And hey, bacon made everything better.

– Jennifer Estep

Last weekend I was craving baked beans on toast. I didn’t have any tins of baked beans in the house and I kept forgetting that the nearest grocery shop doesn’t have any there. Sigh! (I should also admit that I was too lazy to walk the extra 2 minutes to the next nearest store where I KNOW they have them. Don’t judge me—it was the weekend!). By Monday evening I was desperate. So after work, armed with a semi-empty bag, I marched into Homeplus. And, of course, I purchased a tin of beans…or five.

I decided to make what has become one of my favourite ways to make baked beans, after these scrumptious Kale Baked Beans. It’s really simple and so tasty. The smell of the bacon, onion and garlic together is already enticing enough, never mind adding those baked beans in.

Served on warm, buttery toast or with a nice baked potato, here’s a nice little meal that you can make up in a jiffy on a busy week day night or for a lazy breakfast on the weekend. Alternatively, you can use as a side dish.

Garlicky Rasher Baked Beans (on toast)

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 5 Strips of Rasher/Bacon, cut into bite-size pieces.
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1-3 large cloves of garlic, crushed
• Around 3 cups vegetarian baked beans (equates to 2 400g tins)
• 4-5 button mushrooms, sliced (optional)
• 2 slices of your favourite bread (optional)

Method

1. Put the baked beans in a pot and set aside.
2. Heat a frying pan on high heat.
3. Add the rasher and cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the onion, allowing time for the rasher fat to melt as this will be used instead of oil.
4. Add the onion and cook for around 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rasher and onion are nicely browned.
5. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute
6. Put some paper towels on a plate, and then transfer the rasher mixture to it. Fold the paper towel around it and pat it to drain off the excess oil.
7. Add the rasher mixture to the baked beans and put on the stove on medium-low heat and simmer for around around 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the beans are hot throughout.
8. Meanwhile, if using the mushrooms, add to the rasher frying pan and fry until nicely browned on a high heat.
9. Serve on toast or baked potato with the mushrooms piled on top.

Tips

One-ring cooking: If you only have one ring, cook the rashers first, then add to the beans, making sure you lower the temperature. When the beans are ready, put a lid on them and put them to the side. Fry up the mushrooms while you make your toast. If you are making a baked potato, put the potato in the oven for 30 minutes or so before you start making the rest of the recipe. Everything should be done around the same time.

Brunch: This recipe is easily doubled and goes well with fried eggs.

Make it your own:  I love garlic so I use 3 cloves but you can always use less, if you prefer. If you want, sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top.