This amazing recipe is also known as hobo beans. Whatever its name, we just call it "delicious!"
61 Comments
- SERVES
- 8
- COOK TIME
- 4 Hr
Nothing is more down-home than the wonderful flavors of backwoods country cooking, so it's only fitting that these Hillbilly Baked Beans are one of our most popular slow cooker potluck recipes. They can even be reheated on a grill for a smoky taste that can't be beat! We're certain that our Hillbilly Baked Beans will be your favorite baked bean recipe after just one bite.
These delicious slow cooker baked beans are also known as hobo beans. We're not sure where either name comes from, but we expect it has something to do with the delicious flavors that everyone expects from country cooking. These homestyle beans are a great reminder that the tastiest recipes often don't come from the fanciest places. These Hillbilly Baked Beans, or hobo beans, will satisfy everyone from hungry farmers to hungry guests.
What You'll Need
- 1/2 pound ground chuck
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained
- 1 (15-1/2-ounce) can butter beans, drained
- 1 (16-ounce) can pork and beans, not drained
- 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
What to Do
- In a 5-quart slow cooker, combine meat, onion, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, and water; mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients and cover.
- Cook onHIGH 4 hours or onLOW 6 hours. Serve immediately.
Mr. Food Test Kitchen Tips!
- If you're having a backyard barbecue, you can serve or reheat these in a foil pan or cast iron skillet on your grill. And you can make these in the oven, too. Just put the mixture in a 3-quart casserole dish, cover, and cook in a 350 degree oven about 1-1/2 hours, or until hot and bubbly.
- As we mention above,some people call this dish hobo beans!Whether you make hobo beans with kielbasa or onion soup, we bet they'll be a delicious addition to your table.
- Craving even more baked beans recipes? Click here to check out our collection of 8 Easy Baked Beans Recipes!
- For even more slow cooker recipes download our free eCookbook,Slow Cookin' Magic: 28 Scrumptious Slow Cooker Recipes!
- Looking for something to grill with your baked beans? Check out these amazingFoil Dinners for Oven, Grill, or Campfire!
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Home-Style Baked Beans
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Craftaddict
May 30, 2022
For years I made a recipe using catsup and was always looking for more flavor so when I discovered this version a few months back, I had to try it. I have made it twice using Bush's onion flavored beans and Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce and it turned out perfectly both times. If there are any leftovers, they freeze and reheat well. I did find that the cheaper the bacon the better because it is usually thinner and fries up crispier. I will never go back to the old bland version with catsup.
msdeb21
Jun 30, 2018
I am so happy I found this recipe in time to make it for the 4th of July. I was looking for a recipe like this but didn't know the name of "the recipe with beans and hamburger." This will be a wonderful meal with corn on the cob and cole slaw.
djaysires 8365842
Jan 22, 2018
I have made this for years, but never used BBQ sauce. The recipe I had called for ketchup. It is so very good! Perfect for all occasions.
NancyS
Jul 04, 2017
It really is good. It doesn't make any difference what barbeque sauce you use. I did put more bacon in because we all love bacon.
Tracey C
Apr 09, 2017
Oh yes, we retitled this Hillbilly Chili for the cook-off! )
Tracey C
Apr 09, 2017
Hmm, my orig post looks like it didn't make it. I made this today for our church chili cook-off and WON! It was sweet and yummy! I used 2lbs of ground turkey, a large can AND small can of pork n beans, and honey bbq sauce (a full bottle to account for extra ingredients). Added sweet corn cake from Blue Cricket Design dot Net on the side...it is a scoopable sweet cornbread that only uses 3 ingredients. Everyone LOVED that too! It was a great success! Had the chili in the crockpot for about 8 hours on low. Really enjoyed this sweet chili and definitely recommend it!
kmcartoonity 62072 74
Mar 30, 2017
Another great thing about this recipe is that you don't have to heat up your house baking the beans in the oven. Great for summertime when you want to enjoy the beautiful weather instead of being tied to the kitchen! My husband never liked baked beans before, but these are so meaty and flavorful that he says it is more like a chili. He likes this glorious stuff over a bed of rice for a complete meal, with some chopped scallions on top for a bit of color.
SWMO Lady
Mar 17, 2017
I have made a similar version of these for years/ It is called "old settlers' baked beans". They are always a hit. If you're short on time, bake them in a 350 oven for about an hour.
vonvon79 2264658
Dec 09, 2015
Great recipe! We call them Crazy Beans. You can add any kind of meat you like. I add sausage, hotdogs, ground meat, bacon. Also I add green and yellow wax beans, navy beans, garbanzo and pinto along with the pork and beans, kidney, and baby limas(dont care for butter beans). I like to change up on the veggies when making it, not the same everytime. Always a hit and requested everytime.
BeckySue
May 01, 2016
MMMMM! Big hit at potluck! I used to make cowboy beans in my kindergarten class for cowboy week, but they did not taste as good as these beans! I'll have to keep the ingredients in my pantry.
sandymoore71064 63 18564
Jul 27, 2015
I made these this weekend they were a hit. I added about 10 shakes of hot sauce.
warriorcookiemom 1 022817
Jun 29, 2015
We too have made these for years, as Calico Beans. I can't wait to try this recipe because I love slow cooker cooking! Thanks!
debhart99669
Jun 03, 2015
Have made these and they are great. My grandson loves them and he knows his baked beans. They go really fast. Could almost make a meal out of them.
judithgray558 3709 741
Jan 09, 2015
My family has made these for years, except here in MN they are known as "Calico Beans." Where that name came from I don't know. But we use ketchup instead of BBQ sauce and add lima beans. We bake them in the oven rather than slow cooking method. One sister doesn't eat pork so she uses turkey bacon but I prefer using the pork bacon for more flavor and we use lean ground beef rather than ground chuck.
shepherdmountain 5 246531
Oct 25, 2014
Just love these beans will not make any other kind. Make them over and over again. Thanks for the recipe
Craftaddict
Jan 31, 2014
For those thst just want the recipe to print, highlight the recipe portion and when you go to print, select "Selection" and it will only print out the highlighted portions. Their recipes are almost always only one page.
Craftaddict
Jan 31, 2014
I forgot to add that we love this recipe and have made them for years, It freezes well and actually tastes better the 2nd or 3rd day, if there is any left!
mgivens3 4845669
Apr 01, 2013
These were really good but a little watery. I took them to a potluck and they disappeared quickly. Some came back for seconds. Will definately make them again but will cut back on the water.
kmooch 3500356
Oct 17, 2012
We have one like this put we use ketchup not bbq sauce,mollasses not water every thing else is the same.
valanecalvin 81767 50
Sep 01, 2012
I've been making this for many years but w/ a few revisions. This is my Grandma Kubick's bean casserole. and it's a family and company favorite. I don't use water or bbq sauce. Instead it's 2 T. of vinegar and 1/2 c. ketchup. Nothing but delicious.
blessmebay 2552953
May 11, 2012
I have cooking these beans since the late 1980's. The best beans I have ever eaten. Every time I serve them to anyone they say the same thing.
AL mom
Apr 24, 2012
All the men in my life love this one! (3 college sons, 1 husband and dad) Everyone asks me for the recipe. I like that I don't have to brown the meat. Then I microwave the bacon, so this recipe goes together quick. Great for family gatherings.
Gert S
Apr 17, 2012
Great recipe. Thanks. Also, in order not to waste the sheet of paper as per some comments, just print page 1. The entire recipe usually fits on 1 page.
kalakoakat 8122236
Apr 02, 2012
Very tasty recipe that I have used over and over. It's now our family favorite.
reimerosa 9915225
Mar 25, 2012
GOOD!. We cooked the gnd beef first and my husband chopped up sme andouille sausage (removed the casings). We used Allen's seasoned lima beans and left out the bacon. It was even better the next day.
biggmh 4017777
Feb 27, 2012
I made this recipe for my brother's birthday dinner {2-26-2012}. I used Bush's beans 22 0z.{instead of pork & Beans} & added a can of Red Gold tomatoes with chilies. Awesome.....I didn't take home a single bean!
Aunt Wendy
Apr 01, 2012
Oh my Heaven! I tried your suggestions and these were the BEST beans I have ever had. Thanks for posting your options. I'm going to the store to get more beans and tomatoes with chili!
hsoltwisch
Jan 09, 2012
I was hoping for a recipe for baked beans ( only one kind --pinto beans as they are the most delicious when garlic, onion, cumin, a dash of sugar and either ham hock or salt pork is added. That plus a pan of good, homemade corn bread makes a great meal !!
arnie5607 4948219
Nov 10, 2011
i am so tired of wastng a sheet of paper every time i get a recipe, OH IT'S SO GOOD...i love the recipes otherwise
daboo1019 8452865
Dec 31, 2011
Have you thought of using index cards ? Or saving the recipes to the recipe box & making them from there ??
sugarbee418 226609 0
Mar 08, 2012
I agree with arnie5607 . We should not have to waste paper. We only want the recipe, not advertisem*nts for things like Parents Magazine, etc. If we were interested, we could look them up on our own, and not even use paper. JUST THE RECIPES, PLEASE!
TenorsMom
Mar 15, 2012
Well, they need the advertisers so they can offer these recipes up for free. It is very simple, just save the recipe to your recipe box here and pull it up when you need it. I take my laptop into the kitchen all the time to make these recipes.
txkimberly 8240285
Sep 01, 2012
I ALWAYS copy the recipe and put in word; that way you don't get the advertising. Then you can cut out anything you don't want and customize the recipe to look like you'd like. You only use 1 piece of paper that way. Also, a lot of times you can tell it to just print one sheet because usually it's just headers and footers (which you can omit in printing).
bojigal1 6991153
Jan 17, 2013
COPY and PASTE any of Mr. Food's recipes into an email to yourself and then put said email into a folder named MR. FOOD or RECEIPES.There'll be no ads to clutter up the recipe. The ads are what pays for Mr. Food's site so that it is ALL FREE for us to enjoy.
chesshaus 5012595
Feb 15, 2014
When you print these recipes from an iPad, they are only one page. I save the recipes that I like to the recipe box and take my iPad to the kitchen
fancyfree13 999800 3
Nov 07, 2011
Really a very tasty dish. I'm not crazy about kidney beans, so I substituted pinto beans. So easy to make. With only 2 of us, had a lot left over, put it in the freezer, and a couple months later took it out, it tasted just as good (maybe a little better) as it did when first made. This is another keeper. Thank you, Mr. Food!!!!!
NoNoNannette
Sep 24, 2011
I Know this as Calico Beans. I make all time for potlucks, but I do cook my beef first and drain, then add all to a slow-cooked I add the beans that I have. You can add any type add what you like. yummmmmm=..=
kissme4luck 174540 3
Sep 03, 2011
I make a recipie simular to this The only name that was passed down to me was Tillies Beans This is is the very best beans recipie I have ever had Everyone who has had these rave about them and want the recipie This recipie makes about double the recipie above lbs ground beef lb bacon cut into strips while raw onion sliced and chopped Place the above ingredients in a dutch oven and cook on the stove until the ground beef and bacon are cooked well drain the fat off Then add - oz bottle of heinz ketchup cup of frenchies yellow mustard cup packed brown sugar cups of water Stir well Add cans drained beans of your choice navy white beans kidney pork beans etc just not green beans As you cook on the stove add water as needed Sometimes extra water is needed depending on how hot your…Read More stove gets Bring the bean mixture to a rapid boil stirring constantly then turn down to simmer stirring every few minutes as the recipie cooks it then thickens up a bit Cook on simmer for about hour You can then serve or refridgerate till needed Will keep in the fridge for about days
lilbitoeverything 6334436
Aug 30, 2011
I use spicy Italian sausage and also add a little molasses for mine ... It makes it sweet with a little kick to it.
mariwhits
Aug 30, 2011
umm umm good very easy to make and it is a nice change from my normal baked beans
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