A friend recently asked me why I hadn’t shared the recipe for Cowboy Dinner yet. I told him that I would and to stay tuned. This friend and I spent a lot of time together growing up, as our moms were best friends. Whenever our moms would leave our dads in charge, we were sure to have Cowboy Dinner.
Cowboy Dinner is one of those recipes where you just toss in ingredients, taste test, and adjust as needed. Also, if you don’t have all the ingredients, substituting is completely acceptable and encouraged. I figure that must be why it was the go-to recipe for our dads.
Don’t forget the rules of food safety! Here’s the short list:
- Always, wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.
- Never thaw meat on the counter, thaw in the refrigerator, microwave or cool water bath.
- Always wash cutting boards and plates after having been in contact with raw meat.
- Always cook to appropriate internal temperatures. Safe internal temperatures vary based on cut. Hamburger must reach a safe and savory 160 degrees, while steak is safe at 145 degrees.
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Cowboy Dinner
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
Scale
- Olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, pressed
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1–28 ounce can Country Style Baked Beans with Bacon, or pork and beans
- 1–15 ounce can of chili beans
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot sauté onion and garlic until onion becomes transparent. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, brown ground beef. When ground beef is thoroughly cooked, drain, and return to the skillet. Add onion and garlic mixture, baked beans, chili beans, chili powder, and brown sugar. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately over bread or with a tortilla.
Hello! I’m Terryn – the wife, mother, food safety enthusiast, Stormy Kromer fanatic who has slightly (okay, a lot) random tendencies, dabbles in photography, and shares (maybe a little too much) here at FFB.