Liven up the classic beans on toast

Beans on toast is a classic for a reason. It's quick, filling and cheap. But if you’re trying to make every penny count in the supermarket, why not make your own?

With just a few basic ingredients, you can make a big batch to serve up straight away, with enough left over to be frozen for another day.

What you'll need

Serves four

• two tins of haricot beans, drained
• one carton of passata or a tin of chopped tomatoes
• one teaspoon of paprika
• a little oil
• salt and pepper

Optional extras

• a teaspoon of sugar
• a finely chopped small onion
• a grated carrot
• garlic granules
• a splash of Worcestershire sauce

How to make them

1.  Heat a little oil in a saucepan.
2.  If you're using onion, add it and cook for a few minutes until softened.
3.  Pour in the passata or chopped tomatoes.
4.  Add the paprika, sugar, salt and pepper.
5.  Stir in the drained beans.
6.  Simmer gently for ten to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened.

And that’s it. 

Serve with some toast or a jacket potato and you’ve got a quick, easy and cheap lunch.

Why it saves you money

A tin of baked beans is one of the cheaper options in the supermarket, often costing 30p or less.

But making them from scratch can you save you money on the long run if you make a big batch.

Make more than you need in one go, divide them up into portions and let them cool.

You can then just pop them in the freezer and hey presto, you’ve got a few easy meals ready to go when you can’t be bothered cooking.

Make them your own

Making your own baked beans you can have them exactly how you like them.

A little sugar, for instance, makes it a bit sweeter.

A pinch of paprika, meanwhile, adds a lovely smokiness to your meal.

Sneak in veg for fussy eaters

If you have fussy eaters at home who turn their nose up at a vegetable, this is a great way to smuggle some health into their diet.

A chopped onion or a grated carrot can easily be hidden in the sauce, and you could even go a step further by blending the tomato sauce before you add the beans.

You can guarantee that your fussy eaters won’t even notice it’s there.

And by making the beans yourself, you can control how much salt and sugar goes into them.