Amazing Recipes To Make With A Can Of Beans

Beans can often get a bad rap as a lowly and thus easily overlooked food. But these humble morsels have a lot going for them. First and foremost is the diversity. There are hundreds of different types of beans in the world, each with its own unique flavor, meaning there's a bean for every kind of dish you can think of cooking up. But that's just the start. Beans are incredibly healthy, containing ample amounts of fiber, protein, and other nutrients and minerals. They've also been shown help control body weight and boost heart health. 

Now that we've sung beans' praises, how do we get more of them in our diet? We all have cans of beans that have been sitting on our pantry shelf for months — or years — gathering dust. It's easy to consider them an afterthought ingredient at that point and not the most exciting food to center a dish around. But a simple can of beans provides unmatched flavor, texture, and heartiness that can elevate any dish to the next level. And we have a list of just those dishes for you. From chili two ways to a couple of unique Mexican meals, these are a few amazing recipes to make with a can of beans.

If you're a taco fan — and who isn't? — looking for a slight change of pace but the same delicious flavor, we present this recipe for taco casserole, which is essentially a taco-flavored lasagna. The dish includes a can of black beans plus many of the ingredients you're familiar with, like ground beef, corn tortillas, onion, salsa, and shredded Mexican cheese. 

After your ingredients are prepped, begin assembling the casserole by placing four corn tortillas on the bottom of the casserole dish. Top that with half of the beef mixture and black beans, as well as some cheese and black olives. Repeat another layer, then finish with more tortillas and remaining cheese and olives. Once assembled, bake the casserole for 20 minutes, add any toppings you heart desires, and get it while it's hot!

We all know and love the English delicacy known as shepherd's pie, an unbeatable combination of ground beef, vegetables, gravy, and mashed potatoes. Or should we say nearly unbeatable? This Mexican shepherd's pie takes the traditional dish and incorporates some south-of-the-border flavor to create a delicious, unique dish you didn't know you needed.

The Mexican ingredients in this shepherd's include black beans, red bell pepper, pepper jack cheese, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. One component that's the same, however, is the mashed potatoes, which is where you'll start when making this dish. To make the filling, start by cooking the vegetables – onion, peppers, zucchini, corn, and beans — then add cooked ground beef. The flavorful sauce is a combination of flour, butter, chicken broth, and chipotle peppers. The vegetable mixture gets added to the sauce and then spread out across a casserole dish. Top with your mashed potatoes and cheese, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, and your Mexican shepherd's pie is complete!

When you think of dishes you can make with a can of beans, chili is probably your first thought, and with good reason. You can feed the masses with a pot of chili made entirely from ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. The stars of this 3-bean chili are, of course, the beans: kidney, black, and pinto. As for the other components, the recipe calls for garlic, onion, salsa, tomato sauce, chili seasoning, and olive oil. One of the many great things about this recipe is how easy it is to customize. Feel free to adjust the spiciness by using mild spices and salsa, or go the opposite direction with some cayenne pepper. Don't like garlic? Skip it.

Making this 3-bean chili couldn't be easier — everything goes in the same pot to cook. Once it's done, ladle the chili into bowls, and add the toppings of your choice! 

Have you ever been in the mood for the savory, spicy flavors of enchiladas but not so much for the heaviness of the classic Mexican dish? If so, meet your new favorite recipe: enchilada soup. The recipe delivers the same great taste of traditional enchiladas but in a bowl instead of wrapped in a tortilla. It's also an extremely versatile dish. The spiciness of the soup can be amped up or dialed down, the chicken can be removed to make it vegetarian, and it holds up well as a side dish or a meal on its own.

Another appetizing feature of this enchilada soup recipe is its simplicity. Add all the ingredients, including a can of black beans, to a pot and bring to a boil, then let simmer for ten minutes. You can have the meal prepped, cooked, and on the table in just 20 minutes!