Jaybee Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 I'm trying to cook less expensive and also healthier meals. So I am trying to rotate in more bean recipes, especially as I have members of the family who are not going to feel satisfied with only green veggie meals. However, one ds can hardly stand most legumes, and will just not eat them. I'm waiting on a couple of vegetarian cookbooks that I hope will help out a bit, but in the meantime, I have a pot of great northern beans on the stove for tonight. I am planning to have baked sweet potatoes, greens (haven't figured out what form yet), and the beans. I don't want a soup recipe, at least not for tonight, because we eat soups fairly often, and same ds doesn't care too much for those, either. He likes meat. Big plain chunks of meat, and that is just not going to be happening tons. Anybody have a very tasty white bean recipe? I don't mind if it has a little chicken in it, as a have a ziplock in the freezer with some, but I would prefer to add to my vegetarian repertoire. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 (edited) Do you have the Sunset French cookbook? Their recipe for white beans (as a side dish) is excellent. It involves a lot of thyme and carrots and onions. It is supposed to be a vegetable, but when I make it in my All Clad pot it ends up being more of a soup. However, if I open the lid for a while toward the end it thickens down to being a dish you can serve on a plate. Edited January 9, 2021 by Carol in Cal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 Just now, Carol in Cal. said: Do you have the Sunset French cookbook? Their recipe for white beans (as a side dish) is excellent. It involves a lot of thyme and carrots and onions. It is supposed to be a vegetable, but when I make it in my All Clad pot it ends up being more of a soup. No, I don't have that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 (edited) I love to quick sauté kale and garlic and tomatoes with white beans and a bit of chicken stock. I’m sure there’s a name for this dish and a recipe but I just make it to taste. Something like this only I make it as a side dish. Sometimes I top it with bread crumbs and Parmesan and put it in the oven too. Mine just has less liquid and no meat. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foodandwine.com/recipes/kale-and-white-bean-stew%3famp=true Edited January 9, 2021 by Sneezyone 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Since you don't want soup, is chili also out? Great Northern Beans are very good in white bean chili. Otherwise, baked beans, falafel (usually made with chickpeas but you can substitute virtually any bean), or bean burgers. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 This is my favorite white bean recipe by far. The beans add a really nice element to it. I often serve it over grits. It's a flexible recipe with some different options. I usually don't use an egg, but if I didn't use sausage, I'd totally add an egg. https://www.bonappetit.com/columns/cooking-without-recipes/article/easy-sausage-white-bean-kale-dinner 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 2 minutes ago, Farrar said: This is my favorite white bean recipe by far. The beans add a really nice element to it. I often serve it over grits. It's a flexible recipe with some different options. I usually don't use an egg, but if I didn't use sausage, I'd totally add an egg. https://www.bonappetit.com/columns/cooking-without-recipes/article/easy-sausage-white-bean-kale-dinner Yep. Pretty close. I usually use a can of fire roasted tomatoes. The lemon juice really brightens it. It’s just super quick and easy. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 Just now, Sneezyone said: Yep. Pretty close. I usually use a can of fire roasted tomatoes. The lemon juice really brightens it. It’s just super quick and easy. Yes, I've added tomatoes! It's such a good recipe. The Kitchn has a flexible version too, but it's basically the same as the one I linked. One thing I like about it that may apply to the OP's needs is that it's easy to do just a little sausage and get a lot of flavor. So if the goal is "cheaper" and not "meat free" then having recipes where you can add one serving of meat and have it flavor and feed a meal for four, then that's a nice element. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 (edited) Along the same lines, white beans make an awesome veggie dip. That’s a great side too, just served with cut up veggies and cherry tomatoes. https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/white-bean-dip-herbs Edited January 9, 2021 by Sneezyone 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 32 minutes ago, Sneezyone said: I love to quick sauté kale and garlic and tomatoes with white beans and a bit of chicken stock. I’m sure there’s a name for this dish and a recipe but I just make it to taste. Something like this only I make it as a side dish. Sometimes I top it with bread crumbs and Parmesan and put it in the oven too. Mine just has less liquid and no meat. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.foodandwine.com/recipes/kale-and-white-bean-stew%3famp=true That sounds good--I need to check and see if my kale is still good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 (edited) You could use white beans in place of black eyed peas in cowboy caviar or add them to a Caprese salad. White beans are pretty versatile. Edited January 9, 2021 by Sneezyone 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 11 minutes ago, Sherry in OH said: Since you don't want soup, is chili also out? Great Northern Beans are very good in white bean chili. Otherwise, baked beans, falafel (usually made with chickpeas but you can substitute virtually any bean), or bean burgers. No chili, though I have a friend who has a great recipe for white bean chili. But not tonight. I was wondering about falafel or burgers. Good thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 (edited) You ladies' ideas are making my mouth water. I would like a hot dish tonight, rather than a salad, because it's pretty cold today. @Sneezyone, what is cowboy caviar? Edited January 9, 2021 by Jaybee 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 25 minutes ago, Jaybee said: You ladies' ideas are making my mouth water. I would like a hot dish tonight, rather than a salad, because it's pretty cold today. @Sneezyone, what is cowboy caviar? It’s a quick/cold salad with black eyed peas, diced onion (I usually use red), bell pepper (I use orange), corn and tomato, cilantro, vinegar, and a bit of sugar, oil, black pepper and salt. Sometimes I add a bit of chili powder too. So tasty!! Great with avocado and corn chips! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Jessica* Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 I usually use white beans in a quick dish I call Beans and Greens. Similar to this recipe, but I usually use Swiss chard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 13 minutes ago, Sneezyone said: It’s a quick/cold salad with black eyed peas, diced onion (I usually use red), bell pepper (I use orange), corn and tomato, cilantro, vinegar, and a bit of sugar, oil, black pepper and salt. Sometimes I add a bit of chili powder too. So tasty!! Great with avocado and corn chips! Oh, okay. I make a version of that, I just didn't know it had a name, lol. It's one of our newer additions to the menu, and we all like it, even the bean-hater. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 I think I'm going to try this for tonight: https://peasandcrayons.com/2019/07/homemade-white-bean-burgers.html#comments , tweaked because I don't have any quinoa on hand. And just the patties, not the full burgers. My kale is too old, but I'm going to mark this thread for the ideas above. Thank you all so much! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 One thing I did last night, to stretch the chicken we had, was to do kind of a stir fry/skillet meal thing. So, I saute'd the chicken until it was browned on the outside, added the beans, seasoned it with chicken seasoning, pepper, some season salt, some garlic, and saute'd that. What made it really good was cooking it on high, in the skillet, no real liquid added at all, and kind of "browning" the beans vs. the normal way of cooking them. We all liked it so much that I plan to cook beans this way more often; it would be good with any meat added (a little bacon; a little sausage; no meat; etc), and could be seasoned pretty much any way possible, and with pretty much anything added to taste. This may not be a new way to you, but it was to me, so figured I'd toss it out there just in case. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 10 minutes ago, TheReader said: One thing I did last night, to stretch the chicken we had, was to do kind of a stir fry/skillet meal thing. So, I saute'd the chicken until it was browned on the outside, added the beans, seasoned it with chicken seasoning, pepper, some season salt, some garlic, and saute'd that. What made it really good was cooking it on high, in the skillet, no real liquid added at all, and kind of "browning" the beans vs. the normal way of cooking them. We all liked it so much that I plan to cook beans this way more often; it would be good with any meat added (a little bacon; a little sausage; no meat; etc), and could be seasoned pretty much any way possible, and with pretty much anything added to taste. This may not be a new way to you, but it was to me, so figured I'd toss it out there just in case. My stepmom does this with taco meat. Sometimes she uses beans, sometimes potatoes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 9, 2021 Author Share Posted January 9, 2021 (edited) Reader, that does sound good. I have never cooked beans a whole lot over the years. I had a few recipes, but we just weren't beans people. But now I am trying to make more room in our budget, and food is one of those things that I always think I can't change a whole lot. I'm trying, though. By the way, I think the recipe I linked above from peas and carrots would be great also if you just stopped before adding the eggs and oatmeal (I don't have quinoa on hand), and served it in a bowl. It was tasty and smelled great. Overall, the recipe is a bit time intensive, because I started with dry beans, and don't have a food processor to cut the veggies quickly (though I chuckled thinking of Meryl Streep playing Julia Child and cutting onions). ETA: And that way (paragraph 2), you wouldn't have to chop the veggies so small. Edited January 9, 2021 by Jaybee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 I've seen a lot of variations on turning white beans into pasta sauce - just puree with stock and seasoning. Some people add cheese and/or cream. 36 minutes ago, TheReader said: One thing I did last night, to stretch the chicken we had, was to do kind of a stir fry/skillet meal thing. So, I saute'd the chicken until it was browned on the outside, added the beans, seasoned it with chicken seasoning, pepper, some season salt, some garlic, and saute'd that. What made it really good was cooking it on high, in the skillet, no real liquid added at all, and kind of "browning" the beans vs. the normal way of cooking them. You cooked dry beans this way? Like only in the skillet? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted January 9, 2021 Share Posted January 9, 2021 This was a hit here, although I don't know that it's super healthy, depending on how you define healthy pizza beans I'm not sure if this link will work, but there's a recipe called Lamb and White Bean stew from an old cook book called Desperation Dinners that's a regular part of our household rotation. I'm sure you could sub a different kind of meat if you wanted to. Lamb and White Bean Stew 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 1 hour ago, katilac said: I've seen a lot of variations on turning white beans into pasta sauce - just puree with stock and seasoning. Some people add cheese and/or cream. You cooked dry beans this way? Like only in the skillet? oh, yikes; no, canned beans. Sorry! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 1 hour ago, Sneezyone said: My stepmom does this with taco meat. Sometimes she uses beans, sometimes potatoes. We add black beans, or refried, or pinto to taco meat, all the time, but with the tomato sauce and all it somehow still comes out not quite as dry/charred/browned. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 2 minutes ago, TheReader said: We add black beans, or refried, or pinto to taco meat, all the time, but with the tomato sauce and all it somehow still comes out not quite as dry/charred/browned. It's never dry b/c she adds a little water to steam it but I've never seen tomato sauce in taco meat. Is it more like enchilada sauce? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 8 minutes ago, Sneezyone said: It's never dry b/c she adds a little water to steam it but I've never seen tomato sauce in taco meat. Is it more like enchilada sauce? hmm, I don't know....I use about 2 pounds of ground beef for our family, add a can or two of black beans, and one can tomato sauce. Then just season with salt, cumin, pepper....just to have the tacos not be totally dry. Sometimes I will use jar salsa instead; just enough to flavor and keep the meat from being dry. Maybe regional differences.....? It's not wet like enchiladas.... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kebo Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 Do you like cauliflower? If so, this is a good way to make a full meal with white beans. I usually leave out the tomatoes. https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/herb-crusted-cauliflower-steaks-with-beans-and-tomatoes 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 (edited) These are meatless and filling. It’s a latke stuffed with a bean/feta filling. The recipe calls for cannellini beans, but any white beans will do. https://www.eatyourbooks.com/library/recipes/2332055/potato-cakes-stuffed-with-bean This is really good too and uses more beans: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1019681-cheesy-white-bean-tomato-bake Edited January 10, 2021 by KungFuPanda 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 I mash cooked white beans with green chiles, sautéed onion and garlic, and some cheese and use them for enchilada filling. Roll up in corn tortillas, cover with sauce and bake. Near the end, top with more cheese! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 15 hours ago, BaseballandHockey said: This was a hit here, although I don't know that it's super healthy, depending on how you define healthy pizza beans I'm not sure if this link will work, but there's a recipe called Lamb and White Bean stew from an old cook book called Desperation Dinners that's a regular part of our household rotation. I'm sure you could sub a different kind of meat if you wanted to. Lamb and White Bean Stew Those both look really good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted January 10, 2021 Author Share Posted January 10, 2021 So many yummy looking recipes! Thank you all so much for these ideas! The burgers were tasty, a little dry except I added sauce of sriracha, mayo, and yogurt. I cut up an avocado alongside as well. We had leftovers for lunch. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditto Posted January 10, 2021 Share Posted January 10, 2021 I am now starving after reading this thread. While I am not the OP I really appreciate all the wonderful new ways to use white beans. Thank you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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