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If you're looking for a dish for a barbecue, potluck supper, or game day party, slow-cooker baked beans are an excellent choice. But don't wait for a special occasion; make the beans a main dish and serve them with cornbread for a fabulous lunch or dinner. Add pulled pork for sandwiches or hot dogs along with coleslaw, and you have a hearty and delicious crowd-pleasing meal. Double the recipe ingredients if you are cooking for a large family or group.
You will love the simplicity of the recipe; it takes just minutes to fry the bacon and mix everything in the slow cooker, and you'll have a tasty, no-fuss dish in a few hours. It's a great set-and-forget dish.
Click Play to See This 5-Ingredient Slow-Cooker Beans With Bacon Recipe Come Together
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 strips bacon (cut into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1/2 cup ketchup (or chili sauce)
- 3 (16-ounce) cans baked beans
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Arrange the chopped bacon in a skillet and place it over medium-low heat. Fry the bacon until it is browned and crisp, stirring and turning frequently.
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Remove the bacon to paper towels to drain.
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In a bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard powder, and ketchup or chili sauce and stir.
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Pour the beans into the slow cooker and add the bacon. Add the sauce mixture to the beans and stir to blend.
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Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for about 2 hours.
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Serve and enjoy.
Tips
- Cooking the bacon first ensures that it will have the best flavor and texture. Adding chopped raw bacon to slow-cooked beans will lead to rubbery, greasy bacon. Fry it up the night before, and this dish will take about 5 minutes to throw together.
- Double the recipe for a party or tailgating event and serve right from the crock pot.
- If you have leftovers, the beans taste even better the next day. They make a tasty side dish for a big breakfast or brunch.
Recipe Variations
- Add about 1/2 cup to 1 cup of diced raw onions to the dish. Or sauté the onion in a skillet in about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium heat until browned. Add the onions to the beans.
- Add about 1/2 cup of green or red bell pepper to the beans or a combination of both colors.
- Add sausage or ground beef to the beans. To brown the sausage, place a large skillet over medium heat, and add about 1/2 pound to 1 pound of sausage or ground beef. Cook the ground meat until it is no longer pink; drain well, and then add to the beans.
- Add 1 to 2 cups of diced cooked ham to the beans.
- Slice spicy or mild smoked sausage or hot dogs into 1/2-inch rounds. Add the sausage or hot dogs to the beans, and cook as directed.
- Make them extra spicy with 1 tablespoon of chili powder, a few tablespoons of minced jalapeño peppers, and 1 teaspoon (or more) of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Add a few teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce and some liquid smoke for tangy barbecue flavor.
- Add two 8-ounce cans of pineapple tidbits (drained) to the beans along with 1/2 cup of bell peppers and 1 cup of onion. Use barbecue sauce instead of tomato ketchup.
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