Beans and Franks
Sliced hot dogs simmered in a sweet and smoky baked bean sauce with onion and mustard. Four servings in 25 minutes from the cupboard.
Photograph credit: A bowl of Beanie Weenies (image of Beanie Weenies on Wikidata Q16839470) by Thomson200 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Make Ahead and Storage
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water. Do not reheat more than once.
Making Beans and Franks
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Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft.
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Add the hot dogs and cook for 3 minutes until lightly coloured.
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Stir in the beans, ketchup, mustard, vinegar and paprika.
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Simmer gently for 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick. Serve hot.
A Few Pointers
- Cook the onion until soft before the beans go in, so it does not taste raw.
- If the sauce is too sweet, add another splash of vinegar.
- Keep the heat at a gentle simmer so the beans stay whole.
Why the Method Is What It Is
Franks and beans began as a way to make a tin go further, and it still does the job. Sliced hot dogs add salt and smoke to a sweet bean sauce, and one tin feeds four with some bread.
Cook the onion first, in a little oil, until soft. Raw onion stirred into beans tastes sharp and never softens.
Mustard and a spoon of vinegar are the corrective. Tinned beans are sweet, and a sharp edge keeps the sauce from tasting like dessert.
Simmer, do not boil. A hard boil breaks the beans and turns the sauce to paste. Eat it with buttered toast or baked potatoes. It reheats well, so a double batch is no trouble. This is a store-cupboard supper that needs almost no shopping, and it improves if left for a little while after cooking. A slice of buttered toast underneath turns it from a side into a meal.
What to Put Next to It
Buttered toast · Baked potatoes · Coleslaw · Green salad
Beans and Franks FAQ
How long does Beans and Franks take to make?
About 25 minutes in total — 5 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Beans and Franks?
Cook the onion until soft before the beans go in, so it does not taste raw. If the sauce is too sweet, add another splash of vinegar. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer so the beans stay whole.
What should I serve with Beans and Franks?
Buttered toast; Baked potatoes; Coleslaw; Green salad.
How should Beans and Franks be stored?
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water. Do not reheat more than once.
Is Beans and Franks suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Beans and Franks?
About 436 kcal per serving, with 18 g protein, 37 g carbohydrate and 24 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
Beans and Franks Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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