Best baked beans?

carolinosourus

kittyscarlett wrote: »

Branstons beans for me too. I used to be a Heinz girl but the last year or so they have been going steadily downhill - rock hard beans and very few of 'em drowning in far too much watery sauce. I don't mind Co op's own brand either.

I do make my own " baked beans " now sometimes. I picked up that Waitrose card too but didn't really like the look of the result, I prefer my own recipe

Are you going to enlighten us to your own recipe?

demonicangel

Another vote for Branston beans!

We love them here, cant stand any other brands.

thriftmonster

We like the new Heinz reduced sugar/ salt ones and they haven't replaced the sugar with sweetener so they are less sweet.

If I do a beef casserole, I often cook haricot beans in it and then fish most of them out. Add to them: a chopped onion, garlic, tin of chopped tomatoes, a good dollop of English mustard and a spoon of treacle. Add stock if necessary and bake, covered for an hour. Freezes well. You can add chopped bacon and Worcestershire sauce and /or Tabasco as well.

kittyscarlett

carolinosourus wrote: »

Are you going to enlighten us to your own recipe?

LOL its one of those slightly cheaty make it up as I go along ones that I've refined through use. Its not one of the " cook interminably in ye olde crockpot with treacle and beargrease " ones, sorreh

I use soaked dried cannelini beans and cook them for the regular time according to packet directions, if I have the time, tinned ones if I don't. I sweat off some finely chopped red onion in a little oil with a pinch of mixed herbs ( herbes de provence type ), add the drained cannelini beans, good glug of apple juice, few pinches of Swiss Marigold bouillon powder, squeeze of tom puree, dollop of tomato ketchup and dash of worcestershire sauce.

I find the apple juice gives enough liquid to make a sauce as the beans are already cooked but if you like a looser sauce you could add a little stock ( veg or chicken are best ) I also find cooking these together for about 15 mins on a gentle heat will produce the right consistency. You can experiment tho ! Ive tried adding a little mustard and sometimes a touch of soy or tamari if I want something a little more intense, and of course you can put chopped bacon in at the beginning if you like and probably different kinds of beans would work too.

I really love tomatoes in all shapes and forms but to me the Waitrose recipe was a bit like cooked beans in chopped tomatoes rather than " baked beans ".

Enjoy !

PS oops ! I started writing this about an hour ago and only just had the chance to post it, during which time thriftmonster had posted an oven recipe - sorry, my comment about crockpot beans wasnt meant as a hit at you, just those very poncey cheffy book type recipes for baked beans that involved about eighty ingredients and are cassoulet in disguise !

susank

After donkeys years of heinz its value beans here now.

suzysue_2

Branston beans here too. I get them from Netto, £1 x 4

Buffy_the_Vampire_Bat

kittyscarlett wrote: »

LOL its one of those slightly cheaty make it up as I go along ones that I've refined through use. Its not one of the " cook interminably in ye olde crockpot with treacle and beargrease " ones, sorreh

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

I must confess, although I always pick up one of each Waitrose recipe card (sometimes you might be inspired to try something you haven't done before) quite a few of them get passed on to people at work on the grounds that the recipe looks like too much faffing (and too many ingredients...a bit like some of St Delia's recipes really...pictures are nice though )

Vangello

I used to be a bit of a beans snob and only buy Heinz, but then I tried Branstons (4 for £1 in Cool Traders too!) and loved them. But then I discovered Aldi beans at 21p per tin and love them too. And they taste even better knowing that I'm saving pennies

Vangello

lilmisskitkat wrote: »

I'm not fussy about beans tbh, i'll eat anything - Heinz if on offer, Asda/Tesco's own brand or value.

Himself thinks we eat heinz beans. I keep Heinz tins at the front for show and hide the value ones at the back lol :rotfl:

Kate xxx

That made me laugh out loud :rotfl:my little boy is looking at me very strangely!!

krispyg76

Branston Beans are my favourite

Followed by Morrisons