Hi, this recipe is from 'The Mary Stevens Hospice Cook Book' page 25, the recipe was donated by Mrs Judith Morey. The cookbook was made for fundraising for the Hospice in 2003, the Mary Stevens Hospice website link is here and their cookbook was given to me by my grandparents who thought I might like it.
This meal is very much like a lasagne but all mashed together, without the BBQ sauce it feels a bit like a spaghetti bolognaise mixed with a pasta bake. For me, it was nicer with the BBQ sauce, as it added a smoky layer to the dish, making it feel more like the 'Boston Beef and Beans' rather than a pasta bake. As well as this, I added a couple of cloves of garlic into this dish, which I fried after the onions had just turned translucent. I think it was a good addition personally to add a bit more flavour. Also, I think that it might have been nice had the mince been fried with some seasoning too, maybe bit of smoky paprika to add more BBQ-like flavours into the dish. If you are making this for your family, you can leave out the BBQ sauce, like I did, if you have some people who don't like it and for those who do, it is fine stirred in on the side. Luckily, my sister did enjoy it without the sauce and everyone else with. Enjoy!
*Taco Inspired Twist:*
In place of the baked beans, add some tinned black beans, drained, you will also need more stock. Then add some rice into the dish too and leave to simmer. At the end, stir through some olives.
*BBQ Chicken and Beans Twist:*
Use 2 diced chicken breasts and fry in place of the mince meat, or you could bake the chicken breasts and shred it before adding. You could also change the pasta to couscous for a more summery feel as well.
Dietary Info:
-Unsuitable for Vegans/Vegetarians {Replace the meat with lentils or chickpeas, add at the same time as the baked beans. Or, use a mince alternative to replicate the texture more}
-Dairy-Free {double check your sauces and pasta though!}
-Contains Gluten {use a gluten-free pasta such as chickpea}
-No Nuts
-Main Meal
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
-350g (12oz) lean minced beef {We brought a 500g pack and froze the leftover 150g, you can use it in another dish}
-2tsp vegetable oil {I used extra virgin olive oil, but any neutral oil will do e.g. olive, avocado, nut, sunflower etc...}
-2 onions, chopped {I used brown onions}
-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped - my addition
-Large can chopped tomatoes {I used a 400g tin, if you don't have chopped tomatoes, bash them up or blitz them in a blender before adding to the pan}
-110g pasta shapes {I used macaroni but any dried pasta will work here, if you only have fresh pasta, add it just before serving so it has time to cook/heat through but doesn't become overly soft. Also, the same goes if you only have pasta shapes in a tin in tomato sauce}
-300ml (1/2pint) beef stock {I used 1/2 a chicken stock cube but any stock will be alright}
-Large can baked beans {I used a Heinz 415g tin}
-Worcestershire Sauce, tomato puree, barbeque sauce (as much as you like, recommended 1tsp-1 large squirt) {I did a large squirt of tomato puree about 1tbsp, Worcestershire sauce was a drizzle into the pan, anywhere between 1/2tbsp - 1tbsp. For the BBQ sauce, I served this on the side for serving as my younger sister doesn't like it.}
-Salt & Pepper
-Chopped parsley, to garnish {You can also use dried}
Method:
1: Fry mince in a large saucepan until brown. { You will want to add about 1tsp of oil to the pan just to stop it from sticking initially as the fat isn't released immediately. Also, I seasoned the mince with salt and pepper. This step can also be done in a frying pan if deep enough i.e. a wok}
2: Drain off the fat and remove the mince from the pan. {When draining the fat, drain into a bowl, to go in the green bin, not straight down the sink because it will cause blockages in the drains}
3: Heat oil in the same sauce pan.
4: Gently fry the onions until soft. {They will be translucent as well, I added some salt here too. If you have time a low heat for longer will give more flavour but if you are in a bit of a rush, fry over a high heat, it won't make too much of a difference}
5: Stir in mince and rest of the ingredients. Except the parsley. {If you prefer your pasta more al dente, don't add this yet. You can add it later when the food is boiling, so that it is not overcooked. For example, if it takes 15mins for your pasta to cook, at it after the mixture has been simmering for 25mins}
6: Bring to the boil.
7: Simmer for 40mins, stirring occasionally, until the meat and pasta are cooked and tender. {If you have a lid for your saucepan put it on, as you don't want it to dry out, if you don't keep a close eye on it whenever you go to stir it, and if needed add a drop of water. I added some water to mine that was got from cleaning out the chopped tomatoes and baked beans tins}
8: Check seasoning.
9: Sprinkle with lots of fresh parsley and serve. {can be served with garlic bread and a salad/ vegetables of your choice, I served with just peas and sweetcorn}
While you're here, I have a Pinterest for all my recipes where you can save them to boards for the future and categorise them into different types of recipe e.g Sunday Dinners, picnic ideas etc. My account is @hazellikestocook, or find the link below. Also, I have a whole blog post explaining this in more detail here and https://hazelscookingandbakingblog.blogspot.com/2021/02/pinterest.html.
https://pin.it/5xDvARk - my profile
This recipe:
https://pin.it/16hbfnl
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