How One Saucy Canned Staple Turns Baked Potatoes Into A 10-Minute Comfort Meal

The combination of baked beans and a baked potato is pretty much its own food group where I come from (I'm British), so explaining the concept feels a little like explaining that toast can be buttered. Still, for anyone in the U.S. who hears "beans on a baked potato" and pictures barbecue, consider this your official introduction.

Different to the sweet and smoky version Americans know, British baked beans are served in a more savory tomato-based sauce. While there are many brands that make baked beans, Heinz is basically synonymous with any baked bean dish, so here's how to get the most out of Heinz baked beans on a baked potato (or "jacket potato" In the U.K. because the potato acts like a jacket for the filling).

Just baked beans and a baked potato create a substantial enough meal, with the beans bringing fiber and a little protein while the potato brings carbohydrates. Part of the appeal is also how easily this comfort meal can be thrown together; you can spend 45 minutes cooking a baked potato in the oven, or you can easily microwave a potato until it's tender enough to split open and stuff with warmed beans. Top it with a handful of cheese, which slowly melts against the hot beans, and you have yourself a British classic.

While the basic combination is simply baked beans on a baked potato with an optional handful of grated cheddar cheese, there are more ways to elevate the meal. For one, a little schmear of butter inside the potato before the beans are loaded is a common move, and a crack of black pepper on top never hurts (no need for salt, the baked beans already contain enough). If you like spice, this is a good time to throw on a few dashes of hot sauce.

If you feel bold, another British combination worth trying is baked beans and tuna. Across the pond, canned tuna with mayonnaise is a common jacket potato topping; it's like a tuna salad sandwich filling, but in a potato instead of bread. Many people mix this with the beans and cheese, which might sound a little random, but the combination of creamy tuna, tangy tomato sauce, and salty cheese works.

It should be noted that if you can only get your hands on American baked beans, this is a sweeter and smokier experience. You should at least try and choose the least-sweet variety you can find, and balance it with plenty of sharp cheddar. It shouldn't feel like a barbecue side dish, but like a meal of its own. However, topping it with some bacon or pulled pork can make it even more substantial. It isn't the traditional British way of doing things, but there's no reason a baked potato with baked beans can't benefit from an American makeover from time to time.