Easy Pork and Beans Skillet Dinner Recipe

This is a quick one pan recipe, we make it in our large cast iron frying pan. So easy to make after a busy day or long day of work. Add a side of tossed salad if you like.

Skillet dinners made in a large cast iron frying pan, crock pot dinners, or casseroles are my favorites when it comes to making our main meal of the day. It's the reason why I love this family recipe. All I add is a nice tossed salad to complete the meal.

This recipe, or a close variation of it (all my recipes "evolve" with time), was my contribution to a cookbook put together for a family reunion we attended years ago.

I hope you enjoy making and eating this easy quick skillet dinner recipe when you've made it for yourself or your family.

Photos on this page: All taken by me unless otherwise noted

by Claudia Meydrech aka happynutritionist
New on Wizzley - August 2015

Shopping List

What you will need for this recipe

2 Cans Pork 'n Beans

-or-

1 Can Pork 'n Beans and
1 Can Red Kidney Beans

1 lb. lean Ground Beef
1 Large Onion
1/2 Large Green Pepper
1 T. Ketchup
1 T. Prepared Mustard
1 T. Chili Powder

Ingredients All Ready to Go!

Ground Beef Substitutes

You can use any of the following instead of ground beef

1 lb. Ground Turkey or
1 lb. Ground Chicken or
Prepare Textured Vegetable Protein if Vegetarian

Do You Eat Beans?

Or do you avoid them?

If you do have trouble with beans, this might help

Beano Home Away Combo Pack-120 Tabs +12 Portable Pack

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A Cast Iron Skillet

The only skillet I use with this and other recipes...here's why:

A few years ago, we were at one of those county fairs where there were many concession stands set up promoting or selling products and foods.

At one of the stands a young man was doing his best to convince us that the non-stick skillet he had was MUCH better than a cast iron skillet, saying that because cast iron cookware is porous, you never really get the flavors from previous meals out of the pan. My husband and I looked at one another and said "no wonder the food tastes so good when we cook it in our cast iron skillet". It is the most used piece of cookware in our kitchen.

We seasoned our pan according to the instructions that came with it, never wash it with soap, and always coat with a light spray of olive oil after each use. The heat while cooking will kill any bacteria that may remain.

In case you haven't gathered, we're going to be using a cast iron skillet for this recipe....you can use any kind that you like, but that's what I'm using and what you'll see in the pictures.

Lodge 10.25 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet – Signature Teardrop Handle - Use in the Oven, on...

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Lodge Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder, 12-inch

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Utopia Kitchen Saute Fry Pan - Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet Set 3-Piece - Frying Pan - 6 Inch, ...

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Preparing the Meal

I am going to guide you through the process with images

1 - Chop Onion and 1/2 Green Pepper

You don't have to be too particular about the size.

Black & Decker HC306 1-1/2-Cup One-Touch Electric Chopper, White

You'll use this handy 1-1/2 cup, 70 watt chopper to quickly chop onions without shedding a tear, as well as for chopping many other recipe ingredients. With one speed and pulse ...

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2 - Add Beef, Onion, Green Pepper to Pan

Brown until beef (or other meat on the shopping list) is cooked through and vegetables are tender.

Case of 10 - 1 lb. packages of Organic Grass Fed Ground Beef

I use grass fed beef, no pesticides, no antibiotics

Contains 10 - 1 lb. Lean Grass Fed Organic Ground Beef

Grass Fed and Finished Organic Ground Beef Package. Includes 10 - 1 Pound Premium Ground Beef Packages.

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Tip - How I Remove Fat from the Pan

Tilt as pictured, moving meat to high end, carefully soak up pool of fat with paper towel and discard, carefully avoiding flame. I left the flame on in this photo, but recently have started turning it off whenever I do this.

3 - Rinse the Canned Beans

But NOT like I did here, only rinse the Red Kidney Beans. Use the liquid in the Pork and Beans in the recipe

Pork n Beans in Quantity

Van Camp's Pork N Beans 15oz 6pack

pork and beans in tomato sauce (satisfying families since 1861)

Only $20.0

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4 - Add Beans to Pan, plus the following:

Stir in 1 T. Ketchup, 1 T. Prepared Mustard and 1 T. Chili Powder

Sorry the image is a bit blurry

5 - Cover and Simmer About 15-20 Minutes

Stir occasionally so ingredients don't stick to the pan.

I admit this doesn't look as pretty as some recipes, but it makes up for that in flavor. Sprinkling a couple of pinches of shredded Cheddar Cheese over the top after the burner is turned off will make it look more appealing.

Making it More Like a Mexican Dish

If you want to make the dish more of a Mexican dish, leave out the Ketchup and Mustard and add a few tablespoons of Salsa, a couple more Tablespoons of Chili Powder, some chopped tomato, and Cilantro either fresh (chopped) or dried to taste.

There are so many creative things you can do to make this dish your own, have fun with it, and enjoy!

6 - Balance the Meal with Salad or Veggies

You have your protein in the meat, and carbohydrates in the beans. A salad or green vegetables will round this meal out nicely.

Now Quick Meal Recipes are called Dump Dinners

Just the kind I like!

Dump Dinners Cookbook Box Set: 105 Dump Dinner Recipes, Dump Dinner...

Only $8.75

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Updated: 08/27/2015, happynutritionist

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happynutritionist on 08/29/2015

@Veronica she was a wise woman, it's a good way to save money.

Veronica on 08/27/2015

That is very interesting as when we were children my mother also eked out our meagre meat supply with various beans. I had forgotten that until you mentioned it.

happynutritionist on 08/27/2015

@Veronica My children ate this growing up and loved it, at the price of beef these days, having the beans to stretch the meal is so helpful!

Veronica on 08/27/2015

This is a great recipe. My grandson who is a problem eater would definitely at this with all the beans and minced ( ground ) beef in it.

Ty for posting. I like that idea for removing the fat. I have tended to use a spoon to spoon it off.

happynutritionist on 08/27/2015

@blackspanielgallery Thank you, I can't imagine a meal without salad, love my greens, and it balances this out so nicely.

happynutritionist on 08/27/2015

@candy47 Thank you..and yes I agree about cast iron, plus it lasts forever! We have various sizes of skillets or frying pans, and I'd like to get a cast iron dutch oven, don't have that yet.