This 1970s Potluck Meal Stretched Pantry Staples

Potlucks were popular gatherings in the 1970s, bringing folks together to share favorite dishes, with the various offerings combining to form a motley but nonetheless full meal. The advent of the Crock-Pot during that decade — an appliance many '70s kitchens had — made slow-cooker dishes a popular feature at the communal feasts, as one could prepare, transport, and rewarm food all in one convenient appliance.

One creation called calico beans — also known by names like cowboy beans, Roosevelt beans, and hobo beans — became a favorite potluck dish, being both incredibly flavorful and easy to make. Some dishes will go untouched at a potluck, but this wasn't one of them. The simple compilation made great use of items most household kitchens had, so a trip to the store generally wasn't necessary to throw it together — just a quick visit to the pantry and a little prep, and the components could be tossed into the Crock-Pot (or placed on the stove or in the oven).

The "calico" portion of the recipe's name derives from the multicolored look of the various beans. Whatever name you call the dish, the basic elements are consistent: ground beef, bacon, chopped onion, sweetening components like brown sugar, and multiple types of canned beans (oft-used legumes include butter beans, kidney beans, navy beans, lima beans, and pre-flavored products like pork and beans and baked beans). Mustard (dry or in condiment form) and ketchup generally show up in the mix, with ingredients varying among different recipes. The final product is a saucy, hearty, meat-forward dish that tends to get devoured at a party.

In creating your colorful calico beans, there's flexibility in how you approach the recipe. For instance, you can use a different type of minced meat instead of ground beef, like turkey or chicken. Pork sausage works, too, or you can use a more exotic ground protein like elk or bison. If you want to omit meat altogether – for example, Impossible Ground Beef can be used, or you can fill out the dish with some flavor-complementing veggies, like bell peppers and tomatoes, and sub in baked beans.

Opting for a spicy brown mustard rather than yellow gives the sauce an added kick. You also don't need to strictly adhere to certain types of beans — the namesake of calico beans is that colorful patchwork quality, so just use what you have on hand. Varying shapes and shades of legumes will add to the visual interest. While you can cook the dish in various ways, also keep in mind it needs to be truly cooked, not merely heated, so the flavors can combine and deepen.

Draining and rinsing the canning liquid is a step you should generally consider before adding canned beans to dishes. For calico beans, though, it isn't necessary — leaving in the liquid just contributes to the sauce if you don't want to drain and rinse. Bear in mind, keeping it may add sodium content and impact flavor, so taste the liquid to make sure it's a flavor element you want in there. In any event, the majority of recipes (though not all) advise you not to drain the pork and beans or baked beans — their premade sauces contribute well to the flavor profile.