No picnic or backyard barbecue is complete without baked beans. If you want to really make an impression, make this Seven Bean Casserole instead. It’s baked beans to the max.

As the recipe title implies, there are seven different types of beans in this dish.

Add in the bacon, onion, bell pepper, garlic, seasonings, barbecue sauce, brown sugar and vinegar and you’ve got a home run. Once you make this Seven Bean Casserole and people try it, it will be the baked bean recipe everyone will demand that you bring to all gatherings.

For chopping the veggies and the bacon, either a 7" Santoku or a 7-5/8" Petite Chef knife work great.

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The recipe is really simple since it’s a matter of just opening cans, which you can easily do with Cutco’s Can Opener, and chopping up some ingredients. One great tip is to chop all the veggies ahead of time so all you have to do is dump them in when needed.

This casserole can transition from a summer side to a fall or winter main dish with a few additions. I really like beans but my husband is not a huge fan so, for him, I usually just open up a can of already prepared beans, add a few strips of bacon, bake in the oven and call it good.

After making and tasting this Seven Bean Casserole, I don’t think I’ll be eating canned beans very much anymore. It is easy, delicious and it will feed a crowd, making it the perfect potluck dish.

baked-beans-13 You can eat it as a side dish, spoon it on a hot dog or hamburger or add a pound of browned ground beef or ground sausage to make a delicious chili.

Ingredients

2 15-ounce cans pork and beans
1 16-ounce can butter beans, rinsed and drained
1 16-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 1/2-ounce can navy beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pound bacon strips, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large sweet yellow pepper, chopped
1 large sweet red pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 18-ounce bottles barbecue sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
Note: We found 15, 15 1/2 and 16 ounce cans of beans, depending on the brand. Any of those sizes will work well in this recipe.

Directions

Place all the beans in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Using 3 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, (discard the rest), cook and stir the onion, yellow and red peppers, garlic, chipotle pepper and black pepper until the vegetables are tender. Add the vegetables to the beans and mix. Stir in the barbecue sauce, brown sugar and cider vinegar. Lastly, add the bacon and mix well. Pour into a large casserole dish or Dutch oven.

Bake covered for 1 to 1 ¼ hours or until heated through.

Note: We found 15, 15 1/2 and 16-ounce cans of beans, depending on the brand. Any of those sizes will work well in this recipe.

Seven Bean Casserole