My Minnesota Calico Bean Chili Recipe

I’m calling this my Minnesota calico bean chili because it has beans and ketchup and is barely spicy unless you want it to be. I cut several corners here so it is quite tasty in a minimum amount of time. (But better the next day.) I know a lot of people don’t think beans belong in chili (not to mention ketchup!) but for me chili without beans is just dip. I also know a lot of people would say a good chili takes hours to cook but that’s just not how I always want to roll. Sometimes I want chili after a long day at work and I just don’t have that kind of time.

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I like using different varieties of beans here taking a nod from my mom’s “calico” baked bean recipe that she’s known for making at potlucks and a google search just confirmed that she is absolutely not the only one. I’m also not surprised to see that many of those recipes start out like my mom’s: With a can of Bush’s baked beans. Which were a staple when I was growing up.

Like with most of my recipes I’m really heavy handed with adding as many vegetables as I can. I like the added texture of the onions, chopped tomatoes and bell peppers not to mention they’re good for us!

(This recipe is also a great vehicle for hiding a ton of fresh spinach.)

The chili recipes from my neck of the woods are all noticeably veggie absent. They’re basically tomato soup with a little chili powder, brown sugar, beans and ground beef mixed in. (They’re still good – I’m not hating!)

I’m using ground pork here for the extra fat. Unlike my Goulash recipe I consider this a pretty light meal so I have no problem adding in some extra flavor! (My unspoken rule is that if I’m going to be removing the fat after browning protein then I’m using the wrong protein.)

You could easily just omit the meat entirely and this would still be good.

Using up leftovers (if there are any) this chili makes great burritos or enchiladas and you can always make Frito chili pies or nachos with it.

My family likes spooning it over grilled hotdogs for a very messy and tasty bite that’s ideally served in the back yard on a hot summer day.

The peppers, onions and chopped tomatoes are a great start but any chili recipe still needs to be saucy so I bring in the canned tomato sauce besides the sauce that comes with the chili beans.

I remember when my mom discovered chili beans when I was a kid and it was a total game changer.

They bring in the taste of long cooked chilis that takes hours to get. I add chili powder besides for more spice but they’re a wonderful short cut here.

(You’ll notice I’m using the Great Value Walmart brand for my ingredients – I do this because they’re affordable and obtainable to just about everyone. HOWEVER, Bush’s makes beans in chili sauce with several different varieties of beans and spice levels that I would definitely recommend over Walmart’s chili “ready” beans that are honestly kind of bland.)

Moving on to the bean element.

I like beans.

I really do.

But some I like a lot more than others.

I really can’t stand the traditional kidney bean choice that is often used in midwestern chili.

I find them to be obnoxious giants.

One thing kidney beans do have going for them though is that they’re tough. Some beans will disintegrate with only a little stirring and make a big pot of bean mush.

So my choices consist of a can of small red beans in chili sauce, black beans, great northern beans and pinto beans. They’re all about the same size (so they fit well on a spoon together), they all have their own unique flavor and texture and they all hold up pretty well.

REALLY IMPORTANT: the 3 plain cans of beans need to be strained and rinsed thoroughly unless you want a pot of slimy bean juice.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it but I always cook all of my seasonings as soon as possible as it seems to help them bloom and bring out their flavor to the max.

In a big stew pot I add my thawed ground pork, soy sauce, all of the seasonings and all of the fresh chopped onions and bell peppers. (This would be a great time to add any other chopped pepper you would like to add such as jalapenos.)

One benefit to cooking your raw pork with your vegetables is they help break it up. A potato masher is also very helpful here.

I stir it well and cook everything down.

Then I d-glaze the pot with the 2 cans of rotel chopped tomatoes, 2 cans of tomato sauce, ketchup and brown mustard. I stir it well again, turn the pot down to low and cook it covered for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile I thoroughly rinse my 3 cans of plain beans and let them drain before adding them along with the can of chili beans to the sauce.

All of the canned beans are cooked already but they need to cook in the sauce for them to absorb the flavor and soften up a little. (The beans ability to absorb flavor is why chili always tastes better the next day.)

I know I’m committing several acts of terrorism by adding ketchup here and I’m fine with that.

Midwest chili (and a lot of our dishes I think) are notorious for being sweet. I don’t like my chili sweet but the sugar content in the ketchup is important here for balance. Most home cooks I know around here would add brown sugar instead (or besides) but, for me, that’s just too much.

Yes, the soy sauce might be a little bit of a weird addition but whenever I add salt to a dish I always try to grab something that adds flavor along with it and soy sauce does that really well! And it adds enough saltiness here that I don’t have to add any more besides.

I don’t think I need to defend myself with the brown mustard addition (you can just use yellow if that’s all you have or omit it completely) I like the tanginess that it adds.

The rotel and the chili beans are both major shortcuts and you can buy them as spicy or as mild as you like!

I sometimes throw in a can of strained corn if I have it and that is definitely a good addition. Most people like eating this topped with cheese, Fritos or sour cream.

I like it just as it is.

(If you don’t want to make so much simply omit 1 can of tomato sauce and 1 can of beans. Or 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 can of diced tomatoes and 2 cans of beans.)

It doesn’t make a lot of sense (considering I like this so much) but I really don’t like tomato soup. So, for my ultimate comfort meal, I dunk grilled cheese into a big bowl of this chili!

Calico Bean Chili
• 1lb Ground pork
• 1Chopped onion
• 2Chopped bell peppers
• 1/2Cup Soy Sauce
• 1/4Cup Parsley
• 1/4Cup Black Pepper
• 1Tbsp Cumin
• 1Tbsp Chili Powder
•  
• 2Cans Rotel Chopped Tomatoes
• 2Cans Tomato Sauce
• 1/2Cup Ketchup
• 1/2Cup Brown Mustard
•  
• 1Can Small Red Beans in Chili Sauce
• 1Can Black Beans (rinsed)
• 1Can Great Northern Beans (rinsed)
• 1Can Pinto Beans (rinsed)
• 1Can Navy Beans (rinsed)

Cook the ground pork with the 1/2 a cup of soy sauce, chopped onion, bell pepper and all of the seasonings until cooked through.

Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, and brown mustard. Stir really well and then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Strain and rinse your 4 cans of plain beans thoroughly and then add all 5 cans of beans to the sauce. Stir gently. Cook covered on low until ready to eat.

Calico Bean Chili
• 1lb Ground pork
• 1Chopped onion
• 2Chopped bell peppers
• 1/2Cup Soy Sauce
• 1/4Cup Parsley
• 1/4Cup Black Pepper
• 1Tbsp Cumin
• 1Tbsp Chili Powder
•  
• 2Cans Rotel Chopped Tomatoes
• 2Cans Tomato Sauce
• 1/2Cup Ketchup
• 1/2Cup Brown Mustard
•  
• 1Can Small Red Beans in Chili Sauce
• 1Can Black Beans (rinsed)
• 1Can Great Northern Beans (rinsed)
• 1Can Pinto Beans (rinsed)
• 1Can Navy Beans (rinsed)

Cook the ground pork with the 1/2 a cup of soy sauce, chopped onion, bell pepper and all of the seasonings until cooked through.

Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, and brown mustard. Stir really well and then simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

Strain and rinse your 4 cans of plain beans thoroughly and then add all 5 cans of beans to the sauce. Stir gently. Cook covered on low until ready to eat.