Whether you love to cook, to eat, or both, there's something about the subtly shift that's underway with the seasons right now that has very real tendency to put us in the mood for heartier fair once more. Thankfully (I'm just not ready for snow yet on so many levels!) we're not into the thick of winter at this mid-September stage, but that doesn't mean that one can't start craving comfort food again.
You know the kinds of dishes I'm talking about. They're often one pot wonders that bubble, simmer and stew for a generous amount of time, filling the house with a scent so lip-lickingly amazing, you wouldn't be entirely surprised if your stuffed animals came to life - Toy Story style - and politely asked for a bowl of soup, plate of casserole, or slice of thick, creamy, sublimely scented pumpkin pie.
With this hankering for stick-to-your ribs fare underway, yet one wedge sandaled foot still planted in summer (...must savour every last sublime moment of sunshine!), I love finding dishes that can come into heavy rotation while the temps are still on the positive side of freezing, yet also see us through the chilliest, most stubbornly icy days of winter that lay ahead in the coming months, too.
Recently while bopping around one of my favourite vintage related website, Click Americana, I came across a scrumptious sounding recipe from 1955 for Zesty Baked Beans, which starts off with a base of canned pork and beans, to which a few delicious pantry staples are added to create a pleasing side (or even main, if you were so in the mood) dish that would work every bit as well for a 4th of July barbeque as it would an early autumn Picnic or need-something-warm-in-my-belly immediately kind of winter evening, say after a day of building snowmen or hitting the ski hill.
{Perfect to make and take on a camping trip, picnic under the autumn leaves, potluck, or simply enjoy in the comfort of your own home, this richly flavorful 1950s baked beans recipe is the kind of side dish staple recipe one can never have too many of on hand. Image source.}
I've already made this dish a couple of times using Bush's Baked Beans (a brand which, for all my fellow gluten-free folks out there, does not add/use gluten in any of their products), which I've only just started being able to find up here north of the 49th this year (at Costco), and absolutely adore it.
I slashed the oil down to just two teaspoons (of olive oil), sautéing the veggies in a non-stick pan (doing so, you could even skip the oil entirely, but I like the little background note it lends this flavourful side dish), and using Balderson cheddar cheese in place of the Ched-O-Bit (great name, but like so many cool food brands of the fifties, it's no longer on the market ).
For all my vegetarian friends out there, fear not, you can easily use your favourite meatless brand of beans in tomato sauce and skip the franks (or use a soy or other meat-free type of hot dog wiener). As you can see in this fun 1950s image, they're more of a garnish than a staple ingredient, and could just as easily be replaced with anything from fresh wedges of late season tomatoes to a generous sprinkling of grilled corn to homemade croutons (perhaps with a little bit of extra cheese melted on them).
And by the same token, if you want to take this in a vegan direction, forgo the cheese as well, which is also more of a garnish, or jazz up this dish with your favourite dairy-free, vegan cheese alternative instead.
You could also play around with the veggies, perhaps stirring in some sun dried, fresh or canned tomatoes, celery, green onions (in place of the white/yellow), Swiss chard, or even (for an especially autumn approved dish) cubes of cooked squash or pumpkin. I upped the green pepper to a cup and sprinkled in a little bit of fresh thyme (just a pinch), to lend a further subtle note of sweetness to this thoroughly tasty vintage bean casserole recipe.
As this ad says, fine food need not be expensive, and this cozy, tasty, thoroughly satisfying 1950s side still lives up to that statement in today's world, making it all the more appealing to keep in frequent rotation not only during the nippier seasons, but all year long as well. Yum-yum! :)
