When I’m asked to bring baked beans I show up with my version of “cowboy beans” my mom made in a bean cooker growing up. They were delicious and filling with the ground beef. A meal in themselves. She cooked them in a brown McCoy bean pottery pot. The funny part….my mother did not and does not eat beans. Yet she raised two bean loving children.

Today Scott got up early to start a beef brisket on the Big Green Egg. I got the idea to smoke the beans for the cowboy beans in an effort to take the recipe to the next level. I rinsed and drained 4 cans of Tri-blend beans in a colander. Then Scott took the beans to the Big Green Egg to smoke for 20 minutes. We will see if this extra step was worth the time an effort!

The Recipe

Ingredients

•1 onion chopped

•2 cloves garlic minced

•2 bell peppers chopped (I used red & yellow)

•1 jalapeño chopped

•1 Tablespoon olive oil

•1 pound lean ground beef

•4 cans Tri-bean blend ( or 4 cans of your favorite beans)

•1/2 cup coconut sugar (could use brown sugar)

•1/2 cup ketchup

•1/2 cup yellow mustard

•Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse and drain the beans.

Chop the onion and peppers. Mince the garlic. Sauté the onions and peppers in the olive oil using an oven safe skillet. Next add the ground beef. Then add the garlic. Note: I add the garlic after the meat because it can burn easily when sautéing with onions and peppers.

Once everything is cooked add the beans. Today they were smoked usually just rinsed and drained. Next add the sugar, mustard, and ketchup. Stir well. Taste and salt and pepper as needed to taste.

Place skillet in oven 350 degrees for one hour*.

*Variations: could add bacon, bbq sauce, brisket prior to placing in the oven.

After the brisket was done I chopped brisket and added it to the beans! It was a delicious addition!

Enjoy!

💗,

Julie