rice and beans

[meggie]

Due to various budget concerns, we'll be needing to eat lots of rice and beans. Anyone have any good recipes? I've never made any.

[helena]

I live for beans and rice! :lurk5:

 

Here's an old thread where I posted some of my favorite recipes: http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=181246&highlight=mexican

[HLDoll]

We make this recipe for crockpot refried beans several times a month.

 

http://veronicascornucopia.com/2010/05/25/crockpot-refried-beans/

 

Our favorite way to eat them is with rice in a burrito with cheese/sour cream/salsa. But they get eaten plain for lunch and in scrambled eggs and omelets.

[butterflymommy]

If you want a completely brainless recipe try this...

 

1 large can (32 oz) bean of preference (we like pink or black), well drained and rinsed

2 small cans undiluted tomato soup concentrate

 

Mix together, salt and pepper to taste. Voila, "instant" baked beans.

 

You can also use 1 small can concentrate, and 1 small jar salsa for spicier beans.

 

Of course this is less economical than starting with dried beans or using your own seasonings, but it's still pretty cheap. We serve this with white rice, swiss cheese, and sour cream all the time.

[Liz CA]

I am not a super big fan of beans, so I make sauteed vegetables with rice. You can add in any kind you like. I also add little hot dog/sausage chunks to it but this may not be as inexpensive as beans.

[nono]

...it's what's for dinner! Tonight, it's black beans & rice with the beans simmered with a beef buillion cube, and some green peas cooked with the rice. It's my kids favorite.

 

When I do beans & rice, it's b-a-s-i-c. I am running tonight at dinner time, so there will be no fancying up of the offering. :)

[milovany]

Our family's easiest recipe:

 

Make some rice.

Make some beans (either cooked or open a can).

 

Mix them together.

 

Let people choose their sauce/seasoning of choice.

Options: Soy sauce/Bragg's, peanut sauce, spicy Thai red sauce, garlic salt and butter, etc.

 

I'm not a fan of this dish but my kids love it.

[Wabi Sabi]

One of my dh's favorite thing ever is easy as can be:

 

one can of corn, drained

one can of black beans, drained

one can of white beans, drained

 

Mix all the beans together, stuff into a tortilla, roll into a burrito and eat. This time of year we don't even heat it and prefer to eat it cold. We like to add in whatever we have on hand, one or more of the following to taste: cumin, cilantro, bell pepper, taco seasoning, etc. It certainly doesn't need all of those things though.

Edited August 31, 2011 by Wabi Sabi

[MeaganS]

We're big fans of red beans and rice as well as black-eyed peas and cornbread. Here are our recipes for both:

 

Red Beans and Rice

 

1 lb dried red beans (you can use 4 cans instead, but if you do, use less water)

½ Hillshire Farms smoked turkey or chicken sausage, cut up

1 large onion, chopped

2 large stalks of celery w/ leaves, chopped

½ green pepper, chopped (we don’t like green pepper so I leave this out)

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

 

Soak beans overnight. The next morning rinse them very well and put them in a pot with 6 cups of water (I like to use chicken broth instead of water most of the time, though. I just use bullion). Cook them for about a half hour or so. Then add all the rest of the ingredients except the sausage and cook for a few hours on very low. We like our sausage added at the very end.

 

For the rice, we’ve found that brown rice works very well with this. I use Alton Brown’s brown rice recipe but I leave out the butter and didn’t notice a difference. It has produced fantastic brown rice for me every time I’ve used it:

 

Alton Brown’s Brown Rice:

1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain

2 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoon kosher salt

 

 

Boil water and add to rice, salt, and butter in a casserole dish. Cover the dish with tin foil and cook at 375 for 1 hour.

My husband loves red beans and rice with Frank’s Red Hot, and I like mine with chopped up green onions. Oh, also you’ll probably want to add more salt than the recipe called for. This makes enough for 4 very hungry adults, or 6 regular servings and is fantastic as left overs.

 

 

 

 

Black-eyed Peas and Ham

a. 1 pound frozen black eyed peas (I'm going to be trying dried this week though)

1 cup chicken broth (or equivalent bullion)

2 ribs celery, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch (6 to 8) green onions, thinly sliced

6 ounces diced ham (you can easily use less)

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning

 

Combine all ingredients in crockpot and cook for 6-8 hours on low. I just use Jiffy cornbread and serve with it, but whatever works.

Edited August 31, 2011 by MeaganS

[Maria from IN]

I like to throw 1/2 to 3/4 cup of salsa and a can of red or black beans in the water, and let the rice cook in it. Add leftover hamburger or turkeyburger if you have it. Plate it, and add your favorite cheese and sour cream or nonfat yogurt on top.:001_smile:

[Wabi Sabi]

For the rice, we’ve found that brown rice works very well with this. I use Alton Brown’s brown rice recipe but I leave out the butter and didn’t notice a difference. It has produced fantastic brown rice for me every time I’ve used it:

 

Alton Brown’s Brown Rice:

1 1/2 cups brown rice, medium or short grain

2 1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 teaspoon kosher salt

 

 

Boil water and add to rice, salt, and butter in a casserole dish. Cover the dish with tin foil and cook at 375 for 1 hour.

 

I make rice the same way- it's really foolproof and I've never been successful making brown rice on the stovetop. However, FWIW, I don't mess with the foil, the butter, or boiling the water. I find that a baking dish with a lid is much easier. A glug of olive oil easily replaces the butter. I just use water straight from the tap and let it stay in the oven a few extra minutes. Works just fine.

[WeeBeaks]

I'm loving new recipes posted here.

 

Here is my easiest: A few cups of pinto beans soaked overnight and then put in the crockpot in the morning (change the water). Cook all day on low, keeping the water level up. I do double and triple batches and freeze some.

 

The above can be eaten in a bowl with cornbread, as stuffing in a burrito, on chips as nachos and so forth. I add spices later on when we decide how we are going to have them ... cumin and such for Mexican.

[The Girls' Mom]

ETA: should have read the PP first...lol

 

Try this method for brown rice if you haven't already..it's awesome: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html

 

We do black beans and rice, with onion and peppers chopped in.

 

We also make bean and rice casserole (beans, rice, corn, onions, chilies, and diced tomatoes, add whatever favorite mexican style seasons you like. topped with cheese. )

Edited August 31, 2011 by Apryl H

[Sandra in FL]

Saute onions and garlic in oil. Add water, thyme and (any kind of) beans. Salt and pepper.

[Carpe]

We do lentils.

 

I cook rice, lentils, and some veggies (usually lentils + veggies in one pot, and rice in another because we use brown rice, I think white rice and cooks for the same length of time as lentils though) in chicken broth. Mix, fluff, serve.

 

My favourites are peas and corn, or diced tomatoes (added at the end) and onion (cooked).

[Quiver0f10]

One my family enjoys:

 

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1 jar salsa

 

Heat and serve over rice or in tortillas.

[mom31257]

Here are two of my favorite recipes that use beans. You could easily omit the chicken in the chili recipe, but a little does go a long way in it.

 

White Chicken Chili

1 med. Onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tsp. canola oil

2 cans great northern beans (15 oz.)

1 c. chicken, cooked and diced

Salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste

Chicken broth (add for consistency you want)

Saute the first 4 ingredients for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 30 minutes.

Fiesta Soup

1 can black beans (15 oz.)

1 can whole kernel corn (11 oz.)

1 can Rotel Original (10 oz.) or 1 jar of Pace Picante Sauce (16 oz)

Fresh Cilantro, to taste

Ground Cumin, to taste

Stir together and simmer over med-low heat for 15 minutes.

[Oakblossoms]

Chili in the crockpot. Use it to top potatoes, stuff enchiliadas or burritos, pour on salad for taco salad, top spaghetti, nachos, por over rice, serve with cornbread...we love chili. White, red or black bean are all good.

[Kirch]

:bigear:

[unsinkable]

This is one of my favorite food bloggers, deep dish south. I am linking right to her bean page.

 

HTH

 

Deep Dish South -- Beans

 

I especially love the Cajun White beans w/Rice.

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

Lentil and Rice Casserole

2 2/3 cup broth

1/2 cup lentils (dry)

1/2 cup chopped onion

3/4-1 cup rice (dry)

1/2 tsp. basil

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/2-3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

 

Mix all ingredients in baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour.

 

Cheddar Cheesy Rice

2 tbsp. butter

1/3 cup chopped onion

2 cups water

1 cup rice, uncooked

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (sometimes we use a mixture of cheddar, mozzarella, and swiss)

2 tbsp. chopped parsley (or 2 tsp. dry)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

 

In medium saucepan, melt butter and saute onion. Add water and rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender (16-17 minutes is usually plenty for my stove). Add remaining ingredients; blend well and serve immediately.

 

I like to serve this with steamed broccoli.

 

Bean, Rice, and Cheese Burritos

3 cups cooked pinto beans (cook 1 cup dry)

2 cups cooked rice (brown or white) (cook 1 cup dry)

1 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheese

1 can corn, drained

tortillas

Mix beans, rice, salsa, cheese, and corn. Wrap 2-3 tablespoons in each tortilla. I think I bake them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes at about 350 degrees F. I don't have the temp marked down, so it's not always the same. This makes quite a bit, so you can freeze some, or just use it as leftovers or for your dh to take to work.

 

 

I also sometimes add cooked beans to a casserole as a partial replacement for ground beef. I don't have the recipe anymore, but I made a taco casserole like this a few years ago and my whole family enjoyed it.

 

I'm trying to cook more beans, so I'll be watching this thread.

Edited August 31, 2011 by Lisa in the UP of MI

[Denisemomof4]

lentils are also VERY good and very cheap.

 

I used to make cooked rice, cooked beans (making your own is cheaper) and a home made sort of salsa with them.

 

Don't forget to shop the sales. If you eat meat, look for good deals on the mark down meats.

[Lisa in Jax]

Buy dry garbanzo beans. Bring 8+ cups of water and 2-3 cups rinsed dry garbanzo beans to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer them on medium heat until the center is pale yellow. (If the center is a different color than the outer area, they're not done yet. This will take a couple of hours.)

 

This will make several cups of beans. Rinse them, drain them, and freeze what you don't use within 1-2 days.

 

If you have a Mediterranean store nearby, buy pita bread from them. I pay $1 per six large pita rounds when I buy them frozen at the local Mediterranean grocery.

 

Hummus recipe: (Puree all of these ingredients together. You may want to tinker with the proportions to make it taste the way you like it.)

 

1 clove garlic (or 1 t. garlic powder, if necessary)

2-3 cups cooked garbanzo beans

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini (if you have it)

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

................

 

HIH,

 

Lisa

 

BTW, if you add a couple of ounces of cooked hamburger meat and taco seasoning to your rice and beans, it's yummy, but still affordable.

[meggie]

Thank you everyone. So many good ideas here. I'm really excited to look through some cookbooks (the one linked to Amazon had some other recommendations, of course.:))

[Audrey]

My favorite book: 366 Ways to Cook Rice, Beans and Grains. If you can find it at the library, I would request it, it has some easy and delicious recipes.

 

There's a few blogs out there about beans.

Pass the Beans Please

The Perfect Pantry

 

Also food storage sites have some great beans and rice recipes

Food Storage Made Easy

Everyday Food Storage

 

I know there were more and I can't seem to find them now. :confused:

 

 

I'll second the book recommendation and the Pass the Beans Please recommendation. :001_smile:

[msjones]

I wouldn't call this a recipe, but my family eats more brown rice if I cook it in chicken broth instead of just water. Even half water, half broth makes them pretty happy. It just adds a bit of flavor for the not-so-sure-about-rice kind of diner.

[chepyl]

1 cup brown rice (not instant)

1 can black beans (or equivalent from dried beans)

1 can rotel tomatoes

 

Sometimes I add a can of green chilies. We usually throw in some grilled chicken, cheese, sour cream, and ALWAYS add green tobasco sauce. But if you are trying to save money: the beans, rice, and tomatoes are great!

[Audrey]

You will get far more value from dried beans than canned. When cooked, dried beans cost, on average, 1/4th to 1/10th the price of canned beans. You also get less sodium and preservatives. A simple method for cooking almost any dried bean is this:

 

Sort beans and soak overnight in enough cold water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches. Drain the water and place beans in a crockpot. Cover with enough fresh cold water to cover the beans by at least an inch. Cook beans on high for 4-6 hours or until tender. The time will depend on the type of bean. Do NOT add any salt or salted seasonings to the beans until the beans are tender (roughly the last half hour of cooking time). Salt will toughen the beans if added at the beginning and will make it take longer to cook them through.

[Denisemomof4]

I wouldn't call this a recipe, but my family eats more brown rice if I cook it in chicken broth instead of just water. Even half water, half broth makes them pretty happy. It just adds a bit of flavor for the not-so-sure-about-rice kind of diner.

 

it's also delish if you cook in broth and throw in some sauteed onion in the end. I throw some spices in with the onion. Mmmmmmmm!

[WIS0320]

More-With-Less is the best cookbook I've ever found for making consistently tasty meals that are very low cost and still healthy.

 

http://www.amazon.com/More---Less-Cookbook-World-Community/dp/083619263X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314887229&sr=8-1

[Chocolate Rose]

Here is one that dh loves. He often puts it together to take for lunch. You can serve this with rice or not, and season however you'd like. Also, you can use cooked dry beans rather than the canned.

 

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Home Alone Beans

 

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Beans

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

1 can your favorite beans -- (16 ounce)

1 can Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies -- (10 ounce)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin -- (1 to 2)

 

When you're home alone, the object of preparing dinner should be to make something so good that you won't start whining about being alone. A tasty bowl of beans is usually the last thing the single diner thinks about preparing, simply because most recipes for beans produce enough for a battalion or two. This recipe, such that it is, makes just enough for those occasions when you find yourself home alone. Eat them too often, and you may be home alone a lot. Excellent with any leftover grilled meat, or as a fast side dish.

Note: If canned Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies are not available where you live, think about moving or write to Ro-Tel directly and tell them to get on the stick.

 

Pour the beans into a sieve or colander. Rinse under cold water.

Put rinsed beans, Ro-Tel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, chili powder and cumin into a saucepan.

 

Bring beans to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow the beans to cook for 30 minutes or so. Stir every once in a while.

 

Serves 1 as a main course, 2 as a side dish.

 

 

Source:

"The Grilling Encyclopedia, by A. Cort Sinnes"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 31 Calories; 2g Fat (37.9% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 79mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat.

 

NOTES : I keep Rotel and canned beans in the pantry, and cooked brown rice in the freezer, so this is an easy last-minute dish to throw together. It's been one of our standbys for years. Serve over rice, couscous, or wrap in tortillas. Makes 2-3 main dish servings. Top with shredded cheese if desired.

[AuntieM]

This is one of my favorite food bloggers, deep dish south. I am linking right to her bean page.

 

HTH

 

Deep Dish South -- Beans

 

I especially love the Cajun White beans w/Rice.

 

Great link! I make a version of the Cajun white beans. It's basically the same recipe, but skip the andouille and, about 20 minutes before serving, stir in about a pound of shrimp (cleaned & deveined - maybe you'd need a bit more liquid than what's in this bogger's recipe).

 

Thanks for starting this thread! I need to go back to Monday bean day (an old southern tradition) for both budget and time factors. Nice to have a variety of bean recipes to choose from!

[creekland]

Bumping this up as I want to check out the links and recipes when I have more time - but that's not right now. It'll get too buried I fear. Thanks in advance to all who have contributed. Not only are our finances stretched right now (and I'm shopping tomorrow morning), but I want to eat a little bit more healthily than we have too. ;)

[KungFuPanda]

You will get far more value from dried beans than canned. When cooked, dried beans cost, on average, 1/4th to 1/10th the price of canned beans. You also get less sodium and preservatives. A simple method for cooking almost any dried bean is this:

 

Sort beans and soak overnight in enough cold water to cover the beans by at least 2 inches. Drain the water and place beans in a crockpot. Cover with enough fresh cold water to cover the beans by at least an inch. Cook beans on high for 4-6 hours or until tender. The time will depend on the type of bean. Do NOT add any salt or salted seasonings to the beans until the beans are tender (roughly the last half hour of cooking time). Salt will toughen the beans if added at the beginning and will make it take longer to cook them through.

:iagree: canned beans also lose nutrients in the canning process; garbonzo beans especially. If you cook from dried it'll be cheaper, healthier, and tastier.

[unsinkable]

Brown Rice with butter and cinnamon for breakfast is also yummy. You can treat it like oatmeal and mix your favorite oatmeal toppings in.

 

But does rice want to be treated like oatmeal? Rice has its own wants and needs, ya' know!

 

:lol: j/k

 

That sounds really good!