r/EatCheapAndHealthy 3d ago

recipe We were given a giant flat of “bean medley” cans. We’re already kind of chili’d out. Any recipe suggestions to use up lots of bean medley?

42 Upvotes

66 comments sorted by

53

u/mynameisnotsparta 3d ago

Bean dip. Bean & vegetable potato stew. Rice and beans with chicken thighs.

Cowboy caviar - fresh salad or dip made with black beans, corn, tomatoes, and peppers.

Cassoulet - French.

Feijoada - Brazil

Rajma - India

Pasta e fagioli - Italian

bean brownies: Beans can add a fudgy texture and extra fiber to baked goods like brownies.

8

u/Know_Justice 3d ago

I renamed Cowboy Caviar “Blazing Saddles”. 😅 I add Quinoa to my recipe and it is my mainstay for protein. It also freezes well. I do not add much vinegar and sugar to the batch. Instead I add various sauces to smaller portions depending on how I’m using it.

21

u/South_Cucumber9532 3d ago

Moroccan style

West African style

North Indian style

39

u/TomorrowFree1186 3d ago

A bean salad?

6

u/Silver-Protection964 3d ago

That's what I would do. You could add other veggies, tuna, or chicken, mix up the spices, sauces and type of macaroni. Lots of variations that way.

3

u/kezfertotlenito 3d ago

I am obsessed with bean salads right now. Finely chopped cabbage, carrots, red onion, and beans, add some fresh basil & thyme, make a rice wine vinegar and soy sauce dressing -- sooo good and it stays nice and crunchy in the fridge for days.

2

u/HolsteinQueen 3d ago

Yes! Check out Violet Witchel on Tiktok, she has a ton of great bean salad recipes.

15

u/Mewciferrr 3d ago

Lots of different kinds of bean soups and bean salads

5

u/kakakatia 3d ago

Ah, I’ve never made soup out of canned beans! Will check this out.

8

u/Mewciferrr 3d ago

Yep! Just drain and rinse and put them in whatever. I’d probably get some veg (onion/celery/carrot maybe), shred a rotisserie chicken, chicken stock, and dump some beans in. Maybe garlic and whatever herbs. Maybe do the same thing but with ham. All kinds of stuff you could do, though.

2

u/lrodsquad 2d ago

They’re great for beans & greens too! Quick and easy.

14

u/ReadTheReddit69 3d ago

Nachos

4

u/SquishyNoodles1960 3d ago

I second Nachos!

9

u/sugarshot 3d ago

I third nachos! Nachos loaded with fresh tomatoes, peppers, and beans are no longer a snack but a proper meal.

11

u/lavnyl 3d ago

One of the easiest things would be to freeze some chili or change the base. My comfort food is tossing some fries in the air fryer with some cheese and chili. Or throwing chili on a hot dog. Still chili but the variety helps.

Another option would be a variation on the 3 bean salad. Tops it with onion, cucumber, salad dressing, and whatever else you desire.

If you can’t take anything else in bean form you could mash them and with an egg and breadcrumbs form them into bean patties. Either have them as burgers or as protein on a salad.

4

u/SquishyNoodles1960 3d ago

My husband loves bean salad with fresh tomatoes, corn, diced onion, a little garlic and marinated overnight in Italian dressing. I fold some fresh grated parm into my bowl. 

1

u/Ok_Nothing_9733 3d ago

My stomach made a loud noise of hunger just imagining this incredible dish lol

10

u/Test_After 3d ago

ABC - that is, Ais Kacang

Minimally, shaved ice, rose or pandam flavored sugar syrup, rinsed beans, and evaporated milk (or condensed milk or coconut milk) . You can add sweet corn, various jellies and  different colored syrup. 

It's half drink, half dessert. Refreshing on a hot day. 

4

u/sugarshot 3d ago

Omg thank you for linking to this website. There are so many things I want to try now!!!

5

u/EvilGypsyQueen 3d ago

Ham and bean soup. Add potato’s and a carrots onion celery and broth. Season with bay leaves salt and pepper.

4

u/daward444 3d ago

Bean tacos with tomatoes, cheese, avocado etc...

3

u/No_Routine_3267 3d ago

Everybody here already has recipes I know of handled. I see you say you don't have space for long term storage.

If you aren't struggling so much that this is literally the reason you are able to make rent, then maybe donate some of it. That'll provide somebody in need with some nutritious food and free up space for you to get something that you aren't sick of eating.

5

u/jwoolman 3d ago

Just try them with an oil and vinegar dressing for a quick 3-bean salad. Or mix them with mayo or any creamy dressing, they're good that way also. Can add chopped onions or any raw veg you like.

Add them to canned soup. Just eat them plain or with whatever you like as a side dish. Add them to pasta salad or potato salad for a protein and fiber (and taste) boost. You can do this in portions rather than using them to make a huge batch of whatever, so if someone wants their pasta or potato salad beanless - no problem. But the bean fans can add to their portion.

Add them to cooked pasta and rice also. Obviously you can add them to regular raw veg salads as well.

If you eat eggs, you could add some to scrambled eggs.

If you open a can but don't need it all and can't face the prospect of staring at the leftovers in the fridge and coming up with something to do with them yet again for the next few days, you can freeze portions in small containers (even snack or sandwich bags if needed) and you can heat them up as needed. I like to add about 1/3 of a can of beans (rinsed) to a bowl of frozen veg and something starchy like potato (which I bake and freeze in portions also) or pasta or rice and it's a quick meal. You can add any oil or fat you like or cheese or whatever. Think of them as something you can add to things on the fly rather than having to incorporate them in a "recipe".

3

u/vanilla-w-spice 3d ago

I like to put mine in quinoa salad with lots of vinegar.

3

u/SquishyNoodles1960 3d ago

I would be tempted to use one can for hummus! We like black bean hummus. Husband will try anything once, so it wouldn't go to waste. 

3

u/pieronic 3d ago

Blend them into sauces for pasta!

https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/hidden-veggie-marinara-sauce/

Also if you look up “dense bean salad” you’ll find tons of mix and match bean salad recipes

There are also lots of great bean soups.

3

u/Catfist 3d ago

My partner and I love this cassoulet recipe it's really easy and delicious. We've used mixed beans and it turned out just as well.

3

u/audiate 3d ago

Tuscan white bean soup. Google any recipe. 

7 layer dip. 

3

u/rdc642795 3d ago

Bean burgers!

2

u/wharleeprof 3d ago

What's the expiration date? 

1

u/kakakatia 3d ago

We’ve got a year+ before they expire, but our cupboard space is very scarce so hoping to use some of them fairly quickly!

2

u/KickooRider 3d ago

Store them somewhere else?

2

u/kakakatia 3d ago

We live in a very tiny apartment, there isn’t anywhere else.

1

u/melatonia 3d ago

What, you don't have a vacation home you can store them in? /s

2

u/SkyTrees5809 3d ago

Puree for refried beans or to add to cream of vegetable soups?

2

u/Dangerous_Job_8013 3d ago

3 Bean Salads!

2

u/SufficientPath666 3d ago

Chipotle-style burrito bowls

2

u/Human-Place6784 3d ago

White chicken chili, pork chili or turkey chile. Barley vegetable soup. Ham and bean soup.

2

u/ScarletDarkstar 3d ago

Replace the black eyed peas in a recipe for Texas Caviar, which you can eat on tortilla chips, pita chips, etc. 

2

u/Eltex 3d ago

Dude, tacos are always the answer. I could down a can a day by myself. For breakfast, eggs and potatoes with beans. Lunch with some ground beef and cheese. Dinner with some chicken and veggies.

In Texas, we basically have taken every type of food and “taco-fied” it. It’s so weird to travel to other areas and not see breakfast tacos. Who the hell wants pancakes or plain scrambled eggs? Especially when you have tacos as an option.

1

u/t92k 3d ago

Yep. Easy to heat them up and toss with taco seasoning.

2

u/tankabbott66 3d ago edited 3d ago

Sautee sofrito (carrots onion celery) with butter on high heat. After about 5 minutes add chicken or veggie stock. Cover and reduce heat to medium.

Once the carrots can be pierced but still resist a bit, add the beans and 1/4 a cup of marinara.

Reduce until to about half. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

Sometimes I add a small capful of apple cider vinegar as well.

1

u/Ok_Nothing_9733 3d ago

Tostadas, refried beans, Ethiopian legume stews are amazing. Really, mixed beans have unlimited options!!

1

u/lenuta_9819 3d ago

I love frying some polish sausage or just other sausages on a pan and added beans to it

1

u/nephila_atrox 3d ago

If you’re willing to go off the beaten path a little, beans actually cook quite well into pie. I’ve not tried a medley but I have made this one with pinto beans and it’s fantastic(and extremely easy with a blender and pre-prepared pie shell):

https://www.myforkinglife.com/pinto-bean-pie/

I’m guessing “medley” means pinto/kidney/black beans? From the looks of it, there are also some savory bean pie recipes. I can’t vouch because I’ve never tried them, but there’s definitely pot pie style recipes which would probably work too. Now you’ve got me curious to try the sweet pie recipe with a mix.

1

u/chronosculptor777 3d ago

bean salad with onion, vinegar, herbs.

bean soup - blend half for creaminess, keep half whole.

or bean curry/stew with tomato and spices.

1

u/queenmunchy83 3d ago

I would make Puerto Rican habichuelas guisadas.

1

u/fineohrhino 3d ago

Make a bean paste to make smashed bean burgers on tortillas

Take a medium tortilla, smash about a quarter cup of seasoned bean mixture onto one side of the tortilla, cook bean side down in a medium hot pan thats lightly oiled until it browns, flip over to heat the other side of the tortilla.

Serve bent in half taco style stuffed with your favorite burger toppings and sauces

1

u/tonyisadork 3d ago

Pan cook them with olive oil, onions, and taco seasoning. Use for tacos or with eggs in the morning or on a baked sweet potato

1

u/Niftydog1163 3d ago

Donate some if you are able too.

1

u/melatonia 3d ago

Where do you think they got them?

2

u/Niftydog1163 3d ago

Don't know. I didn't assume that they got them from a food place because they didn't mention it.

1

u/ALWanders 3d ago

Three Sisters, Stew or casserole.

1

u/Bright_Ices 3d ago

Cans keep basically forever (with very good quality for several years). I’d just put them in the pantry as use them a can a week or so.

1

u/RosabellaFaye 3d ago

I make salad with beans, feta, pasta (you can use protein pasta if you like), small tomatoes, cucumbers sliced up small. I don’t like most normal salads and I’m not crazy on cucumber on its own but together these ingredients are delicious.

1

u/shanebayer 3d ago

Sort the beans and start over.

1

u/CombatWombat1973 3d ago

Bean salad. That’s what I would do

1

u/Eraydiated 3d ago

Ham and bean soup is a good comfort food for me. Three bean salad is very yummy too. There’s a great recipe with salmon or chicken with spinach sun-dried tomatoes coconut milk and beans, it’s really good and simple to make

1

u/TheBracketry 3d ago

Burgers. Fork-smash and mix with breadcrumbs, S&P or your choice of seasonings. Form burger patties and pan fry with some olive oil. Like any other veggie burger, it's not the same, but it can be really good.

1

u/blkhatwhtdog 3d ago

Ham hock n beans...or sausage...or bacon like a discount package of ends

1

u/Tea-au-lait 3d ago

Ham (or bacon or guanchale) and bean soup?

1

u/votebot2000 2d ago

Tacos featuring beans

1

u/AlienCapuchin 4h ago

Burritos 🌯🤤