BBQ baked beans

Ingredients


  • 2 red onions
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 fresh red chilli
  • 2 large carrots
  • olive oil
  • 1 heaped teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 level teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 level teaspoon dried chilli flakes
  • 6 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 x 700 ml jar of passata
  • 2 x 400 g tins of mixed beans
  • 100 ml quality BBQ sauce
  • a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • ½ a loaf of ciabatta or stale bread
  • 40 g Cheddar cheese , optional
  • fat-free natural yoghurt , to serve

Description

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  2. Peel the onions and garlic, then finely slice with the chilli. Peel and chop the carrots. Put all these into a large roasting tray and place on a medium heat with a lug of oil, the paprika, cumin and chilli flakes. Cook for 20 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
  3. Meanwhile, scrub the sweet potatoes clean, then rub them with a little oil, sea salt and black pepper, place on a baking tray and put aside.
  4. When the time’s up, stir the passata into the tray, add a splash of water to the empty jar, swirl it around and pour it in along with the beans (juice and all). Drizzle over the BBQ sauce, season lightly and stir well.
  5. Pick and roughly chop the rosemary leaves, toss in a little oil and sprinkle over the top, then place in the oven for around 1 hour, or until bubbling, baked and gorgeous, adding a splash or two of water to loosen, if needed.
  6. Put the tray of sweet potatoes into the oven for the same amount of time, or until soft and cooked through.
  7. Around 20 minutes before the beans are ready, tear the bread into rough chunks and toss with a drizzle of oil in a roasting tray.
  8. Grate over the Cheddar (if using), then place on the bottom shelf of the oven for around 15 minutes, or until crispy and golden, to make croutons.
  9. Remove everything from the oven, tear up or squidge open the potatoes, and serve with the beans, dollops of yoghurt and the homemade croutons to mop up that delicious sauce, with a simple green salad on the side.