SLOW COOKER BEANS & BEEF

Last weekend I invited our son Patrick and his family over for dinner.  Since they had plans for Saturday night, he invited us over for burgers Sunday night. I offered to bring dessert, but he said they had peach cobbler that Lori had made and we could help them eat it. (It was really good, btw!)

So I offered to bring baked beans. I have a friend, Sandy, who often brings baked beans to gatherings.  For years I have made Stovetop Baked Beans that the family has always enjoyed. I wanted to make these beans in the Crock Pot though so it would be easy to keep them warm until we were ready to eat and I wanted to add some ground beef like Sandy always does.  

So since Sandy was out of town and I couldn't get the recipe from her for her beans, I decided to work with my Stovetop recipe and "wing it". They were pretty good.  The only change I would make next time is I will drain two cans of the beans. (I will say that in my recipe.)

SLOW COOKER BEANS AND BEEF

4     -  16 oz cans of pork 'n beans
1/4 - 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used 1/2 cup and Lori thought they were a little sweet)
1/2     cup ketchup
2        tablespoons mustard
1/2    pound ground beef

Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray (for easy cleanup).

Open the four cans of beans, draining two of them if you want less liquid, and pour in the slow cooker.

Add the brown sugar, ketchup and mustard. Stir well.

Brown the ground beef, drain, and add.

Cook on high for 4 - 6 hours, stirring occasionally, if possible.

TIP ALERT!

Here is a tip for transporting dishes in the automobile.

Set the dish (slow cooker in this instance) in a box a little bit bigger than the size of the container and then set the box, etc, in the floorboard of your automobile. If it does spill over, it will spill in the box, not in your automobile.