I can think of few things that get dinner on the table faster than a pot of beans in the fridge.
Take 5 minutes to toss some dried beans into the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, or saucepan and then use them all week long to make quick, delicious meals that are inexpensive and nutritious.
The continuous kitchen: Use one meal as a jumping off point for the next. A little extra effort now = a lot of delicious options later. A little and a lot.
Here's the basic idea:
- Use one of the recipes below to cook 1 pound of dried beans.
- Choose another recipe to add your cooked beans to. When done cooking, store the beans in some of their cooking liquid in a covered container in the refrigerator then use them to all week long to make these delicious meals
Tip!
How many beans you cook will depend on how many people you are feeding each night, so plan accordingly.
1 pound of dried beans = 6 to 7 cups of cooked beans.
Just because a recipe calls for plain beans doesn't mean you can't add your own twist on the flavors. Have fun with it!
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Cooked Bean Recipes
Start by cooking 1 pound of beans in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop: 1 pound of dried beans = 6 to 7 cups of cooked beans.
Store the cooked beans in the refrigerator and use them to make any of the bean recipes on this page.
Soups with Beans
This creamy soup is spicy, smokey, and savory with hints of sweet and sour. In short, it's the kind of vegan food that can please even the most dedicated meat eater.
The soup comes together in under an hour and will keep well in the refrigerator for days. In fact, it might be even better the next day.
Bowls with Beans
Juicy dark meat chicken and rice simmered with bacon, onions, garlic and peppers, and mixed together with black beans, peas, and cilantro. This is a simple, homey one-pot meal that's packed with the flavors of the Caribbean.
Sandwiches & Wraps with Beans
We eat these crispy, cheesy quesadillas at least once a week and often more than that. They are super quick and easy to prepare (each quesadilla takes about 5 minutes to make) and so freaking good I can't imagine we'll ever grow tired of them.
More Dishes with Beans
Flour tortillas filled with black beans, green chilies, and cheese, and smothered in a creamy tomatillo sauce and more cheese. This is one of those go-to recipes I come back to over and over again. Pans of these bad boys can be assembled in advance and then baked right before serving.
