• Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add in ground beef and season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Once browned, remove from pan and set aside.
• Add bacon to the skillet. Cook over medium high heat until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and spoon the bacon out of the skillet, leaving the grease. Set bacon to the side.
• In the pan with the bacon drippings, sauté the onions and bell peppers over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften and get a little bit of browning on them, about 5 minutes
• Reduce the heat to low and add in the cans of beans and return the ground beef and half of the bacon to the skillet.
• Add in ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, ground mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining bacon. Bake, covered, in the 300 degree oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Slow Cooker Instructions

• Follow all instructions for stovetop to cook the ground beef, bacon, and vegetables. Once each is cooked, transfer them to a 5 to 8 quart slow cooker instead of baking them. Add in the drained canned beans, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, ground mustard, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
• Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.