Beans and Weenies is a popular comfort food dish in the Midwest. This hearty meal contains canned beans, diced weenies, and lots of flavor from seasoning and spices. Its simple preparation makes it a go-to for busy weeknights or lazy Sunday dinners.

 

This simple skillet meal is one of favorite childhood favorite recipes. Who knew that one of reasons my mom used to make it so often is because it comes together in just minutes without a lot of clean up!

If you are a fan of delicious and filling bean meals like this one, then next time you may want to give this Ham and Bean Soup recipe a try! It’s comforting, easy to make and budget-friendly, what’s not to love about that?

Why you’ll love this recipe

• You only need a few simple ingredients, which makes this dish easy on the grocery budget.
• It’s super filling, and even the picky eaters in your family will love. Everyone will think it tastes great!
• You only need a skillet and spoon, so you don’t have a ton of dishes to wash afterwards!
• There is no need to use an oven, it’s made on the stovetop. It’s great during the hot weather when you are not wanting to heat up your home.

Ingredients to make Beanie Weenies

These base of this hearty old fashioned recipe is canned beans, and a few spices. The good thing about these ingredients is that they are easy to find at your local grocery store, so you don’t have to worry about hard to find ingredients.

• Pork and Beans – The base of this dish is canned pork and beans, you can use your favorite brand. We like to save a little money and pick up the store brand.
• Mustard – Yellow mustard adds a delicious tang to the sauce that your will love.
• Onion Powder – You most likely already have this flavorful spice in your cabinets which means that you don’t have to worry about it.
• Garlic Powder – This basic spice gives so much flavor to this sauce. I don’t know about you but I use garlic in everything.
• Liquid Smoke – Liquid Smoke is optional, and can be left out, but if you like a smokey flavor, then I highly recommend adding it. You can find liquid smoke in the condiment aisle at most grocery stores.
• Brown Sugar – The light brown sugar will add a touch of sweetness to this sauce that helps the flavors pop.
• Hot Dogs – Grab a package of your favorite hot dogs for some added protein. We like to use all beef hotdogs.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Beans and Weenies

Making this simple skillet meal is so easy, just grab your skillet, and follow these step-by-step directions below or in the recipe card and get ready to have a hearty, flavorful but economical meal in no time at all.

1. Add the beans, mustard, seasonings, liquid smoke and brown sugar to a large skillet.
2. And, then add the sliced hot dogs (there is no need to boil them first), and heat over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until everything is heated through.

Substitutions

Are you out of an ingredient that you need to make this simple beanie weenies dish? Here are a few tried and true substitutions.

• Beans– If you don’t have pork and beans on hand, you can use baked beans instead. Just leave out the brown sugar, since the sauce will already have a lot of sweetness.
• Hotdogs – If you don’t have hot dogs on hand, you can use ham instead.
• Mustard – Out of yellow mustard? Dijon mustard can be used instead for an easy swap.

Variations

If you are looking for more ways to add a little extra to this skillet meal, here are a few of ways to personalize this delicious recipe.

• Bacon– You can never go wrong with adding some cooked bacon to this skillet while it is a simmering on the stove.
• Spicy – If your family loves spicy foods, you can add heat by adding red pepper flakes, hot sauce, or even diced peppers.
• Onions or Bell Peppers- Adding a sauteed diced onion or even green peppers could also add more flavor to this recipe.
• Additional Sauces – You can add maple syrup, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, BBQ Sauce, tomato sauce, or even a bit of soy sauce if they are flavors that you normally enjoy.
• Toppings– Consider topping your beans and weenies with shredded cheese, jalapenos, sour cream, or diced onions for a hearty meal.

If your family loves beans then you will want to print or pin this Slow Cooker Baked Beans recipe so that you can come back to it later.

Storage / Freezing

Leftovers – Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container or bowl covered with plastic wrap for 3 – 4 days. Go ahead and heat the beanies and weenies in the microwave or on the stove-top. They taste great after reheating.

Freezing – You can also freeze leftovers in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing them flat so that they stack well and save space in your freezer.

FAQ

Other Bean Recipes

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

What to Serve with

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Bean and Weenies:

Consider making this beans and weenies recipe for your next picnic, potluck or large family gathering. It’s a great side dish for feeding a crowd. Make a couple batches and toss the beans into a Crock Pot to keep warm. Most everyone will come back for seconds.