Packed with flavor, these hearty Crockpot Express Baked Beans can also be made in the slow cooker or in the oven. They are the perfect summer BBQ side dish!
Remove the lid from the pot and press Brown/Saute and Start/Stop to begin heating the inner pot. While it's heating, chop the bacon into bite sized pieces.
Add the bacon to the pot and cook long enough to render the fat and begin turning pink (about 3-5 minutes.) Add the ground beef and onion to the pot and continue cooking until browned and crumbled (about 2-3 minutes.) Press Start/Stop. Drain the fat and return the meat to the pot.
Add the pork and beans, black beans and kidney beans to the pot on top of the meat mixture. Do not stir.
In a separate bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients into a smooth sauce. Pour evenly over the beans. Do not stir!
Close and lock the lid, turning the steam release valve to closed. Press Beans/Chili and set time to 5 minutes.
When cooking cycle is done (it will take about 20 minutes to come to pressure and begins cooking) allow for a 5 minute natural pressure release and then do a quick release of any remaining pressure.
Open the lid and stir. Sauce will thicken as it cools, but you can also drain some off before serving, if desired.
Notes
To make in a slow cooker: cook the bacon, ground beef and onion on the stove, then transfer everything to the slow cooker (eliminate the extra broth/water) and simmer on low for 6 hours.To make in the oven: cook the bacon, ground beef and onion on the stove, then stir in the other ingredients (without the broth/water) and bake in a 9x13 or 3 qt dish at 350 for 45 minutes or until bubbly.