Direct answer: Heat baked beans until thick, stir in cheddar and Worcestershire sauce, then spoon over well-buttered toast and finish with chopped pickled onions.
Cheesy beans on toast is a British comfort meal, but a few details make it much better: reduce the beans slightly, melt in proper cheddar, and finish with Worcestershire sauce and pickled onions for acidity.
Serves 2 to 4, depending on sides. Time: about 20 to 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 x 415g tin baked beans
- 2 slices thick bread
- 25g butter
- 60g mature cheddar, grated
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce, plus extra to serve
- 2 pickled onions, chopped
- Black pepper
- Chilli flakes or mustard powder, optional
Method
- Put the beans in a small pan and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly thicker.
- Toast the bread well so it can hold the beans.
- Stir the cheddar and Worcestershire sauce into the beans until the cheese melts.
- Butter the toast, then spoon the cheesy beans on top.
- Add chopped pickled onions and plenty of black pepper.
- Serve immediately, with extra Worcestershire sauce if wanted.
Notes
Reducing the beans stops the toast going soggy. Mature cheddar works better than mild cheddar because you need less of it for more flavour. Pickled onions cut through the sweetness of the beans.
Storage: Beans can be reheated once until piping hot. Toast is best made fresh.