Homemade Baked Beans

I bet you will have a tin of these in the back of a kitchen cupboard.

Baked beans have been a staple for many of us for years … a quick and easy meal to make … a reminder of childhood tea’s … something everyone will eat.

Tinned baked bean can contain a lot of added salt and sugar depending on the variety that you buy and often have an artificial taste to them.

With homemade baked beans you can control the amount and type of sugar you add and the amount of salt.

This recipe is easy to prepare but does take awhile to bake in the oven (I oven bake them only because who has a couple of hours to watch a simmering pan!!!! Plus they are baked beans ). They are perfect to cook when you have other things in the oven.

These humble beans are a great source of vegetarian or vegan protein.

Ingredients

1 tin of Haricot bean (or other white bean you like)

drizzle of olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped finely

1 clove of garlic, grated finely

8 cherry tomatoes and 500ml of passata OR tinned chopped tomatoes and 100ml of water

1 tbsp. of tomato puree

75ml of red wine vinegar OR apple cider (100ml if you like your beans tangy!)

1 tbsp. of Maple Syrup (use brown sugar if you prefer)

Heat the oven to 160C

In a large pan slowly heat the oil and then add the onions. Cook onions until soften but not coloured.

Add the garlic and cherry tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.

Add tomato puree and cook for a few minutes.

Add the vinegar and cook for a few minutes.

Add the maple syrup.

Add the beans and passata (or tinned tomatoes). Bring to the boil.

Transfer to oven proof dish, cover and cook for 2 hours or until the bean mix is thickened and the sauce has a gentle taste (the taste of the vinegar will have gone).

Season to taste and serve.

If you like spicy or smoky beans add your spice when you cook your garlic.

I couldn’t resist then with cheese on toast. But serve them however you like.

Enjoy x