Beans are high in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Important attributes, but there is more to say about their surge in popularity. Beans, especially those contained in cans, are easy to use.

I don’t know about you, but we always have baked beans in the cupboard so this is a great recipe if you want to try something different with them. It might sound unusual... you’re just going ...

Most British recipes for Boston baked beans just use a piece of pork belly, but we think it needs some salted or smoked meat to counteract the sweetness, so we include bacon or pancetta.

So if you’re just now joining the bean craze, how do you know which beans to use, and when? A long-time bean lover, I’ve developed numerous bean-forward recipes over the last several years.

Different types of German sausages cooking on a hot grill - Ncognet0/Getty Images ...