Give Canned Baked Beans A Delicious Upgrade With One Spicy Pantry Staple

Growing up in the United Kingdom, I was no stranger to the English breakfast staple of beans on toast, though we often had it for dinner, too. As a kid, I had no idea I was wolfing down forkfuls of protein, thanks to those creamy legumes. I'm even wiser these days because I also know that pairing tinned baked beans with a tin of green chilies is the mother of all flavor upgrades. Does it make me feel like I'm eating the way cowboys did back in the day? Kinda, but it's really the heat from the chilis that I can't get enough of. It gives the beans a delicious boost, while the touch of sweetness complements that of the classic baked bean sauce.

Apart from lasting for years unopened, the advantage of canned chilis is that you can control the heat level they give your beans, simply by adding a little or a lot. Be aware that different brands use different kinds of peppers, so it's worth paying attention to the label to figure out a more precise heat level. Hatch or Anaheim varieties are better for those who prefer a mild chili, jalapeños take it up a notch, and habanero chilis have even more fire. If you grow your own chilis and want to amp up their spice, our watering trick can make it happen so they'll become a powerful addition to a mess of beans. Just remember you're not trying to swamp your beans with pepper heat, but just give them some punch.

Once you've mastered the level of chili heat, you can really start to play around with baked bean extras. Bacon will likely feature on many foodie lists of ingredients to give tinned baked beans a bit of zhuzh. Combining that meaty smokiness with the chilis and beans is a large step toward foodie heaven, in our humble opinion! Non-meat eaters would beg to differ, but that brings us to another great way to add depth of flavor to canned baked beans: shredded cheddar cheese. It's a staple of college student meals, because apart from bringing a sharp creaminess to each spoonful, it thickens the beans and makes them go further, all ideal if you're on a budget.

Throwing in these two herbs from your kitchen will give your baked beans a whole new lease of life, while stirring in a little liquid stock or beef broth as your beans are cooking on the stove can be game-changing, flavor-wise. Some home cooks stick to a simple squirt of mustard, though whether you go fancy whole grain or plain ol' yellow is entirely down to you. Whatever tasty extras you choose to add, it's important not to get carried away. Make sure to keep tasting your canned beans as they cook so the balance of flavors stays spot-on.