Why it works: Beans and lima beans match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 156 recipes. Both carry 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells green bell pepper, earthy. The science ↓
Calico Beans
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Drain the juice in the baked beans and reserve to use as needed to thin mixture throughout cooking.
Brown ground beef with bacon and onion.
Slow cook
Put all ingredients in slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.
Reduce to low and cook 3 to 5 hours.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 10 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Lima Bean | 1/2 cup (85g) cooked | 108 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Bean | not in our table | 0 |
| Red Kidney Bean | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Beans + lima beanstop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together156 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Kidney beans + lima beanstop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Beans + kidney beanstop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together364 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + beanstop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,242 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lean ground beef
- Provides the meaty base and savory bulk of the dish.
- Bacon
- Adds fat and smoky flavor that carries through the beans.
- Baked beans
- Form the saucy body of the dish and supply most of the liquid.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps build a thick, caramelized sauce during long cooking.
- Molasses
- Adds deep, dark sweetness and a rich color to the sauce.
The step that matters
Reserve the bean liquid. Long slow cooking reduces and thickens the sauce, so the reserved bean liquid should be added as needed to keep the mixture from drying out or scorching while the beans cook for several hours.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, beans, kidney beans, lima beans, molasses, sugar, ketchup):
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Mustardfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, beans, kidney beans, lima beans, molasses, sugar, ketchup. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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