Pork and beans, spicy ground sausage and an easy but rich homemade sauce team up to make an unforgettably flavor-packed side dish in this hearty baked bean recipe. Classic Southern Baked Beans and Sausage is a genuine must-have for every cookout, BBQ, potluck or tailgate!
Homemade Baked Beans
It’s no secret that homemade is ALWAYS the best way to go. But homemade doesn’t mean hard! It can be just as simple as a few tweaks here and there to deliver a delicious dish that you whipped up and is guaranteed to become everyone’s very favorite.
That’s definitely the case with this easy homemade baked bean recipe. Topped with spicy sausage patties and loaded with bell pepper, onion, and sausage crumbles all bathed in a tangy, sweet sauce, this casserole-style side dish uses simple pantry ingredients and easy steps to deliver the ultimate in deep southern flavor.
What You Need to Make Southern Baked Beans & Sausage
- canned pork & beans
- ground hot breakfast sausage
- yellow onion
- green bell pepper
- dark brown sugar
- ketchup
- spicy brown mustard
- Worcestershire sauce
- minced garlic
How to Make The BEST Baked Beans & Sausage
Prep the Sausage. Brown 1/2 lb of sausage, breaking it up into crumbles to mix into the beans. Then slice 1 lb sausage into at least 10 patties for your topping. Using the same skillet as before, very lightly brown the sausage patties without cooking them all the way through. This will make sure they brown with a bit of crisp edges when baking later but also leave them room to continue baking with the beans, releasing all their good juices and flavor into the beans and sauce.
Make the Sauce. In a large measuring cup, whisk together brown sugar, ketchup, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic to make the rich homemade sauce for the beans.
Put it together. In a large bowl, mix together pork and beans (without draining), sausage crumbles, diced yellow onion and diced green bell pepper. Stir in your sauce making sure everything is well mixed.
Pour bean and sauce mixture into a 3 qt. casserole dish. Top with sausage patties and gently press the patties down into the beans.
Bake. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes.
What To Serve With Southern Baked Beans & Ground Sausage
This casserole side dish feeds a crowd and pairs perfectly with burgers, hot dogs, hams and a myriad of other backyard BBQ favorites as any cookout super star should. For a well-rounded cookout menu, serve these beans with your favorites from the grill and any of these salads.
Don’t feel like cooking out? Southern Baked Beans and Sausage is hearty enough to be a main dish too. Serve it with hot buttered Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread Muffins for a simple meal that’s satisfying and packed with flavor!
Variations & Add-Ins
Give these Southern Baked Beans & Sausage a bit of your own flair with these add-ins or variations.
- Add 1 C of pineapple tidbits to heighten the sweet and salty yum of this dish.
- Jazz up the bean variety by substituting one 15 oz can of pork and beans with a 15 oz can of dark kidney beans or black beans. Drain before using these add-in beans.
- Add a diced jalapeno for a extra spicy kick.
- Substitute a 1/2 lb salt & peppered ground beef for the sausage to make the crumbles.
- Want your baked beans to cook while you’re away? Put it all in a crock pot or slow cooker just like you would a casserole dish and cook on low for 4 hours.
Other Cookout Side Dishes You’ll Love
- Homestyle Deviled Eggs
- Layered Strawberry Jello Salad
- Cheesy BBQ Bacon Potato Foil Packets
- Mexican Street Corn Foil Packets
- Southern Deviled Egg Potato Salad
Recipes like the ones linked in this post are all perfect for holidays like Father’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. These times when we can get together and celebrate with those we enjoy and treasure most are priceless. Let’s not pass up any opportunity to be generous!
If You Make This Recipe, I Can’t Wait To Hear About It!
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Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs ground hot breakfast sausage
- 1/2 C ketchup
- 1/4 C dark brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 (28 oz can) pork and beans, or 2 (15 oz) cans
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 bell pepper, diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Spray 3 quart casserole dish with non stick cooking spray.
- In a skillet on the stove top over medium heat, cook 1/2 lb hot ground sausage, browning and breaking it up into crumbles. When lightly browned and crumbled to desired size, remove from pan and set aside.
- Slice 1 lb hot ground sausage into at least 10 patties. Using the same skillet as before, very lightly brown the sausage patties, but do not cook through. This makes sure they brown with a bit of crisp edges when baking later. Let patties drain on a paper towel.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together brown sugar, ketchup, spicy brown mustard, Worcestershire sauce and minced garlic to make the sauce for the beans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together pork and beans, sausage crumbles, yellow onion, and green bell pepper. Stir in sauce from the previous step and mix thoroughly but gently. Pour bean and sauce mixture into the greased casserole dish. Top with sausage patties. Press the patties gently down into the beans.
- Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes. If necessary cover beans, with foil or lid around 25 minutes or so if the sausage begins to overbrown.
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