crisp, drained and finely chopped
- 30 ounces Northern beans, 2, 15 oz cans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 18 ounces barbecue sauce , (like Sweet Baby Ray's -- the tangier, the better)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, stir together cooked ground beef and chopped bacon to combine.
- Add beans, brown sugar and barbecue sauce. Stir until just combined.
- Pour mixture into a casserole dish. Cover and bake 45 minutes until bubbly and warmed through. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
Nicole — Ha! I’m glad I shared then, too. 🙂
I’m going to print this out immediately and make it for my husband because I will be a HERO. Glad you shared!
Em — Aaaand I kinda like the way your grandma puts the bacon on top! Either way is a win, though, because bacon.
Dude, your mom and my grandma must be totally in-tune, because this is the first recipe I’ve seen that combines the exact same items she puts in her baked beans. (And I was darn sure she was the ONLY one beefing up those beans with, uh, beef. And bacon.) The only diff, at least in terms of appearance, is that my G lines the top of her dish with strips of bacon that kinda drip down over the whole shebang while it cooks up — but (shhhh, don’t tell her), I kinda like that your has the bacon going all the way through it. And leftovers cold on crackers is TOTALLY my jam. Kindred spirits, yo. Thanks for sharing, Steph! <3
Sharon — I’m sorry to hear you were disappointed! It’s definitely best eaten as a side dish because the flavors are rich; that being said, I know it’s still not for everyone. Thanks for trying the recipe anyway!
I had not eaten red meat for almost 6 months and decided to cheat with this recipe. I was excited to make it, but was a bit disappointed.
Flavors were too strong and its too meaty. To make it more balanced for my taste, I added mashed potatoes (like shepherds pie) and grated cheddar on top. It would be better, IMHO, if there was less of every ingredient with exception to adding more beans. I’m glad I tried it, but probably won’t be making it again.
I am ALL OVER those 5 ingredients. Especially the bacon 🙂
Epic comfort food!
Mother knows best. I bet this is delicious.
Oh man. I would love to join your stubborn holiday dinner table is this is on the menu. Mom, you’re a genius.