Cowboy Baked Bean Casserole
Good morning and thank y’all for stopping by the ranch. It’s early in the morning and we have the fire going already. Why? Well, the recipe we’re cooking up this morning is the perfect one-pot meal to serve for lunch.
When I was out cooking for cowboys on a cattle drive, we would have to make due with what we had. There were no ice boxes or fresh herbs out on the trail, and that was ok, because my mother taught me how to transform canned goods into delicious, hearty meals.
Baked bean casserole is one of those meals that was hearty enough to hold a cowboy over until a late dinner after a long day of hard work on the ranch. It is a true one pot meal, so this is a great recipe to prepare on a day where you don’t feel like doing too many dishes.
Baked Bean Casserole
Start by browning the 80/20 beef right there in the Dutch oven. I like to use 80/20 – that’s 80% lean meat, 20% fat – because the fat kicks up the flavor a notch. Cook it down until most of the grease evaporates and then add two chopped Vidalia onions and two diced jalapenos. Y’all know the cowboy likes his food to bite back.
Add a whole undrained can of Hatch Chiles and about a cup of ketchup. In a couple of weeks you’ll be able to get the chile blend, and you can get the Red River Mud BBQ Sauce in the store right here on the website today. Why do Shannon and I call the BBQ sauce “mud?” Well, it’ll stick to your ribs, that’s why. It’s so delicious and it adds so much flavor to any dish you add it to.
Stir everything together. Drain two cans of pork and beans and add them to the pot, stirring well. If you want authentic pork and beans, use my recipe right here. Authentic pork and beans takes a lot of time to cook but it is well worth it!
Tip: It’s ok to use tomato based products in well-seasoned cast iron. Don’t cook this recipe in new cast iron.
Get the Fire Hot
There are several ways for you to heat this meal to boiling on. If you’ve got Bertha or a similar wood stove, you can set the Dutch oven right on top and let simmer until you’re ready to eat.
If you’re cooking on coals, get yourself a tall trivet. Spread the coals out underneath to surround the oven with heat. Once the lid is secure, go ahead and arrange some hot coals on top to thoroughly heat the meal.
Tip: If you aren’t using a trivet, move the coals a few inches away from the Dutch oven on all sides. Cast iron holds heat really well, and the food will burn if it is sitting right on top of hot coals.
Make sure you let the beans cool off before you take a taste. This will burn the tastebuds right out of your mouth right off the fire.
Thanks again for stopping by – we hope you’ve enjoyed the food and the company. Don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and come back every Wednesday at 2:30 for a new Cowboy cooking video. We’ll see y’all around the ranch.
Cowboy Baked Beans Casserole – Cowboy Kent Rollins
Ingredients
- 2 lbs 80/20 ground beef
- 2 yellow onion diced
- 1 to 2 jalapenos diced
- 2 15 ounce cans pork and beans drained
- 1 cup Kent’s Red River Mud BBQ sauce or your favorite bbq sauce
- 1 7 ounce can diced green chilis
- 3 TBSP Kent Rollins' Chili Seasoning or your favorite chili blend
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a 12 inch cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, over medium high heat, begin to brown the ground beef, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- When the meat is halfway browned, add the onions and jalapenos and continue cooking until the meat is fully browned and the onions are tender. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the beans, BBQ Sauce, green chilis, chili seasoning, brown sugar, ketchup and mustard and stir well.
- Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve hot.