Growing up, my mom would frequently make a weeknight baked bean casserole that was simple and quick, but always a popular choice in our family. She’d open two cans of baked beans and dice in several hot dogs before putting them in a baking dish and baking covered for about a half hour. (To some, this is Beanie Weenies.)

What I didn’t realize then but do realize now was that it was a frugal way of using a pantry staple to stretch out meat and feed a large family—and that canned baked beans were being used for similar reasons but in unique ways by families for generations.

While homemade baked beans are easy enough to make and can be incorporated in so many meals, from Texas-Style Baked Beans to Baked Beans with Ground Beef, there’s quality options in the canned baked bean aisle at the grocery store and those have quite the following, including among some elite Southern chefs.

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