Budget Bean Recipes

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When I was growing up, budget bean recipes comprised most of our main meals. We lived out in the country and walked to the store when we needed food that was not stored in the big cellar in canned jars.

Beans are a fiber-rich, protein-rich meal that helps feed the family on a budget.

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These days, I keep canned beans in the pantry for quick meals. Back then, my grandma canned beans in Mason jars and kept them in the cellar.

One of my favorite fast meals is bean and cheese enchiladas made with soft flour tortillas and canned beans.

Budget Bean Recipes:

These budget-friendly bean recipes provide protein, fill you up, and stay within your budget.

Black Bean Burrito Bowls:

This black bean recipe is so simple to make. It calls for canned black beans, yellow rice, corn, and salad greens.

Add onion, pico de gallo, tomatoes, sour cream, grated cheese, and your preferred flavorings.

The best thing about burrito bowls is the wide variety of foods you can add. They are delicious, quick, easy to make, and nutritious.

You can make this meal ahead of time by keeping the greens and cold toppings separate from the other ingredients.

Cook the rice, then assemble your meal with your desired toppings.

This bean recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad:

This chickpea salad recipe uses garbanzo beans as the protein source and includes herbs and a garlicky lemon dressing. Add red bell pepper, celery, and red onion. Top with greens for an even healthier dish.

This legume, also known as garbanzo beans, is high in protein and makes an excellent meat replacement in vegetarian and vegan dishes.

Taco Soup With Beans:

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 bean recipe calls for pinto and black beans. But I usually use a wider variety of canned beans in my taco soup.

You can also add canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, if desired. Add frozen or canned corn and peppers, along with onion and garlic powder.

I like adding an envelope of dry ranch dressing mix for extra flavor, along with a bit of taco seasoning. This is my taco soup recipe.

Taco soup is excellent and served with cornbread or tortilla chips. You can also add sour cream, cheese, and/or avocado. I like to freeze quart baggies of taco soup for a quick, filling meal.

Baked Cannellini Beans:

Serve this Italian white bean recipe as a main dish or a side. Its ingredients include canned cannellini beans, onion, garlic, tomatoes, and seasonings.

Top with shredded Parmesan and Fontina cheese.

Mediterranean Chickpea & Orzo Salad:

This Mediterranean chickpea and orzo salad recipe has canned chickpeas, orzo pasta, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, lemon, garlic, and toasted almonds. The fresh parsley and basil.

This recipe is filled with Mediterranean flavor and packed with fiber, nutrients, and green vegetables.

You can eat this bean dish as a light meal or a side dish.

BBQ Pinto Bean Burgers:

This budget barbecue pinto bean burger recipe has everything you’d want in a veggie burger. It is flavor-packed with barbecue sauce, garlic, green onions, and cheese.

This recipe is easy to make and provides a sturdy base for any burger toppings you want.

First, dry the beans on a sheet pan. Then add them to a bowl, mash them, and add the other ingredients.

Add the beaten eggs to the bean mixture. Mix well, form patties, and rest them on waxed paper.

You can cook the bean patty in a skillet or on a griddle with a bit of oil. Alternatively, you can bake your bean burgers on an oiled sheet pan instead of frying.

Black Bean & Veggie Burritos:

This black bean and veggie burrito recipe is stuffed with sautéed peppers and onions, corn, black beans, green chile rice, and creamy guacamole. It is a completely satisfying, filling meal that’s also freezer-friendly.

Olive Garden Minestrone Soup:

This Olive Garden copycat minestrone recipe calls for various vegetables such as onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini cooked in a savory broth.

Then add tomatoes, vegetable broth, pasta, and beans. Simmer and serve.

This budget bean soup recipe would be delicious with cheesy garlic bread or a grilled cheese sandwich on a cold winter night.

Loaded Veggie Nachos With Beans:

This loaded veggie nachos recipe is a quick, easy, and impromptu meal perfect for when guests drop by.

Put the cooked nachos in the middle of the table, hand out plates, and let them chow down! This recipe yields approximately 6 servings.

When I’m stumped for something to eat, I usually go with a budget bean recipe for nachos because I almost always have tortilla chips, a can of beans, and shredded cheese already in the fridge.

This isn’t a fancy meal, but it connects the dots for color, flavor, and protein.

You can use black beans, but they tend to dry out while cooking. I opt for pinto beans because I like the taste better, and they seem easier on my tummy.

Lining the sheet pan with parchment paper makes cleanup easy, too.

Budget Beans Fiber & Protein Content:

Values below are per ½-cup serving of cooked beans (drained):

• Soybeans (Edamame): ~15.7g protein | ~5.1g fiber (or ~10g per cup)
• Black Beans: ~7.6g to 8g protein | ~6g to 8g fiber
• Navy Beans: ~7.5g to 8g protein | ~8g to 10g fiber
• Pinto Beans: ~7.7g to 8g protein | ~8g fiber
• Kidney Beans (Red or White): ~7.7g to 9g protein | ~6g to 8g fiber
• Chickpeas (Garbanzo): ~7.3g protein | ~6g to 6.5g fiber (per cup it is ~14.5g protein and ~12.5g fiber)
• Lentils (Bonus Legume): ~8.9g protein | ~7.8g fiber (per cup it is ~17.9g protein and ~15.6g fiber)

Ways To Decrease Gas When Eating Beans:

Rinse canned beans without the sauce before eating or using them in recipes. (Rinsing also reduces the sodium content of canned beans.)

When you’re eating canned beans, some of the gas-causing carbohydrates have already been broken down, making them easier to digest.

• Eat fruit or sugar foods 2 – 3 hours away from a meal with beans
• Eat only one protein with this meal
• Potatoes can interfere with bean digestion, so it’s best to avoid eating them together.
• Pair a whole grain with beans for a complementary meal.

The best way to reduce the problem is to eat more beans. People who eat beans regularly have the least trouble digesting them. Since beans provide both protein and are budget-friendly, it’s easy to plan meals around them.

Eating more of these sugars in beans promotes the growth of intestinal bacteria. These bacteria create an environment in the colon that lowers cancer risk.

To help release gas, try lying on your left side. This follows the natural flow of gas through the large intestine and may help it be released more easily.

Best Canned Baked Beans:

Baked beans are a staple in Southern cooking. I don’t think I’ve ever sampled a spoonful of baked beans that I didn’t like. Smoky or sweet, I love all kinds of beans.

I love having budget-friendly bean recipes on the menu. Sometimes adding a little of this and a little of that improves the taste of canned baked beans.

Baked beans are a summer favorite for casual dinners, picnics, and potlucks. However, I like to make budget-stretching baked beans year-round.

I probably cook baked beans about once a month and serve them as a side dish with a sandwich.

Budget beans are so versatile. You can dress them up or dress them down, just like choosing an outfit for an event.

My favorite canned beans for baked beans are Bush’s Vegetarian Baked Beans. I don’t care for bacon in canned beans.

After the initial meal, I’ll eat refrigerated cold baked beans for days with whatever is on the menu.

Canned beans will undoubtedly stretch the budget if I use them for the main meal. I always keep canned beans in my pantry.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly meal for your family, look for bean recipes.