The Simple Way To Add A Layer Of Smokiness To Classic Beans On Toast

A tempting plate of beans and toast certainly doesn't need to be boring. Though the familiar dish is quick and simple to put together (and very popular in England), you can easily upgrade your meal with a few easy ingredient inclusions. While caramelized onions can upgrade a standard plate of beans piled on top of crunchy toast, bringing bacon into the mix can turn up the dials of savory, smoky notes of flavor. Whether layering maple-smoked bacon or oven-baked bacon on top of buttery bread, you'll be on your way to enjoying a satisfying recipe that can help ward off hunger until the next mealtime. 

If you're not a meat lover, you can still welcome tempting hints of smoke by dashing smoked paprika on top of your toast or stirring chipotle powder, black strap molasses, liquid smoke, or black cardamom into your mixture of beans. Consider a thin drizzle of smoked olive oil to top your toast, and finish your dish with a quick garnish of smoked salt. This kind of dish delivers the best tastes of campfire meals without having to set up any fires or light up the grill.

While beans and toast can serve as both a comforting snack or satisfying meal, the presence of bacon can lean the recipe into a more filling one. Layer strips of bacon on top of the beans or stir bacon crumbles into the beans to scoop onto golden pieces of toast. For an added boost of flavor, cook your toast in leftover bacon grease for an even more savory experience. With a smoky plate of ingredients ready to be enjoyed, you can steer your dish into an even fresher lane with garden herbs like oregano and parsley and cracked black pepper. 

Bring added heat with sprinkles of red pepper flakes, spoonfuls of chili crisp, or lashings of your favorite hot sauce. Protein-lovers can stack an egg on top of their plates to channel the experience of a full English breakfast in sandwich form, and thick slices of a juicy tomato can help tie all the flavors together. Should bacon not satiate your meat cravings, sneak in slivers of prosciutto for a beans and toast variety that will cling to you in all the right ways. You can't go wrong with this one.