(Updated With New Content On 12/27/23)
When I was growing up budget bean recipes made up most of our main meals.
Now I keep canned beans in the pantry for a fast meal. Back then, my grandma canned the beans in jars and kept them in the cellar.
I have looked up and found budget bean recipes that will provide you with protein, fill your tummy, and be easy on your budget.
Black Bean Burrito Bowls:
This black bean recipe is so simple to make. Use canned black beans along with yellow rice, corn, and your preferred salad greens.
Add onion, Pico de Gallo, tomatoes, sour cream, grated cheese, and flavorings preferred.
Probably the best thing about burrito bowls is the vast variety of foods you can add to it. Burrito bowls are delicious and quick and easy to make, while also being nutritious.
You can make this meal ahead of time by keeping the greens and cold toppings separate from the other ingredients.
Cook the rice and put your meal together with whatever toppings you desire.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad:
This recipe’s source of protein is garbanzo beans, but it also contains herbs with a garlicky lemon dressing. Red bell pepper, celery, and red onion are added.
Top with greens for an even healthier dish.
This legume, also known as garbanzo beans, is high in protein and makes an excellent replacement for meat in vegetarian and vegan dishes.
And this is just one in a long line of beans (or legumes). There are Great Northern beans, cannellini beans, soybeans, navy beans, pinto beans, red beans, kidney beans, and many more varieties of beans.
Taco Soup:
This is an easy meal that I often cook for myself. You can use ground beef or turkey, whichever you prefer. I typically use ground turkey.
This recipe calls for pinto and black beans. But I usually use other types of canned beans in my taco soup.
Also included is canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce if desired. Add corn, either frozen or canned, along with onion and garlic powder.
I like to add an envelope of dry ranch dressing mix to give it extra flavor along with a bit of taco seasoning. This is my own personal recipe for taco soup.
However, the author of this recipe adds 1/3 cup chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon lime in at the end instead of using the dressing mix.
Taco soup is great served with cornbread or tortilla chips. You can also add sour cream, cheese, and/or avocado.
I like to freeze quart baggies with an individual serving of taco soup for a fast and filling meal.
Baked Cannelini Beans:
This white bean recipe can be a served as a main or a side dish. Ingredients include canned cannelini beans, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and seasonings.
Top with shredded Parmesan and Fontina cheese.
Chickpea & Orzo Salad:
This bean recipe has canned chickpeas, orzo pasta, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, and toasted almonds. The herbs include fresh parsley and basil.
This recipe is filled with Mediterranean flavor and packed with fiber, nutrients, and green vegetables.
This dish can be eaten as a light meal or a side dish.
BBQ Pinto Bean Burgers:
If you feel like a burger without the meat, this pinto bean burger might fit the bill.
The beans are dried on a sheet pan first. Then you add them to a bowl, mash them, and add the other ingredients.
Beaten eggs are added to the bean mixture. Mix well, form patties, and rest them on waxed paper.
You can cook the bean patty in a skillet or griddle in a little oil. Or instead of frying, you can bake your bean burgers on an oiled sheet pan.
Black Bean & Veggie Burritos:
These vegetarian burritos are stuffed with sauteed peppers and onions, corn, black beans, green chili rice, and creamy guacamole.
This dish is also freezer friendly.
Olive Garden Minestrone Soup:
This minestrone recipe calls for a variety of vegetables cooked in a savory broth. Onions, carrots, celery and zucchini are sauteed.
Then tomatoes, vegetable broth, pasta, and beans are added.
Simmer and serve.
This soup would be delicious on a cold night with cheesy garlic bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.
Loaded Veggie Nachos:
This would be a quick, easy, and impromptu meal when you have guests over.
Put the cooked nachos in the middle of the table, hand out plates, and let them chow down! This recipe will yield approximately 6 servings.
When I’m stumped for something to eat, I usually go with nachos. Because I almost always have tortilla chips, a can of beans, and shredded cheese in the fridge.
This is not a fancy meal, but one that connects the dots for color, flavor, and protein.
You can use black beans, but black beans tend to dry out while cooking. I opt for pinto beans because I like the taste better and it seems easier on my tummy.
If you line the sheet pan with parchment paper, it’s an easy clean up too.
My Love Of Budget Bean Recipes:
I love beans. Always have. I grew up eating mainly pinto beans, fried potatoes, and cornbread for the main meal of the day.
In the summer fresh sliced tomatoes were added to the table.
A better tasting meal simply does not exist for me.
Canned beans will certainly stretch the budget if used for the main meal. I always keep them in my pantry.
Sometimes I just warm pinto beans in the microwave. Then I add salsa and maybe a little cheese. And serve with tortilla chips or cornbread.
It’s a very tasty meal.
I love a pot recipe and as there are some here that are new to me, I am definitely going to give them a try.
My favorite thing about winter is the great beans, soups and stews we get to eat. I love heating my little apartment up while cooking a big potfull of something good. Yum. Yum. Great recipes. Thanks.
Beans, a best kept secret. I thought I'd seen all the recipes but you surprised me. Thanks for the post and good eating!
You're making me hungry! I love beans!
These photos are making me super hungry, Brenda. Way too close to supper time to be viewing food posts. ~ Nancy
We love beans of all kinds. We haven't had lentils in a long time, so I think I will check out the lentil recipes first.
Thanks.
all of those recipes look delish!! hearty and comforting.. it doesnt get better than that.
I love things like this, but my daughter hates them! So I still make them for hubby and I. They all look wonderful!
The recipes you posted look delicious and healthy. I'm going to check them out.
I haven't posted because I couldn't find my google pw, but I got a new one and I can now post to all my favorit blogs. (yours is one of them)
Thanks for posting the recipes, will that be a regular part of your blog from not on?
Carol Ann
I love beans, any kind of beans. BUT I am deadly after if you know what I mean. I'll check them out and make when Mr. C is out, which isn't often enough :-{
Thanks for the recipes – I will have to check them out. We don't eat much meat, so one thing I rely on is beans. I made a pot of bean and bacon soup last night and I just had the leftovers for lunch.
And beans are so chock full of soluble fiber and a good source of protein! Thanks for the links. The recipes do look delicious.
Saturday night we attended a chili feed/cookoff in the little valley just to the North of us. They had 11 very different kinds of chili. We could take whatever kind looked good to us, and the judges sat at a table in the front of the room and tried all 11. They had a score sheet, and finally picked 2 to tie for first place. There was super hot chili, chicken chili, even one called Road Kill Chili. The one I liked best was very thick with lots of what I think was elk or deer hamburger, and of course this being Idaho all the recipes included beans. We had lots of fun. This weekend is our community's Italian supper. So I will be cooking all week. It is a special thing for these small communities to get together in the winter, visit and just be neighborly.
So many good looking recipes here. You make me feel all warm and snuggly ….. which is great because tomorrow we are expecting a huge snow storm and these have inspired me to prepare one tonight in preparation. Just as important as water and flashlight batteries, right?
Yummy! These look delicious! I love it when you post recipes. I think I'll start with the Mexican Casserole, as I love Mexican food. Then try most of the others. Many thanks for sharing these…
Oh and around here, we call casseroles 'hot dishes'!
looks like some good recipes I think I will be trying a couple of them. thanks