Baked beans are a delicious, hearty dish that can be eaten on their own or with other foods. Beans are high in protein and fiber which makes them an excellent food choice for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Baked beans are vegetarian so we recommend looking for a meat that has been cooked in the oven and then allowed to cool slightly before slicing thinly, or purchasing pre-cooked bacon strips.
This blog post will give you some great ideas for what to eat with baked beans.
- Hardboiled Eggs – Hardboiled eggs can be prepared ahead of time and are a good option for breakfast or lunch.
- Turkey Burgers – Turkey burgers are a fun way to serve Thanksgiving turkey. They should also be cooked in the oven before eating, but you don’t have to worry about overcooking them since they will continue cooking when eaten.
- Cucumber Slices – A vegetable that pairs well with beans is cucumbers because they’re both low in calories yet high in fiber. You could make a salad out of them or just eat slices on their own as an appetizer. You could also try making roasted vegetables to make them crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside.
- Brown Rice – Brown rice has more health benefits than white rice such as higher levels of vitamins and minerals, less fat, and fewer calories per serving size making it a great food choice for vegetarians.
- Couscous – Couscous is a type of pasta that has been cooked and then dried which makes it convenient to carry with you for lunch or dinner on the go as long as there are some boiled water available.
- Bread – Bread can be used in place of rolls or mashed potatoes, so if your family likes bread already this might work well for them. This option also works well because slices make great sandwich holders too.
- Sliced Tomatoes – If you’re looking for an easy side dish that pairs nicely with baked beans, try slicing up tomatoes since they have zero calories while still being nutritious and delicious.
- Slow Cooker Chili – This chili has all your favorite spices and toppings like cornbread and cheese to make it absolutely delicious.
There are many combinations of foods that you can use to make your family’s meal more enjoyable. We hope you enjoy our post and found some great pairings for your summer time favorite.
How to make baked beans?
Baked beans on toast is a traditional dish that can be eaten for breakfast or as part of the evening meal. It’s also been called ‘posh baked beans’ by people who like to claim it sounds better than “baked beans”.
Baked beans are a dish that many people love to enjoy. This is because they are made with delicious ingredients and have the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.
In order for you to make this dish, it’s important that you first gather all the necessary ingredients. You will need:
- 2 Cans (16 ounces) of pork & beans
- 1 Onion
- 3 Tablespoons molasses or brown sugar
- 6 Tablespoons ketchup or tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard seed
- 4 Teaspoons chili powder (optional)
- Ssalt and pepper to taste.
Procedure:
The first thing you’ll need to do is chop your onion into small pieces so that it can be used in the recipe more effectively.
Once everything has been gathered together then start cooking.
Heat up some oil in a pot and then add the beans. Let them simmer for about five minutes until they start to soften up a bit, but don’t let them get mushy.
Once they have been cooked remove from heat and allow them to cool slightly before adding in your other ingredients like onion, molasses or brown sugar, ketchup or tomato paste, yellow mustard seed, chili powder (optional), salt & pepper.
Give it all a good stir so that everything is combined properly before cooking again over medium-low heat with the lid on for three hours.
You may need more time depending on how much you cook at one time. Keep an eye out as things are going along to make sure nothing sticks too badly to bottom of pan or burns.
Serve it with cheese or pickles, and you are ready to go.
What type of beans should I use?
Baked beans are made from either navy, great northern or kidney beans. The type of bean you use will depend on your preference and what is available locally.
Navy beans work well because they absorb the flavors in the sauce more readily than some other types of beans. Great Northerns also create a thick sauce that sticks to meatballs nicely for bite-sized appetizers called croquettes (also spelled croquetas).
Kidney beans have a thinner consistency, but still produce an acceptable baked bean dish with less liquid required for cooking due to their shorter cooking time; this makes them useful if you want to make baked beans without having much extra spare time after boiling down all those cans of tomato soup.
Navy beans
Navy beans are a type of dried bean often used in making baked beans. Navy beans can also be used to make soups, chili, and other dishes. They are often called Boston Baked Beans when cooked because they were popularized in the city of Boston.
The most common recipe is slow cooking navy beans with molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt pork or bacon until they form a thick sauce that soaks into the meat and makes them tender.
Navy beans contain antioxidants like beta-carotene which may protect against heart disease and certain cancers such as colon cancer and prostate cancer. In addition to being high in fiber which helps lower cholesterol levels and control blood sugar levels; this legume also contains nutrients like manganese, folate and potassium.
Navy beans are also high in iron which helps carry oxygen to the body’s cells so that they can function properly. The legume is not as dense or heavy as other types of dried beans like black beans, making navy bean dishes more digestible for those who have trouble with digestion.
Kidney Beans
Kidney beans are used in baked beans. They provide texture and flavor, as well as protein. Kidney Beans are a great alternative to meat because they have less cholesterol than animal-based proteins. This makes them perfect for anyone who is looking to cut back on their intake of dietary cholesterol or fat, but still get the benefits of a protein source.
Kidneys also offer iron, folate and fiber which may help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving (1/2 cup) has about 11 grams of carbohydrates with 5 grams coming from fiber which helps regulate blood sugar levels while providing 2 grams of plant-based protein.
When cooked, they develop a sweet flavor with hints of nutty flavors due to their natural sugars called oligosaccharides or complex sugar molecules. They can be eaten whole when cooked but are more commonly mashed up in dishes like chili con carne or refried beans.
How to make baked beans more interesting
Baked beans are a staple in many households across the country. They’re an easy meal to make with ingredients that can usually be found at your local grocery store, and they’re filling enough to last for days if you have leftovers.
But let’s face it, baked beans are not exactly exciting. There are a lot of ways to make your baked bean more interesting. Here are just a few ideas:
- Replace water in your recipe with stock where possible; this will give your dish much more flavour.
- Add spices like paprika, cumin, coriander and chilli flakes before cooking (optional)
- Serve baked beans on sourdough bread topped with crispy pancetta or cheese such as feta or goat’s cheese
- Mash some up into tuna mayo sandwiches – yum! This is really popular in Australia. Who doesn’t like a tuna sandwich with cheese and baked beans?
- Add bacon or ham to the dish before cooking for added flavor and protein
- They’re also great in a simple sandwich with cold meats, cheese, lettuce and tomato
- Add chilli sauce if you want to make your baked beans spicy – we recommend Tabasco. They have plenty of heat but not too much flavour so it won’t overpower the taste of your other dishes.
The best part is that these recipes are all low-sodium, so you won’t have to worry about bloating from the salt content. So grab those cans of baked beans from the grocery store shelf and get ready for a tasty change. You’ll never want plain old baked beans again.
Is Baked Beans healthy?
Baked beans are a great source of protein, fiber and other nutrients like potassium. The nutritional value comes in part from the baked bean’s main ingredient – navy or pea beans. These types of legumes pack an impressive 22 grams of protein per cup along with 16 grams of dietary fiber and 189 milligrams calcium each.
Navy or pea beans may also help to lower blood pressure levels, reduce cholesterol levels and prevent diabetes as well as cancer according to Harvard Medical School research published in 2009.
This study found that eating one-half cup daily can significantly reduce risk for certain diseases such as type two diabetes by 34 percent for men and 25 percent for women (Harvard Medical School). In addition to these important health benefits
However, they also have a high calorie content and can also contain sugar, salt, preservatives and flavorings. The only thing that makes them healthy is the fact that they are cooked in water which means most of these ingredients will be released into the cooking liquid rather than staying within the beans themselves.
This means it’s still important to eat them in moderation because they’ll still pack on weight if eaten too often or even just as a meal every day instead of as part of a balanced diet.
