12 Creative Ways to Enjoy Baked Beans Beyond the Cookout

Baked beans are a classic cookout staple that we all know and love and are the perfect accompaniment to hot dogs and hamburgers. Restricting them to just a few meals, though, is wasting a great opportunity as canned beans have so much more potential.

The delicious rich, slightly sweet sauce that baked beans come in makes them an ideal addition to numerous dishes, and they can even be the main attraction in some cases. From making a bean pie to upgrading your quesadillas, those cans of beans in your pantry have a few surprises up their sleeves.

Because beans are packed with protein and fiber, adding them to your usual midweek meals will up the nutrition content as well as the taste. These dishes are all easy to make, hearty and wholesome, and guaranteed to be enjoyed by the whole family. Let’s jump in and take a look at 12 ways to enjoy baked beans beyond cookouts.

Burritos are the ultimate in hearty comfort food, usually combining pinto beans with delicious Tex-Mex flavors such as cilantro, chili, and onions. To switch it up, you can use a can of baked beans to make a fantastic and speedy midweek meal that has the essence of a classic burrito, with a fun, tomatoey twist.

A burrito made from baked beans works well as a warm and comforting breakfast dish, or a quick meal late in the day. You can choose to add whatever ingredients you like depending on when you are serving it. For a breakfast wrap, try mushrooms, tomatoes, and bacon, topped with a little grated cheese that can melt and create a wonderfully gooey layer. If you want a more substantial meal, add rice and peppers, and serve with sour cream topped with a few chili flakes. In both cases, the baked beans add a rich, saucy base that ties everything together and gives a pleasing twist to the usual burrito. Considering how quickly they can be made, baked bean burritos are likely to make it onto your regular midweek meal plan.

Baked beans and a jacket potato were made to go together as a filling lunch or easy dinner, and in the U.K. they have been enjoying the duo for a long time. For some reason, it has never quite caught on here, but if you need a midweek meal that has virtually no hands-on prep, it’s time to give this British classic a try.

It may seem that both jacket potatoes and baked beans are side dishes, but when you combine them and add a few extra touches, they can create everything you need in a main meal. To keep it simple and vegetarian, you can just add some grated cheddar over the top and serve it as-is. It will be comforting and delicious, and will definitely keep you full for a while.

If you fancy jazzing it up a bit, you can add roasted veggies, shredded chicken or pulled pork, and top with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped chives. There is also the option to use a sweet potato instead if you want to up the nutrition and adapt the flavor. Ultimately, this is an incredibly versatile way to use baked beans, and these two side dishes will prove to you that they are capable of taking center stage.

Shepherd’s pie is a hearty and rustic dish at the best of times, but throw a can of baked beans into the recipe, and you can create the ultimate comfort food, guaranteed to keep you warm and satisfied on a cold evening. Traditionally, shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb — hence the shepherd — but the baked beans will work with beef versions, too.

Adding the baked beans into the pie itself, rather than simply serving them on the side, gives the sauce a chance to mesh with the rest of the filling, and impart its deep flavor into the dish. The result is a pie that feels even more comforting, with the luscious sauce complementing the deep flavor of the meat nicely.

To level up the bean-filled shepherd’s pie even further, try jazzing up the mashed potato topping with extra ingredients. Garlic, mustard, or fresh herbs in the mash will elevate the flavor, creating bold notes that contrast the richness of the meat and bean combination. Once the dish has been baked in the oven, you will be left with a golden-topped dinner that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

In the U.K., there really is no more classic way to enjoy baked beans than on a slice of toast, and if you want to make it more of a meal, just add a slice of cheese on the top! The ultimate low-prep lunch — colloquially known in Scotland as a Cheesy Beano — has carbs, protein, and fat, making it both filling and delicious.

The beauty of this culinary masterpiece lies in its simplicity. Toast, cheese, and beans are all comfort foods in their own right, but put them together and they are greater than the sum of their parts — a salty, gooey delight with a touch of sweetness from the beans and the crispy crust of the toast, while the center is delightfully soft.

Choosing the right cheese is key to balancing the rich sauce from the beans. A sharp cheddar is ideal, as is red Leicester — just make sure to select a cheese that melts well to create that fantastic bubbly topping.

We all know that baked beans and sausages are a perfect match, so why not wrap them both in pastry to create a wonderful, saucy parcel that makes a ridiculously satisfying meal? The beauty of a sausage and bean pasty is that you can customize it by adding various other ingredients, and you can switch it up each time you make it.

It would be a travesty not to add grated cheese into the parcel. As the dish cooks, the cheese will melt around the other ingredients and create a brilliant contrast to the crispy exterior. If you want to veer toward a breakfast dish, add mushrooms and bacon into the mix before enveloping it in puff pastry.

This pastry parcel is a great way to hide secret veggies inside a delectable package, especially if you are feeding fussy eaters. Sweet corn, grated carrots, or even some finely chopped spinach are likely to go unnoticed among the sausage and beans, so take advantage and sneak in a few extra portions. One of the best things about these pasties is their portability. Once cooked, they can be slipped into lunchboxes or picnic baskets and eaten cold, or reheated if you have the facility.

Quesadillas are a brilliant midweek meal that don’t take long to prepare and are usually a big hit with the whole family. By incorporating baked beans into this already tasty dish, you can up the flavor level without any extra effort.

There are two ways to approach a baked bean quesadilla — focus on the beans as the main filling, or add baked beans to your usual version. If you’re going big on the beans, you will likely want to add plenty of grated cheese that will melt as they cook. If you want some meat, sausages, or bacon will work really well.

If you love your classic recipe, but just want to add some beans in for extra satisfaction, they go well with chicken, peppers, onions, and jalapeño peppers, and a dollop of sour cream to serve will contrast the rich sauce nicely. Once the quesadillas have been toasted in the pan, you will have a meal that manages to be crispy, gooey, rich, and utterly delicious all on one plate — and that should keep everyone happy.

Cowboy beans may be the ultimate side dish, but there is absolutely no reason that they can’t be served as a meal in themselves. Consisting of canned beans, ground beef, peppers, and onions, they contain protein, fat, fiber, and veggies — everything you need for a balanced meal.

Cowboy beans are often made with kidney or pinto beans, but using a can of baked beans gives it a tomato vibe that takes it up a notch, and almost into chili territory. The sweet notes from the sauce create a rich base for the dish that brings all the other elements together. Since the can of beans requires no preparation, it is an effortless way to switch up the flavors of a comforting classic.

You can make your batch of cowboy beans as hearty and filling as you like, by adding in extra veggies such as corn, cabbage, or jalapeños to up the excitement. Whether you choose to eat them as they are, use to top a jacket potato, or soak up that gorgeous sauce with some crusty bread, this is a variation on a side dish that will definitely have people asking for seconds.

Baked bean soup may sound a little bit bizarre, but if you’re looking for a soup that is easy to prepare, full of goodness, and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser, it is worth giving it a try. It has the flavors of a classic tomato soup, but in a much more hearty bowl that will easily keep you going for the rest of the afternoon.

The great thing about baked bean soup is that you are already part of the way there as soon as you open the can. The sauce from the beans goes a long way to creating the texture of the soup, and it is up to you if you want to thin it down by adding stock. Either way, cook your usual soup vegetables such as onions, garlic, and celery, then add a tin of plum tomatoes, a can of beans, and stock if you wish to use it. Within half an hour of simmering and half a minute of blending, you will have a rustic, tasty soup that is as appetizing as it is hearty. Serve with a hunk of crusty bread for the ultimate filling lunch or evening meal.

Chili is a wonderful, comforting meal that is at its best when allowed to simmer slowly for many hours, but sometimes you just don’t have time to wait that long. By using baked beans in your chili, you can cut down the cooking time substantially without compromising on flavor. It may not be the authentic dish that has been handed down through generations, but it’s a tasty, speedy midweek dinner, which makes it a win for most busy people.

To make the chili con carne, the ground beef gets cooked with onions and mixed spices before the can of baked beans is added. The rich tomato sauce from the beans means that you can have great depth of flavor without the usual time frame. Within 15-20 minutes, the dish will be ready to be served over boiled rice or with a rustic slice of crusty bread.

For a meat-free version, switch out the beef for lentils or use a meat-alternative to create a vegetarian chili that is still packed with protein and flavor. Save your authentic chili for a slow weekend — when time is of the essence, a baked bean chili will do the job nicely.

When contemplating which ingredient could star in your pot pie, you may think of chicken, beef, or even mixed veggies, but it is unlikely that baked beans would spring to mind. However, overlooking the potential of a baked bean pie is a big mistake, as it is a cozy, satisfying dish that may just end up on your list of favorite speedy meals.

As with most pies, you will need to decide what accompanying ingredients are going alongside the star. As fabulous as the beans are, adding other veggies, and some meat if you wish, will take this comforting meal to another level. Sautéed vegetables, such as onions and mushrooms, will up the nutrition and flavor at the same time. If you want to add meat, sausage or bacon are both classic matches for baked beans, and will give a deep, savory flavor to the pie.

To assemble the pie, add the can of baked beans to a pie dish, seasoning with a little Tabasco sauce for an extra lift. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the cooked meat if you are using, and mix everything together before topping with a generous measure of grated cheese. Finish the pie off by adding the puff pastry top — if you want to make your own pastry that’s awesome, but to save time, pre-rolled store-bought pastry will suffice. After 40 minutes in the oven, you will have a golden, hearty pie that can be enjoyed hot straight from the oven, then the leftovers can be taken to work the next day for a satisfying lunch.

Sloppy joes are not known for being a neat, tidy food to eat — the clue is pretty much in the name. Adding baked beans to the mix, however, is going to take the mess factor up a notch, but it is worth it to enjoy this filling variation on a classic.

Baked beans sloppy joes are a great way to make the dish vegetarian. By switching out the usual ground beef for beans instead, you keep the protein content and richness, but get a meal that is meat-free and kinder on your wallet. The sweet tomato sauce from the beans creates a depth of flavor that elevates this version from the usual sloppy joes, and you can add whatever else you want. Cheese is of course a given, but other veggies such as onions, fresh tomatoes, and bell peppers will all add flavor and texture, too.

Once you’ve created your mixture, get a hold of the sturdiest buns you can, so that they can cope with the sauce — hot dog buns work well — and spoon your delicious concoction on top. You can always toast your buns if you want to give them more chance of holding up. Scatter grated cheddar on top, and enjoy the messy chaos that is to come — just be sure to have a napkin nearby.

If you’ve ever had the classic Middle Eastern dish shakshuka, you’ll know that it is a masterpiece of simple flavors that create a party on your palate. But what would happen if you threw a can of baked beans into the recipe? Well, the answer is you would create a dish that is equally delicious but a lot more filling!

The reason canned beans work well in shakshuka is that the authentic recipe has a base of tomato sauce, meaning the sauce from the beans can replace the time spent crafting a homemade tomato base. The rich sauce will still take on the flavor of the aromatics — onions, garlic, and spices such as cumin and paprika, but you will be able to have dinner on the table in much less time. The addition of the beans also makes it a heartier dish, meaning that whether you have it as a brunch dish or a main meal, it will fill you up and keep your taste buds happy at the same time.