Baked bean sandwich
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The baked bean sandwich is a snack, in its simplest form consisting of a combination of bread, butter and baked beans.
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[edit] Origins
Recipes for a baked bean sandwich can be traced from as early as 1909 - one book entitled "Cooking For Two" by Janet Mckenzie Hill suggests such a recipe as a "substitute for meatless cooking", and is a much more elaborate sandwich compared to its most common manifestation today.
Recently, Heinz quoted a simple baked bean sandwich recipe on promotional packs of tomato ketchup and soups, and has since become a popular food for students. It is unlikely that this particular recipe bore any inspiration from earlier appearances in "proper" publications, and is more likely to have been concocted by Heinz' marketing contractors.
[edit] Early recipes
Many early recipes describe essentially the same product that has become popular today, however in addition they incite elaborate additions of garnish and dressing. Janet Mckenzie Hill suggests:
- Butter two slices of Boston Brown Bread; on one of these dispose a heart leaf of lettuce holding one teaspoon of salad dressing; above the dressing set a generous tablespoon of cold, baked beans, then another lettuce leaf and dressing; finish with a second slice of bread, a tablespoonful of beans, a floweret of cauliflower, and a teaspoonful of dressing over the cauliflower.
[edit] Modern recipe
The modern recipe proposed by Heinz dictates:
- Empty 1/8th of a can of Baked Beans into a microwavable container.
- Microwave on full power for 60 seconds, or until hot.
- Drain most of the sauce
- Carefully spoon the beans onto a slice of generously buttered bread.
- Place another slice of bread on top, and serve.
[edit] Alternative recipe
Another method that is gaining in popularity due to its ease, simplicity and minimal clean-up involves the use of a sandwich-maker.
- Open sandwich maker, turn on to pre-heat.
- Open a can of baked beans, or using a pre-opened can, ensure that as much sauce as possible has been drained.
- Place one slice of bread on the bottom tray of the sandwich-maker, push the bread down into the cavities to create pockets in which to place the baked beans.
- Fill the previously created pockets in the bread with a suitable amount of baked beans, overfilling may prevent the two slices of bread from "bonding" properly.
- Place another slice of bread ontop of the bean-filled slice already in the sandwich-maker, align, then close the sandwich-maker, ensuring a tight closure.
- Allow to heat for five minutes or until sandwich-maker indicates completion.
- Serve with glass of milk or other cold beverage.
- Warning! Baked beans will retain heat and become very hot. Sandwich-makers tend to seal in the bread pockets, which may contain high-pressure, high temperature sauce and steam. It is recommended that a small corner of each sandwich slice be bitten/cut off before eating properly, in order to allow the steam to escape and the contents to cool to an edible temperature.
Baked bean sandwiches made with electric sandwich makers are not true baked bean sandwiches as the addition of the technology to the process takes away from its inherent simplicity. There is, however, no mainstream term to distinguish the sandwiches from one another.
[edit] Particulars
Baked bean sandwiches have probably become popular because they are very cheap to produce, are reasonably filling, and are extremely quick to prepare. Baked beans are also being more widely regarded - and marketed - as being "healthy" (although this fact is widely disputed) increasing their popularity.
It is unlikely that the "modern" baked bean sandwich will be embraced by "civilised" society due to the fact that the food hasn't been accepted as a creditable meal by popular culture, and that the concoction is inherently messy by nature.
