Beans and Weiners. AKA Franks ‘n Beans. AKA Beanie Weenies! A nostalgic nod to a childhood favourite in an easy, low effort recipe that’s still a very delicious, comfort food favourite.
Beans and Weiners.
Growing up here in Newfoundland, and just like every other Canadian kid, I expect, Beans and Weiners was a lunchtime staple. Sometimes they would appear at least once a week, if my kid memory is correct.
I learned that mostly in the US, I think, they were and still are, commonly known as Franks and Beans. Some regions and at least one common brand there refer to them as “Beanie Weenies”.
I kind of like that name best. It really sounds like something a kid came up with.
Beans and Weiners.
The Franks reference if of course for Frankfurters, the original “hot dogs” brought to the US by German immigrants. It’s another All-American food that actually originated elsewhere.
My friends in the UK tell me the dish is most often referred to there as Beans and Sausages or “Bangers and Beans”. I really like that Bangers alias too of course, because if the reference to World War I when the name was coined.
All the ingredients needed.
Add the spices tot he tomato sauce and chicken stock.
Add the soaked beans to the sauce.
It’s well known that he Brits love their sausages, but meat shortages at the time had local butchers making the sausages with more water in the sausage mix.
The unfortunate consequence, of course, was that this often caused them to explode and bang in the cooking process. That Bangers moniker stuck to this very day, with cheap sausages still referenced that way.
Don’t skimp on the weiners.
The Beans and Weiners of my childhood.
All international references aside, back here in Canada, I mostly associate Beans and Weiners with winter activities as a child.
A steaming bowl of Beans and Weiners after a morning of sledding or ice skating was real stick to your ribs comfort food. It was fuel enough for an afternoon of outdoor play, snow fort making and snowball fights.
Make a double batch of Beans and Weiners. and freeze some for later.
No doubt with 6 kids in our family, it was a cheap, easy and quick way to power the energy for those pursuits as well.
On bread baking days, adding thick slices of fresh Homemade Bread with melting butter further added to the overall enjoyment. What could be better?
So take a trip for yourself and your family down memory lane with this sentimental favourite. It’s one for the whole crew to enjoy over memories of years gone by.
A quick note on the weiners for this recipe.
You’ll note in the photo of the ingredients that I used mini Smokies in the recipe. For those outside Canada, Smokies in their normal larger size is a popular smoked sausage, much akin to a hot dog.
Like hot dogs, they are often grilled and served on buns, especially during summer BBQs.
I used them because if ther size and because of the extra smoky flavour. The size is perfect and requires no chopping, like full sized wieners would.
In any case, use whatever you like best or what you have on hand. Frankfurters, hot dogs, and cocktail sausages all work well.
One tip would be to give them a quick saute in a frying pan for a few minutes first to brown them.
This weill tighten up the structure, so they will be less mushy when cooked with the beans and release more flavour into the sauce.
Browning the weiners adds a little more flavour to the dish.
Like this Beans and Weiners recipe?
You’ll find hundreds of other great ideas in our Quick & Easy Category and even more in our Side Dishes Category.
It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram.
Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too.
You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when we add new recipes. You’ll also get weekly suggestions for great family friendly meals and desserts too!
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Beans and Weiners
Beans and Weiners. AKA Franks 'n Beans. AKA Beanie Weenies. A nostalgic nod to a childhood favourite in an easy, low effort recipe that's still quite delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 lb navy or haricot beans (white beans)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups plain tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 4 tbsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp salt
- 1-2 tbsp dijon mustard or yellow mustard (optional)
- 1 lb mini smokies sausages (see notes)
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight in plain water. Strain the water off after that time.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients to a large dutch oven or roasting pan EXCEPT THE WEINERS.
- Stir until the spices are well combined into the sauce.
- Add the drained beans to the sauce.
- Cover and cook in a 300 degree oven for about 4-5 hours or until the beans are soft and one can be squeezed without resistance between your thumb and forefinger.
- Check and stir the beans every hour or so to ensure even cooking and to make sure that they are not drying out.
- This is meant to be a recipe with plenty of sauce in the beans, so if needed just add more chicken stock or hot water as needed. Everyone's oven is different, so it is not unusual to have to do this. Beans need sufficient moisture to cook properly, so don't hesitate to add more as needed.
- Cooking time varies by oven and type of beans as I have learned from readers over the years. If your beans take longer to cook than noted, that's perfectly fine, just don't let them dry out in the oven as noted and be patient.
- Saute the weiners in a little oil to brown them up a bit before adding them into the beans for the last hour or so of cooking time.
Notes
A quick note on the weiners for this recipe.
You'll note in the photo of the ingredients that I used mini Smokies in the recipe. For those outside Canada, Smokies in their normal larger size, are a popular smoked sausage, much akin to a hot dog.
Like hot dogs, they are often grilled and served on buns, especially during summer BBQs.
I used them because if ther size and because of the extra smoky flavour. The size is perfect and requires no chopping, like full sized wieners would.
In any case, use whatever you like best or what you have on hand. Frankfurters, hot dogs, and cocktail sausages all work well.
One tip would be to give them a quick saute in a frying pan for a few minutes first to brown them.
This weill tighten up the structure, so they will be less mushy when cooked with the beans and release more flavour into the sauce.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 375Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 5gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 51mgSodium 1773mgCarbohydrates 43gFiber 5gSugar 26gProtein 17g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.