Pour pork and beans over ground beef, coupled with 3 ingredients, into slow cooker for a hearty dinner that’s always a yes in my house

Place the raw ground beef in the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Gently break it up with a spoon or clean hands into large chunks so it cooks evenly but still has some texture.

Scatter the chopped onion evenly over the ground beef, covering as much of the surface as you can. This helps the onion soften and flavor the meat as it cooks.

In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, stir together the barbecue sauce and brown sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved. This quick mix keeps the sweetness and smokiness evenly distributed through the beans.

Pour both cans of pork and beans (including all the sauce) over the ground beef and onions in the slow cooker. Then pour the barbecue sauce and brown sugar mixture over the beans, making sure it spreads across the top.

Use a spoon to gently nudge the sauce down into the beans without fully stirring everything together. You want layers at this point: ground beef on the bottom, onions in the middle, beans and sauce on top. The meat will cook through in the flavorful juices.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, or until the ground beef is cooked through and the mixture is hot and bubbly. About halfway through, carefully break up any large clumps of beef with a spoon and give the beans a quick, gentle stir to combine.

Once the beef is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened slightly, taste and adjust seasoning if you like. Depending on your barbecue sauce, you may want a pinch of salt, pepper, or an extra spoonful of barbecue sauce for more smokiness.

Serve the calico beans hot, straight from the slow cooker. If the mixture seems a little thin for your liking, leave the lid off and cook on HIGH for an additional 15 to 20 minutes to let some of the liquid evaporate and the sauce thicken.

Use this simple base to fit whatever you have in your pantry. For a more traditional “calico” look, swap one can of pork and beans for a can of drained kidney beans or pinto beans (you’ll still pour at least one full can of pork and beans with its sauce over the raw beef to keep the spirit of the recipe and the headline). If you like a little heat, choose a spicy barbecue sauce or add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. You can also use ground turkey or ground pork instead of beef; just keep the same amount and layering method. For extra smokiness, stir in a few slices of cooked, crumbled bacon toward the end of cooking. If you need this to stretch further, add another small can of beans and a splash of water or broth, then taste and bump up the barbecue sauce and brown sugar to keep the flavor balanced. Leftovers freeze well in airtight containers for up to 3 months, making this a great Sunday prep recipe for easy weeknight dinners.