This recipe is one of my favorite Fourth of July favs.

Calico Beans. Easy to make, so good, gets better as leftovers (if there are any).

This will be one of the few recipes I will not change, so vegetarian/vegan/GF friends, scroll on.

Calico Beans -Makes a crockpot full

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground beef, crumbled, cooked, and drained
• 1 package (12 ounces) bacon, chopped, cooked, and drained
• 1/2 onion, diced (Or use 1/4 cup dehydrated onions)
• 2 large cans of Campbell’s Pork & Beans
• 3 cans of beans, your choice (Great Northern, Black Eye, Cannelli, Kidney, Butter Beans are all solid choices) DRAINED AND RINSED
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Put all of the ingredients into a crockpot.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Cover with a lid and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

These beans are amazing. They are so filling, and taste like summer (at least to me). A friend of my grandfather always brought these beans to potlucks and swore it was a special secret family recipe.

It’s not. This recipe, or a variation is in almost every midwestern church cookbook. Gatekeeping family recipes is a no-no in my book. If you don’t share recipes, the food is lost to your family and friends when you pass. Share the recipe and your memory and the happy memories of eating your food will live on!