Adult baked beans on toast

I always hated baked beans growing up, until my mother cooked this adult version. Great in the winter as a warming comfort food, best served on crusty sourdough! Can be made on the stovetop or in the oven and tastes delicious with the bacon substituted with chorizo.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp	Olive oil
1	Onion, finely diced
2 cloves	Garlic, Crushed
3 rashers	Bacon strips, Cubed
2 leaves	Bay leaves
2 sprigs	Fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
1 ½ tsp	Paprika
1 can	Tomato
1 Tbsp	Tomato paste
1 cup	Chicken stock
1 pinch	Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 cans	Cannellini beans (Main)
1 cup	Baby spinach, Optional
1 slice	Sourdough bread, toasted
1 knob	Butter

Directions

1. If making in the oven, preheat oven to 160C. In an oven proof, stovetop casserole dish, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the onion and garlic until soft and tender. Add the bacon and fry until golden. Add the bay leaves, thyme and paprika and cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken stock and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Add salt to taste (being careful as the chicken stock and bacon will already have added some seasoning). Place in the oven (or turn temperature down to low if using stovetop method) and leave to simmer for one hour.
3. After 1 hour, drain and rinse the Cannellini beans and add to the tomato mixture along with the optional baby spinach. Stir well and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
4. To Serve, spoon generously over the buttered sourdough toast. Enjoy!