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Loaded Baked Beans Recipe

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★★★★★

4.4 from 81 reviews

Loaded Baked Beans is a hearty, flavorful dish combining crispy bacon, savory ground beef, and smoked sausage with tender baked beans and a rich, tangy sauce. Perfect as a comforting side or a main dish for family gatherings and potlucks.

Ingredients

Scale

Meats

  • 12 ounces diced bacon (regular cut)
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 14 ounces sliced smoked sausage (or Kielbasa sausage)

Vegetables

  • 1 cup diced sweet onion
  • 1 cup diced green bell pepper
  • ½ cup diced red bell pepper

Beans & Sauces

  • 1 (28-ounce) can baked beans
  • 1 (15-ounce) can drained and rinsed dark red kidney beans
  • ⅔ cup barbecue sauce

Other Ingredients

  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 350°F to warm up while you prepare the ingredients.
  2. Crisp Bacon: In a large oven-safe pot over medium-high heat, add the diced bacon. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and discard the rest.
  3. Brown Ground Beef: Using the same pot with the reserved bacon grease, add the ground beef. Cook over medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes, breaking it up and stirring occasionally, until no pink remains. Drain excess grease, then combine the cooked beef with the reserved crispy bacon.
  4. Cook Sausage: Add the sliced smoked sausage to the pot. Sear over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until browned. Remove the sausage and reserve with the bacon and beef. Drain any excess grease from the sausage.
  5. Sauté Vegetables: Return the reserved bacon grease to the pot. Add diced sweet onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables soften and become fragrant.
  6. Combine Meats and Vegetables: Add the cooked ground beef, bacon, and smoked sausage back into the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Stir to mix evenly.
  7. Add Beans and Sauces: Stir in the baked beans, drained kidney beans, barbecue sauce, dark brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Mix well to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
  8. Bake: Transfer the pot (if oven-safe) or pour the mixture into an oven-safe dish. Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F for 40 minutes to meld the flavors and heat through.

Notes

  • Make sure the pot you use is oven-safe, or transfer the mixture to an oven-safe dish before baking.
  • You can adjust the cayenne pepper to make the dish more or less spicy according to your preference.
  • For a smokier flavor, use Kielbasa sausage or smoked sausage of choice.
  • Drain and rinse the kidney beans to reduce excess sodium and starch.
  • If you want a thicker sauce, cook uncovered during baking to allow some moisture to evaporate.

Keywords: Loaded baked beans, baked beans recipe, hearty beans dish, smoked sausage baked beans, comfort food, potluck recipes

Find it online: https://flavorsbymaya.com/loaded-baked-beans-recipe/