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  1. Midwest Living
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  3. Great Ways to Use Canned or Dry Beans

Great Ways to Use Canned or Dry Beans

By Midwest Living editors Updated November 26, 2022
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Tomatoey Parmesan Beans
Credit: Chantell and Brett Quernemen

You probably have a stash of canned or dry beans in your pantry—now what? Our recipes show you how to use those as the base for delicious soups, skillet dishes, salads, burrito bowls and more.

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Tomatoey Parmesan Beans

<p>This sleeper hit of a weeknight dinner comes from Food Network star Molly Yeh's cookbook Home is Where the Eggs Are—and is basically a vehicle for Parmesan and garlic toast. No complaints!</p> <p>Related: Molly Yeh Chats About Her New Cookbook, Restaurant and Why You Should Visit East Grand Forks</p>
Credit: Chantell and Brett Quernemen
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This sleeper hit of a weeknight dinner comes from Food Network star Molly Yeh's cookbook Home is Where the Eggs Are—and is basically a vehicle for Parmesan and garlic toast. No complaints!

Related: Molly Yeh Chats About Her New Cookbook, Restaurant and Why You Should Visit East Grand Forks

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Oaxacan Bean Salad

Oaxacan Bean Salad
Credit: Carson Downing
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Chef Sarah Russo of Chicago-based Salad Club uses roasted plantain to add a delicious and unexpected starchy sweetness to this salad. Be sure to choose a ripe one—more black than yellow, but not totally black.

Related: Sumptuous Salads

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Sweet Potato with Moroccan Chickpeas

Sweet Potato with Moroccan Chickpeas
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

Like chili on a baked potato—except so much more alluring, with caramelized roasted sweet potato and spiced chickpeas. Tie it all together with lemon-tahini dressing, fresh mint and dreams of far-off places.

Related: Top Vegetarian Recipes

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Smoky Beef, Black Bean and Corn Chili

Smoky Beef, Black Bean and Corn Chili
Credit: Blaine Moats
View Recipe this link opens in a new tab

This hands-off, slow-cooker recipe has just a pound of ground beef and a can of stock. All the rest of the heft and taste comes from black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, smoked paprika, chipotle peppers and corn tortillas.

Related: Hearty Slow-Cooker Soups, Stews and Chilies

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Roasted Butternut Burrito Bowls

Roasted Butternut Burrito Bowls
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You can have this deliciously nutritious Mexican-inspired meal on the table in under an hour—or even less if you cheat and use precooked brown rice!

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Calico Chowder

Calico Chowder
Credit: Blaine Moats
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If you have partial bags of dried beans loitering in the pantry, throw them all in the pot to make this anything-goes fall soup. Perfumed with thyme and sage, it's creamy, homey and gratifyingly resourceful.

Related: Simmering Soups and Stews

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Shortcut Cassoulet

Shortcut Cassoulet
Credit: Blaine Moats
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This classic country French dish is a meat-lovers' fantasy that's heavy on the beans—because why not use all the proteins? Add a blanket of crispy breadcrumbs and serve with both red wine and an elastic waistband.

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Red Lentil Dal with Zucchini

Red Lentil Dal with Zucchini
Credit: Blaine Moats
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A staple on the Indian subcontinent, dal spans a whole category of bean dishes. It sometimes has a loose texture, but this version—thick like a stew and bolstered with zucchini—satisfies as a meat-free meal.

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Beans on Toast with Fried Egg

Beans on Toast with Fried Egg
Credit: Blaine Moats
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Inspired by British pub fare, this breakfast-for-dinner (or brunch!) dish tops buttered toast with bacony stovetop baked beans, tomatoes and a fried egg.

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Halibut with Garlicky Beans

Halibut with Garlicky Beans
Credit: Blaine Moats
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For deep garlic flavor without turning on the oven to roast, this recipe uses a technique called confit, which translates as simmering slowly in fat or oil. Result: evenly soft, mellow cloves and a bonus gift of flavorful olive oil you can elsewhere.

Related: Fish Recipes for Dinner Tonight

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Chili-Ginger Mung Bean Soup

Chili-Ginger Mung Bean Soup
Credit: Blaine Moats
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Mung beans are petite beans with a toothsome texture and earthy flavor. They're sold dry and simmer right in the broth of this deliciously sinus-clearing soup.

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Chipotle Black Bean Chili

Chipotle Black-Bean Chili
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We used ground beef, jarred salsa, beans, and potatoes to make this soup extra satisfying. Omit the meat to create a hearty vegetarian dish.

Related: Best Chili Recipes

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Bean-Mushroom Sloppy Joes

Bean-Mushroom-Sloppy-Jos-RU237844.jpg
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Canned beans supply fill-you-up protein at a fraction of the cost, fat and calories of ground beef or turkey. In our sloppy joes, we dress navy beans in mustardy tomato sauce that has all the familiar flavor of the meaty original.

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Winter Bean Salad with Fennel and Clementines

Winter Bean Salad with Fennel and Clementines
Credit: Blaine Moats
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Turn a humble can of beans into this impressive salad. It's already a main dish, but you can make it heartier by adding seared salmon or sizzled shrimp.

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Simple Salsa Skillet

Simple Salsa Skillet
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Pantry ingredients like black beans, corn, and salsa go together quickly with potatoes, sweet peppers and chicken for a simple, satisfying meal.

Related: Fast-Fix Weeknight Recipes

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Greens, Beans and Ham

Greens, Beans & Ham
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This 5-ingredient recipe combines makes Great Northern beans the base for a very simple main dish or side. Substitute another protein for the ham or a different green for the spinach if you've got other ingredients around the house.

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Red Bean, Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew

Rice and Red Bean Salad
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Vitamin-rich sweet potatoes and creamy peanut butter complement spicy Cajun seasoning in this easy chicken slow-cooker stew.

Related: Slow-Cooker Main Dish Chicken Recipes

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Tuscan Bean Soup

Tuscan Bean Soup
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Flecked with a grab bag of hearty vegetables, this healthy soup hums with garlic and crushed red pepper. The recipe comes from La Soupe, a nonprofit cafe in Cincinnati.

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Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Lentils

dish and plate of Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Lentils
Credit: Brie Passano
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This recipe comes from chef Abra Berens' book Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables. Don't be alarmed by cooking beans this long. Make it vegetarian by using vegetable broth and skipping the Parmesan.

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Lentil and Rice Summer Salad

Lentil and Rice Summer Salad
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Try this topped with a salmon fillet or, for a vegetarian entree, served over spinach or other salad greens. (A word of warning: Don't substitute a different rice. Arborio, the type used in risotto, definitely works best.) The recipe comes from the blog A Couple Cooks.

Related: Summer Salad Recipes

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Roasted Kale, Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries

Roasted Kale, Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries
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Our hearty salad tastes equally good warm from the pan, cold from the fridge or even at room temperature, so it's perfect for make-ahead meals and leftover lunches. Other grains, such as barley, faro or wild rice, also work well in this salad.

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Bean and Sweet Potato Patties with Lime-Jalapeno Cream

Bean and Sweet Potato Patties
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Because canned beans can be mushy, pair them with crunchy ingredients. Our sweet potato, quinoa and pinto bean patties had plenty of smoky, garlicky flavor. But when we added walnuts and served them over crisp romaine, they soared.

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Chicken With Black Beans and Rice

Chicken with Black Beans and Rice
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Add some kick to this chicken dish by stirring in a few dashes of Louisiana hot sauce.

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Skillet White Beans

Skillet White Beans
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Eating gluten-free? Gluten can sneak into a lot of baked bean recipes, but not this one. Maple syrup adds a sweet finish. (While beans are naturally gluten-free, other ingredients can be introduced in canning, so be sure to purchase only canned beans clearly labeled gluten-free.)

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Mediterranean Lentil Skillet With Pita Chips

Mediterranean Lentil Skillet With Pita Chips
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This healthy, veggie-based dinner draws on the flavors of carrots, celery, lentils, kale and tomatoes, with crunch in the form of chopped walnuts and pita chips.

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Chili-Pasta Skillet

Chili-Pasta Skillet
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No need to boil hot water in a separate pot! The macaroni cooks along with the rest of the dish, including canned beans, so you'll have this meal on the table in 25 minutes.

Related: Simple Skillet Suppers

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Chickpea Sandwich Filling

Chickpea Sandwich Filling
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This nifty mayo-dressed salad uses healthy and budget-friendly chickpeas instead of the traditional tuna, hard-cooked eggs or chicken. Try it in a sandwich or wrap or over a bed of greens.

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Chili Bean Stuffed Peppers

Chili Bean Stuffed Peppers
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Beans, tomato, onion: it's a hearty vegetarian chili stuffed inside a bell pepper. If you're looking for extra kick, try topping with pepper jack instead of mozzarella.

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Dilly Chickpea and Radish Salad

Dilly Chickpea and Radish Salad
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Think of this as a welcome update on three-bean salad, with radishes and celery adding color and crunch to wholesome garbanzo beans. 

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    1 of 29 Tomatoey Parmesan Beans
    2 of 29 Oaxacan Bean Salad
    3 of 29 Sweet Potato with Moroccan Chickpeas
    4 of 29 Smoky Beef, Black Bean and Corn Chili
    5 of 29 Roasted Butternut Burrito Bowls
    6 of 29 Calico Chowder
    7 of 29 Shortcut Cassoulet
    8 of 29 Red Lentil Dal with Zucchini
    9 of 29 Beans on Toast with Fried Egg
    10 of 29 Halibut with Garlicky Beans
    11 of 29 Chili-Ginger Mung Bean Soup
    12 of 29 Chipotle Black Bean Chili
    13 of 29 Bean-Mushroom Sloppy Joes
    14 of 29 Winter Bean Salad with Fennel and Clementines
    15 of 29 Simple Salsa Skillet
    16 of 29 Greens, Beans and Ham
    17 of 29 Red Bean, Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew
    18 of 29 Tuscan Bean Soup
    19 of 29 Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes and Lentils
    20 of 29 Lentil and Rice Summer Salad
    21 of 29 Roasted Kale, Tomato and Chickpea Salad with Wheat Berries
    22 of 29 Bean and Sweet Potato Patties with Lime-Jalapeno Cream
    23 of 29 Chicken With Black Beans and Rice
    24 of 29 Skillet White Beans
    25 of 29 Mediterranean Lentil Skillet With Pita Chips
    26 of 29 Chili-Pasta Skillet
    27 of 29 Chickpea Sandwich Filling
    28 of 29 Chili Bean Stuffed Peppers
    29 of 29 Dilly Chickpea and Radish Salad

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