Beanie weenies are a simple yet filling meal loved by both children and adults. In the simplest recipe the easy way to make beanie weenies involves canned pork and beans and a pack of hot dogs. The combination of the two items, beans and franks, is the root of every beanie weenie recipe. A long time frugal meal of many households trying to stick to a budget, beanie weenies can be a side dish to other main course dishes or can be the main meal by serving over rice, or by making a beanie weenie sandwich. Supplement the can of beans and a pack of hotdogs with other condiments or additional meats and vegetables to change the taste of the dish. The popular beans and franks combination became a humorous moment in the movie Something About Mary when a “What’s stuck in your zipper?” scene led to the popularization of the phrase franks and beans. The following steps explain how to make beanie weenies and offer ideas on variations for the meal. Don’t forget to visit the related Mahalo pages for other ideas on using pork and beans in your meals.

If you are looking for more than just a can of beans with a hot dog added, choose from this list of ingredients:

Add these ingredients to make sweet Beanie Weenies:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Vidalia onion, chopped and sauted before adding
• Ketchup
• Cheese
• Honey

To make Barbeque Beanie Weenies

• Start with a can of baked beans
• BBQ sauce
• Onion
• Mustard

It is possible to make beanie weenies by just dumping beans in a pot and adding chopped hot dogs before heating. However, to enhance the taste of the dish, follow these suggested cooking tips.

1. Dice onion and sauté in a small amount of oil. When onion starts to become translucent, add the hot dog pieces and fry until lightly browned.
2. Add hot dog and onion mixture to the beans along with the other above ingredients.
3. Heat thoroughly and then simmer without stirring.
4. Excessive stirring or cooking to long can cause beans to break down to a sauce with few remaining bean pieces.

Patrick MacManus, humor author, highlighted a recipe called Whatchagot Stew in his books about growing up during the Depression in Idaho. Whatchagot stew is a pork and bean stew which begins the same as beanie weenies, with a can of beans. Only in Whatchagot Stew, leftovers are used to build the stew. It is possible to utilize other foods in conjunction with the beans and franks included in beanie weenies.http://www.patrickfmcmanus.com/Bio.html

To make Whatchagot Stew from Beanie Weenies, add any of the following:

• Leftover ground beef, taco meat, meatloaf
• Leftover beans, corn, or tomato type meal items
• Sausage or Bacon

Depending on the leftovers on hand, consider adding different cheeses like pepper jackor sharp cheddar but add cheese at the end so its flavor lasts.