How do you eat your baked beans?

Hi CHOICE community, we have a baked beans review coming up and wanted to know your thoughts on ways you eat your baked beans and do you have any niche inclusions of baked beans in your diet.

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As American transplants we find a difference in cultural norms.

In the USA baked beans are usually a dinner item, often sweetened with molasses and/or brown sugar, and eaten with American styles of BBQ. They are also staples accompanying Mexican dishes but are not technically baked beans but a Mexican mix.

In Australia it is a tomato based brekkie topping or side. Mexican mixes targetting Mexican meals are available too.

Bush’s baked beans (that briefly appeared on our shelves) reflected the US norm. Friends found them unsatisfactory on toast at brekkie because they were ‘different’ and not intended to be eaten that way. Heinz, although the major brand in most countries, is pretty ordinary by our personal tastes.

We currently favour Whitlock varieties (a NZ product).

In each case we eat them as a side rather than on toast as most seem to do. Depending on the brand/style we usually ‘doctor’ them toward our American tastes by adding some molasses and brown sugar. Whitlocks less than others since their flavours are more ‘agreeable’ for us.

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Ah different tastes. I avoid the Oz tomato sauce version because it is too sweet.

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We only buy and eat Heinz English Recipe baked beans, as we don’t like the taste of other brands/flavours, which we have tried every now and again. We usually eat them on or with toast, or sometimes as a jaffle, as a quick and lazy Sunday evening meal.
We do use and eat lots of other types of beans in different meals, however assume you’re talking only of ordinary “baked beans” for the purposes of this survey.

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I don’t touch those baked beans in tomato sauce. Horrible.

But American style baked beans go really well with bacon and eggs. When I lived in the UK, it was that style, never the tomato sauce version.

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We buy Australian made reduced salt ones
SPC.

Usual way of eating them is warmed with toast.

The other half also makes toasted sandwiches with cheese, ham and baked beans.

We also have baked bean jaffles (in jaffle irons) from time to time. Just bread outer and baked beans filling.

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Mostly a breakfast food on toast, the fake ham flavoured Heinz versions being preferred. In winter they like others here are enjoyed on a toastie or jaffle, usually with a well matured sliced cheddar.

I use to bulk up with fried fresh tomatoes, and other veges plus sausage (pork). IE A scratch meal for one at night and way to use up a few left overs. Very average but expedient in a bare pantry.

It would be interesting to see some original recipes that challenge to classic Aussie version.

P.S.
Forgot they were also a staple of school lunch sandwiches with cheese of course. One way to ensure the sliced white bread did not go stale. :wink:

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Usually have baked beans over toasted crumpets coated with a good layer of Olive Grove Classic margarine .

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Only eaten here as a lunch component. I either cook up Navy Beans or decant a tin of low salt / sugar Baked Beans into a container in the fridge. These containers are laid out for lunch - a wide range of foods - to help yourself - a table spoon of this, a slice of that, pinch of that, most cold but some leftovers reheated.

When the container is empty I replace it with another type of bean, bean mix, lentil, veg; and it might be a couple of months before I do navy/baked beans again.

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I like my Baked Beans in a dish we call TexMex Beans, it uses onions, bacon, baked beans (preferably ham sauce flavoured but any will do), Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup or a Smokey flavoured sauce such as Smokey BBQ sauce, and Mexican chilli powder.

A family favourite.

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That would include something I experienced in Dallas TX for a few weeks. And Mexico.

Refried beans. Awful at first but got used to them.

I’ve started having baked beans more often, as they are low inflammatory and suitable for vegans. My latest method of eating them is in a wrap, with lettuce and smashed avo. Sounds pretty squishy but it’s delishy.

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I am disappointed that it is so difficult to find Australian produced baked beans.

Along with many of the previously mentioned menu ideas, I like a crispy fried egg sitting on top of my beans on toast.

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Usually heated and with meat pie or as a side dish with bacon and eggs for breakfast.

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Eggs, bacon, and Heinz baked beans all on toast.

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That’s our family’s preference and manner of eating, too. :+1:

As to when we eat them 


Spouse and I (both born and raised in Australia) grew up with baked beans on toast (BBOT), with or without fried egg/s, being typical breakfast food.

Fast forward several decades: we were both working full time while raising kids of our own. BBOT became weekday dinner food, because our fussy eaters often wouldn’t touch whatever else was on offer. Neither of us had the energy after work to try to convince them otherwise. Both of them would reliably eat BBOT without any fuss.

More decades later: adult daughter, visiting home, is horrified to come upon parents breakfasting on BBOT one morning. “How can you eat that for breakfast?! It’s dinner food!” she cries.

And she was serious. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Heated ham flavoured BBOT for lunch.

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I keep a few tins of Heinz Beanz No Added Sugar beans in the cupboard for “emergency food”. Ie I’m too lazy to cook but want something nutritious.

Lately that’s been a lunch item, plain and heated.

I grew up with baked beans in toast and also like baked beans on jacket potatoes.

I’d be open to other brands if they had a no added sugar option.

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We sautee onions and mushrooms. Add the can of beans then serve with scrambled eggs and toast.

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