Shelly's Recipe

THREE BEAN BAKE FOR A CROWD

Category: Beans

8 slices thick bacon
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (or use 2 small)
8 large garlic cloves, finely chopped (can use more or less)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or adjust to suit heat level)
1 (31-oz) can pork and beans, drained
1 (31-oz) can pork and beans with liquid
2 (15-oz) cans red kidney beans, drained
1 (15-oz) can lima beans, drained
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (or adjust to taste)
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp liquid smoke seasoning
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt or to taste
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper or to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In a Dutch oven cook the bacon until fairly crisp; remove to a bowl, cool and coarsely chop. Add in the ground beef, onion, garlic and cayenne pepper; cook stirring over medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink; drain fat. Continue cook the beef until lightly browned (this may take about 10-12 minutes). Return the bacon back to the pot along with drained pork and beans, pork and beans with juice, kidney beans and lima beans.

Stir in the barbecue sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and liquid smoke seasoning. Season with seasoned salt and black pepper (at this point you may add in more brown sugar and cayenne pepper to suit taste). Cover and cook for 1 hour. Serves 12-16