Cowboy Food

Because I hate the winter, my husband will cook for me. One of my favorite things he makes is a one-pot dish I labeled "Cowboy Food" at some point, because A) it is something that cowboys would eat and B) I like to pretend my husband is a cowboy. I think he would look good on a horse.
But that is neither here nor there. Sorry. I am prone to distracting myself. ANYWAYS, he makes this dish and it is pretty perfect for winter, because it is thick and hearty, and its smokey, spicy flavors really warm you up. It's also cheap and easy to make, and in these hard times, who wouldn't like that?

Ingredients:
2 lbs lean ground meat
2-3 large potatoes (cubed)
1 large can of baked beans (any sort you like, we use Busch's Barbecue Beans)
2 TBSP Old Bay Seasoning
1 TBSP Liquid Smoke
4 strips of Bacon (chopped) (optional)
1/2 bottle of beer (optional) (If you use beer, a recommend a lager, and if you have a gluten allergy, you can use a Sorghum beer. We use Redbridge)
Salt and Pepper to taste

There are 2 ways to make this, depending on how much time you have.
The first way is to dump all the ingredients in a crock pot, stir it up, and cook it on low for 4-8 hours. Simple, no? This is good if everybody is gone during the day, you can dump everything in in the am, and come home to a hot dinner and a house that smells delicious.

My husband is home all day, so he takes a little more prep time that adds a few more delightful textures to the dish, and cuts down on fat.

In a skillet, on medium heat, fry up the cubed potatoes with the bacon until potatoes are browned on most sides and bacon is crisp. Drain any excess fat.

In a large pot, combine the raw meat with Old Bay, Liquid Smoke, Salt, and Pepper, then brown the meat. Again, drain any of the excess fat.

When the meat is browned and the potatoes are done, combine everything and add the baked beans, stirring frequently over low heat. As everything warms, add the beer till the dish reaches desired consistency.

Drink the rest of the beer to congratulate yourself on a meal well cooked, and serve.

PS, any left-overs are awesome in the morning with fried eggs and toast!