Cowboy Beans in the Pressure Cooker

Serves 10 in about 1 hour. The pressure cooker brings ground beef and brown sugar together.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs ground beef (90%-93% lean)
• ½ lb thick cut bacon, chopped (about 6-8 slices)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ⅔ cup water*
• 1 lb kielbasa sausage, smoked (cut into 1 1/2" pieces)
• 2 28 oz cans pork & beans (or baked beans)
• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 (14 oz) can red kidney beans*, drained & rinsed
• ½ cup barbecue sauce
• 1 ½ tbsp dijon mustard
• ⅓ cup molasses
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp liquid smoke (optional for a little deeper smoky flavor)
• ¼ cup brown sugar

Method

1. First, get everything ready. Meat & veggies chopped, spices ready, garlic pressed or minced, measuring cups, etc. This helps the process go smoothly!
2. Turn on the pot's Sauté setting and add the ground beef, bacon, and onion. Simmer until meat is no longer pink (you shouldn't have to drain it unless you use a fattier meat. Leave some of the fat in there..
3. Stir in the garlic and stir. Leave it to cook for a instant.
4. Tip in the water and kielbasa.
5. Stir in the remaining ingredients in order (except brown sugar), and do not stir, just push them down into the mixture to cover them.
6. Put the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
7. Cancel the Sauté setting.
8. Press the Pressure Cook/Manual button or dial, and then the + or - button or dial to select 8 minutes.
9. Watch the pot until it comes to pressure. This is a pretty thick mixture, so you want to make sure you don't get the burn message.
10. When the cook time is finished, turn the pot off (so it doesn't go to warming) and let it sit undisturbed for 15 minutes (Natural Release). Then release the remaining pressure in short bursts, until you are sure no sauce will be spewing out with the steam.
11. When the pin in the lid drops down, open and carefully mix up the beans. Mix in the brown sugar.
12. Plate with corn bread.

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.