Sausage, bean and cheese melt-style handheld breakfast

The Greggs breakfast saviour — pork sausages, baked beans and melted cheese wrapped in a soft bread roll, then baked until the bread is golden and the cheese is bubbling. Made for 8am train platforms.

Ingredients

• 8 good pork sausages (chopped in half)
• 1 tin (220 g) baked beans (Heinz, accept no substitute)
• 4 soft white bread rolls (or 4 hot dog buns)
• 150 g mature cheddar, grated
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp English mustard powder
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
• Worcestershire sauce, a few dashes

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Brown the sausages. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high and brown the halved sausages on all sides for 5-6 minutes. They’re not cooked through yet — they’ll finish in the oven.

3. Soften the onion. In the same pan, cook the diced onion for 4-5 minutes until soft and starting to colour. Add the smoked paprika and mustard powder and stir for 30 seconds.

4. Warming the beans. Add the beans, ketchup and a few dashes of Worcestershire to the pan. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until thickened slightly. Taste and season.

5. Assemble the melts. Slice each roll open (not all the way through , leave a hinge). Layer in the browned sausages, then the bean mixture, then pile the grated cheese on top.

6. Wrap loosely in baking paper, then foil. This traps steam so the bread softens on the inside while crisping on the outside.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted completely. Unwrap the foil for the last 2 minutes if you want the top extra-crispy.

8. Serve immediately. Napkins mandatory.

Notes

The Heinz baked beans rule is real , don’t substitute own-brand, the sweetness profile is different and it matters here. Day-old rolls work even better than fresh because they hold their structure.