This recipe comes from my in-laws, who make it often.  I think it is supposed to be a side dish, but it also makes a great dinner if you serve it with cornbread and salad.  Incidentally, it also is a great side dish, served at a BBQ with burgers and hot dogs, or ribs.

I have enjoyed many, many bowls of these beans sitting on the porch at my in-law’s summer house over 4th of July weekends and other hot summer weekends.

My husband and I like them so much, we served them at our BBQ wedding reception that we had when we got home from our wedding in Maui.  I don’t know how long they’ve had the recipe, or how old it is, but I know that it’s old enough that it is kept in a binder, and my mother-in-law had to scan it to send it to me. 🙂

These beans have the perfect flavor of sweetness that all the really good baked bean recipes have.  The smoky bacon, onions, celery, and beef are the perfect compliment to the molasses beans.

Don & Kathi make it a little differently than in the photo above, and I did it there way (and am writing the directions below their way) because their way is perfect. 🙂 It cooks low and slow in the crock pot, and the flavors have all day to meld.

I halved the above recipe, and it made plenty for my family for dinner, plus leftovers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/4lb bacon, cooked and crumbled. (about 3 thick sliced pieces)
1 lb ground beef
2 cups of chopped onion (about one large onion)
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1/2 cup beef broth
2 cloves of fresh minced garlic
3/4 cups ketchup
1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (1lb 13 oz ) molasses baked beans (I used Bush’s)

Directions:

Cook your bacon (slow over low heat) and then set aside to crumble.  Drain fat from pan and cook your ground beef, onion, celery, and garlic.

Place beef mixture into a crockpot and add beef broth, ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, beans, and crumbled bacon.  Mix well.

Place into a crockpot and cook on low for at least 4 hours.  Enjoy!