Easy baked beans - healthy and delicious! It's the perfect easy lunch or quick dinner and even for snacks and great to have on hand in the freezer.
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Mealtimes can be a little bit of a battle around here.
I think often kids like to assert their independence through rejecting food that's put in front of them.
I'll say that's what it is anyway and not that my cooking is no good.
Dinner time seems to be the biggest battle for most families.
Baked beans have been a failsafe meal in our house ever since our eldest spotted my husband eating them one morning and insisted on him sharing them.
Of course I’m too hard on myself to think opening a can can count as a meal. I wanted to make my own homemade version (I'll add- I still often open a can but I pimp it with bone broth & veggie packed tomato pasta sauce).
I’m not a fan of baked beans (well not the canned version) but as soon as I had a mouthful of these, I was a convert.
What was the verdict from my 19 month old food critic the first time I made them?
Well he took one look at them, held the spoon to his mouth then returned the spoon to the bowl and pushed it away shaking his head.
I tell you, that should be one challenge on Masterchef - make 5 meals that don’t get rejected by a toddler.
No one can say I didn’t at least try.
I had one lot of beans for lunch the day I made them. Then I divided the rest between holes of a muffin tin and froze them so they’re already portioned out.
Perfect for an easy lunch or quick dinner, healthy and delicious. Enjoy.
Recipe
Easy baked beans
Ingredients
- 2 x 400g cans of cannellini beans
- 1 700 g bottle of tomato passata
- 160 g 6oz short cut rindless bacon (nitrate-free, free-range if possible), diced
- 1 brown onion diced
- 2 heaped teaspoon crushed garlic
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil leaves
- ¼ teaspoon dried chives
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the bacon, onion and garlic until the onion is soft.
- Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the bot with the beans, tomato passata, tomato paste, basil, chives and water then bring to the boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and then cover and cook for one hour. Stir about every 15 minutes to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to how you’d like it.
Hotly Spiced says
It sounds like the 'terrible two's' have arrived a little early. Isn't it just so much easier if they'd just open their mouths and swallow! I do love homemade baked beans and my 'vegetarian' version also has bacon! xx
Claire says
Haha he has been a bit ahead in other things Charlie so who knows. Although I can't complain tonight he ate nearly all his dinner! x
Alison says
We have the same issue with our 2.5 year old... I tend to rotate dishes I know he'll like, or at least tolerate... otherwise he goes hungry!
Claire says
Glad I'm not the only one Alison!
sherry from sherrys pickings says
i love baked beans of any description. it always feels like it is doing you good even if out of a can:)
Claire says
I'm glad you hear that Sherry. I ordered Ollie baked beans at breakfast yesterday and he rejected their homemade version too. At least I know it's not just me!
Chris Scheuer says
Kids are so funny. You can never predict what's next, that's for sure! I love that you used cannellini beans in your version Claire, so yummy!
Claire says
You sure can't!