Spicy Barbecue Beans

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1/4 pound bulk spicy pork sausage
• 8 slices bacon, or more to taste
• 4 (16 ounce) cans pork and beans, drained
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 3/4 cup molasses
• 3/4 cup barbeque sauce (such as Sweet Baby Ray’s)
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried mint (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon bitters (optional)
• 3 dashes hot sauce, or more to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef and bulk sausage in the hot skillet until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes; drain and discard grease.

Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels. Crumble bacon into small pieces and add to beef mixture; transfer to a large casserole dish.

Stir pork and beans, onion, molasses, barbeque sauce, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire sauce, mint, salt, bitters, and hot sauce into the beef mixture.

Bake in preheated oven until heated through and thick, about 45 minutes.