With the help of some fresh veggies and a few spices and herbs, this recipe uses plain canned beans in tomato sauce and transforms it so that it is dressed up and brand new!
Lord Byron’s Kitchen is no stranger to canned beans. I have no problem with admitting it either! In a perfect world, we would all have time to soak dried beans and make our own beans in tomato sauce. But, there is no perfect world, so I say it’s canned beans to the rescue!
If, by any chance, you are anti-canned beans, you can certainly make beans first and then add the other ingredients to make your own dressed up version. I happen to have the perfect recipe for Sweet and Smoky Baked Beans right here!
But, as I said, there’s no shame in using store-bought canned beans. In fact, I highly encourage you all to have a well-stocked pantry which includes canned beans. They’re good for you, they’re inexpensive, and you can add them to many recipes for heartiness and protein. Now, let’s talk about these Dressed Up Canned Beans in Tomato Sauce!
CANNED BEANS – EVERYONE EATS THEM
Whether you like to admit or not, you do eat canned beans. That burrito you ate in the food court last week probably had canned beans. Your dad’s chili recipe – probably beans there too! Dips, salads, casseroles, soups, etc., all have beans. And, most of those beans are from a can, because most home cooks don’t have the time or the desire to make beans from scratch.
There are so many different brands of canned beans on the market. And, if you’re much like me, you have a favourite. If I’m buying beans to use in soup or chili or whatever, I will buy Heinz or Bush’s. But, if I’m buying beans to just reheat as is, I usually by Clark’s.
Once a week, we have what John.e calls college dinner. It gives me a little break from thinking about what to make for dinner every night. There’s very little effort and we love it. College dinner is basically breakfast for dinner. I warm canned beans in tomato sauce, scramble a bunch of eggs, make piles of toast, and we did in. If it’s college dinner, it has to be Clark brand.
WHY DRESS UP BEANS ANYWAY?
Once you’ve dressed up or doctored your beans, not only have you created a brand new dish with more flavour, but you’ve also opened a door of possibilities. With the beans you see in the photos, I served them over rice to make a complete dinner.
But, you could also ladle them over a baked potato. One of my favourite things to do with them is to place some on a tortilla. Add some sour cream, guacamole, and some cheese. It’s the easiest and tastiest burrito you’ve ever had!
Once you’ve prepared canned beans like this, you might not go back to eating plain canned beans When you come home from work, you can cook some diced chicken breasts or ground beef. Add the prepared beans and dinner is ready! It does make weeknight dinners a little bit easier, that’s for sure.
VARIATIONS
As you can see from the recipe card below, I made my version of dressed up beans a little spicy. I’ve been craving and eating a lot of spicy food lately. You can skip the addition of the jalapeno pepper and the chili powder if you wish. Or, if you want, you can add more spice – it’s totally up to you.
Once all is said and done, the beans do take on a more homemade flavour. The aromatic onions and garlic, along with the earthiness of the dried thyme and basil, come together to create a very homey dish.
So, now that you’ve upgraded your own canned beans, how will you serve them? I’d love to hear your ideas. Leave me a comment below!
Dressed Up Canned Beans in Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced
- 1-2 whole jalapenos, finely chopped
- 28 ounces canned beans in tomato sauce (2 cans)
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-low heat, saute the onions in olive oil until translucent – about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and stir into the onions. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Next, add the red and green bell peppers and jalapenos. Stir into the onion and garlic mixture. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add all of the herbs and spices. Stir into the vegetables and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Lastly, add the canned beans. Stir to combine and cook until heated through – about 5 minutes.
- Garnish and serve.
Popsy says
Ok, so I was looking for a side dish for Mexican food and tried this. It is delicious. So good in fact I added this recipe to my regular recipe book. It was east and a big hit with my hubby. Try it today. I had some extra tomatoes to use up on one occasion, also very good. Who would have known the humble baked beans in tomato sauce could be so tasty.
byronethomas@gmail.com says
Thank you! 🙂
Elzi says
Make it all the time! I love it. Especially with Mexican rice 😄
Odi says
This recipe is exceptional! I omitted the jalapeños and Chilli powder to make it kid friendly and thr kids all loved it. The adults had no idea I used canned beans in tomatoes sauce. My dinner guests went for seconds, all proclaiming how delicious this was and how they had no idea how I managed to get such great depth of flavour! Printed the recipe and will make again. Thank you!