The baked bean sandwich is a sandwich composed of baked beans between two slices of bread, which may include garnishes such as lettuce and toppings such as mayonnaise or ketchup.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baked_bean_sandwich
Right about now you’re thinking “What?” Baked beans certainly aren’t the first thing one thinks of as a sandwich topping, but in parts of the country where baked beans are traditionally a frequent menu item, there is actually a long history of eating the leftovers in a sandwich.
In New England it started with putting leftover baked beans on brown bread (probably also leftover from the same meal). In Old England, it’s an extension of the beans on toast tradition. The earliest recorded recipe for a baked bean sandwich dates to 1909, and the 1946 US Navy cookbook includes a recipe for baked bean sandwich filling (a mixture of baked beans and condensed milk).
Growing up, my family was vegetarian and beans were our usual protein source. I don’t recall ever using baked beans on a sandwich, but mashed beans with garlic and other seasonings were are common sandwich topping, so this wasn’t really a stretch for my imagination.
Unsurprisingly, the range of extra ingredients called for in the different recipes I looked at was pretty broad, ranging from plain cold beans on white bread, to a gooey, delicious looking grilled cheese with beans, to a mixture of baked beans, applesauce and relish with cheese and ham. I kept my base recipe pretty simple, but included many of these as optional ingredients. I’d probably opt for a tomatoey British style baked beans for the grilled cheese option, while sticking to good old Boston baked beans for the applesauce version, but it’s a sandwich; use what sounds delicious to you and have fun!
Whether you’re looking for a relatively mess free way to take your leftover beans in your lunch or trying to stretch a small can of beans to feed the whole family, beans and bread are generally cheap, filling, and nutritious.
I ate this both warm the night I made it, and cold for lunch the next day, and both were delicious, even without any of the optional ingredients. I made the sandwich for lunch at home and the bread held together until lunch time, although I did cook the sauce down until the beans were pretty dry to start with, so if you prefer your beans a little saucier your results might vary on that count.
Baked Bean Sandwich
Serves: 3-4 Sandwiches
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
4 oz. bacon, diced
14-16oz. baked beans
Kosher salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
6-8 thick slices white or wheat bread
Soft butter, as needed
3 Tablespoons minced sweet onion.
Optional:
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
4 Tablespoons applesauce
3 Tablespoons picalilli
6-8 slices brown bread, in place of white
6-8 slices ham
6-8 slices Jarlsberg cheese
Pea or navy beans, in place of baked beans
Mayonnaise, to taste, in place of butter.
4 Tablespoons evaporated milk
Yellow mustard, to taste
Put bacon in a sauté pan over medium heat, and cook until crispy. Drain off excess fat and add the baked bean. Cook for about 5 minutes, until warmed through and the sauce is reduced slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Butter one side of each slice of bread and top half of them with the bean mixture. Sprinkle on some minced onion and top with the remaining slices of bread.
OR
Butter both sides of the bread, proceed as above, and then fry the sandwiches until golden on each side, like a grilled cheese.
Cut sandwiches in half and serve with potato chips.
Lorin cooks Legumes 
Back in the fifties, a friend’s mother would make for us baked bean sandwiches directly from the can. A little bit of ketchup and we good to go. I can no longer find canned beans without the “water.” Do you know if anyone still makes baked beans in a can without the water or whatever?
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Thanks for the memories! I haven’t encountered any canned baked beans without extra liquid. I believe that Grandma Brown’s Baked Beans (https://lorincookslegumes.com/2023/05/28/copycat-grandma-browns-baked-beans/) may have been similar to what you remember, but unfortunately they appear to have gone out of business in 2020.
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Thanks!
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