Chuck Wagon Bean Bake

Ingredients:

1 Pound lean or extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (1/2 medium)
1 can (15 ounces) baked beans, undrained
1 can (15 ounces) dark red kidney beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine ground beef, onion and bell pepper in a large skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is browned and crumbly, about 8 minutes; drain.

Combine cooked beef mixture, baked beans, kidney beans, black beans, tomato sauce, barbecure sauce and salt in a 3-quart casserole dish.

Cover dish. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover dish; bake until mixture is bubbly and slightly thickened, 15-20 minutes longer.


Helpful Hints

It's important to use a glass or cramic baking dish for tomato-based recipes. Don't substitute an aluminum pan-aluminim reacts with tomatoes and will give the food a bitter aftertaste.