Paula Deen Southern Ground Beef and Baked Beans Casserole

Paula Deen Southern ground beef and baked beans casserole takes about 1 hour 15 minutes and ground beef, Boston-style baked beans and bacon to make a thick, bubbly bean bake. It's an easy Southern comfort food dinner for potluck night, cookout season or a church supper, and it's make-ahead friendly.

Cook the onions until soft and the beef until fully browned before anything goes in the casserole dish, because that is where the savory base comes from. Skip the browning and the beans taste sweet and flat instead of rich.

Paula stirs brown sugar and Dijon mustard into the beans, so the sweetness gets a sharp edge instead of tasting like plain canned beans. The bacon bakes on top under a lid, then goes under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp.

Paula Deen Southern Ground Beef and Baked Beans Casserole

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Course: Main CourseCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Calories

380

kcal

Browned beef, soft onions and fresh tomatoes get stirred into sweet and tangy baked beans, then baked until thick. A quick broil at the end turns the bacon on top crisp.

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking oil spray
  

• 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
  

• 2 large onions
  

• 1 pound ground beef
  

• 2 15-ounce cans Boston-style baked beans
  

• 2 medium tomatoes
  

• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  

• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  

• 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
  

• 5 slices bacon
  

Directions

• Preheat and prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F and coat a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Then set the dish aside while you cook the beef.
• Cook the onions: Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the 2 large onions. Cook them for about 5 minutes, until they soften.
• Brown the beef: Add 1 pound ground beef to the onions and cook for about 10 minutes. Break the meat up with a fork as it cooks, until it's no longer pink.
• Mix the filling: Combine the beef mixture, 2 cans Boston-style baked beans, 2 medium tomatoes, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard in a large bowl. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, then mix well so the sugar and mustard spread evenly through the beans.
• Assemble the casserole: Pour the bean and beef mixture into the prepared dish. Then lay the 5 bacon slices across the top.
• Bake covered: Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil and bake for about 45 minutes. It's ready when the beans are thick and bubbly.
• Broil the bacon: Uncover the dish and preheat the broiler. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the bacon turns crisp.

Tools for this recipe

• Lodge 10.25-inch cast iron skillet, Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make this casserole ahead of time?

You can mix the filling and pour it into the dish a day ahead, then keep it covered in the fridge. Add the bacon and bake it just before serving, and expect a few extra minutes in the oven since it starts cold.

Can I use something other than Boston-style baked beans?

Any canned baked beans in a sweet sauce will work, though the flavor shifts a bit. Boston-style beans are what the recipe calls for, so they give you the sweet and tangy balance the brown sugar and mustard are built around.

How do I store and reheat leftovers?

Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat them in a 350°F oven until hot. The bacon will soften in the fridge, so crisp it again under the broiler for a minute or two.

Can I bake this without a 2-quart casserole dish?

Any oven-safe baking dish of similar size will do the job, such as a deep 8x8 pan. Choose one deep enough that the bubbling beans don't spill over, and put a baking sheet underneath to be safe.

What's the most common mistake with this dish?

Rushing the beef is the usual one, since underbrowned meat leaves the casserole tasting flat. Take the full 10 minutes in the skillet so the beef is properly browned before it joins the beans.