OnlyCans 2 – Three Courses from Tinned Food
When I first did OnlyCans, I let myself off a bit lightly — I used as many tins as I fancied. There was chowder, spaghetti, pavlova… all made entirely from tins. It was chaos, but you lot seemed to love it. So this time, I’ve made it harder. OnlyCans 2 follows one very simple rule: just three tins per course. No cheats, no fresh ingredients, no fancy extras — just me, a tin opener, and a questionable sense of optimism.
Starter – Kidney Bean & Corn Cream Dip
This one surprised me the most. I started by draining the sweetcorn and throwing it into the food processor with the entire tin of kidney beans in chilli sauce. A little evaporated milk went in — about two tablespoons did the trick — along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Once it was all whizzed up, it turned into this lovely creamy dip with a gentle kick from the chilli.
To make it look the part, I drizzled a bit of the leftover chilli sauce over the top and added a thin swirl of evaporated milk. Honestly, it could’ve passed for something you’d order in a restaurant. I even tried a version with a sprinkle of MSG, and it completely levelled it up — that’s optional, but wow, it worked. Grab a few crackers or a slice of bread and you’re away.
Main – Cottage Pie
Technically, it’s a cottage pie, because I used beef mince rather than lamb — but let’s be honest, more people call it a shepherd’s pie, so I’m not arguing.
I started by spreading the tinned minced beef and onion into a small oven dish, then tipped the drained peas and carrots over the top. The new potatoes from the tin mashed up beautifully once they were warmed through — soft, creamy, no complaints at all. I seasoned the mash with a bit of salt and pepper, spread it over the beef layer, and gave it the classic fork pattern for that rustic finish.
A quick blast under the grill crisped the top up nicely — golden edges, soft centre, and somehow it actually looked like a proper cottage pie. For reference, I did buy two tins of potatoes, but that was a bit overkill — one is more than enough.
Dessert – Black Forest Sponge Jars
This dessert is where nostalgia hit me hard. You used to be able to buy sponge pudding in a tin, but apparently that stopped sometime around 1944. So I went with the plastic pot version — same idea, slightly smaller portion, and it works perfectly.
I crumbled the chocolate sponge into jars, added a layer of cherries with a bit of syrup, and topped it off with whipped coconut cream. If you chill a tin of full-fat coconut milk overnight, the thick part sets on top — scoop that out, whip it up, and it turns into a light, fluffy cream that holds its shape beautifully.
I repeated the layers, then finished each jar with more coconut cream and a glacé cherry on top. It’s basically a tinned twist on a Black Forest gateaux, and it looked far posher than it had any right to.
Final Thoughts
Nine tins, three courses, and somehow it all worked. The mash browned perfectly, the dip was genuinely delicious, and the dessert was dangerously good. If you fancy seeing how this madness came together, you can watch the full video above or here on YouTube if you prefer.
And if you missed the original chaos, check out OnlyCans 1 where I used way more tins than necessary.
If you liked this challenge, you’ll probably enjoy my 2 & 3 Ingredient Recipes You’ll Actually Make Again playlist too.