Beans and Grain Recipes

Easter nests candy: shredded coconut bound in melted white chocolate and green coating, shaped into little nests, and filled with jelly beans. A four-ingredient no-bake project kids love.

Homemade maple syrup ice cream served in crisp sablé pastry barquettes with a maple custard sauce. A French-style plated dessert made from real vanilla beans and pure maple syrup.

Authentic frijoles refritos made with cooked beans mashed in lard or bacon drippings and topped with melted longhorn cheese. Three ingredients, 15 minutes, real Mexican flavor.

Lima beans smitane tossed with sour cream, diced pimento, chives, and garlic powder. A creamy, Eastern European-inspired side dish made from frozen limas in under 30 minutes.

Turkey chili with dried black beans, a whole browned turkey breast simmered and shredded, and hand-toasted cumin seeds. A from-scratch, slow-simmered chili with deep flavor.

Spicy chili beans made from dried red kidney beans simmered 4 hours with chili powder, cumin, cayenne, tomatoes, and bell pepper. A meatless chili with serious heat and deep bean flavor.

Mushrooms and queen scallops in a silky cream sauce finished with tarragon vinegar and anchovy essence. A refined British appetizer served in scallop shells or a gratin dish.

No-cook black bean salad with diced cucumber, plum tomato, celery, slivered basil, orange zest, and lemon juice. A bright vegan side that gets better as it sits and doubles as a protein-packed lunch.

Baked falafel balls loaded with sesame seeds, fresh parsley, and whole wheat flour for nutty flavor and extra fiber, with way less oil than traditional fried versions.

Old style stacked enchiladas with ground beef, kidney beans, crushed tomatoes, and chili powder layered between fried corn tortillas with raw onion and melted cheese.

Stovetop meatloaf shaped right in the skillet and simmered in spaghetti sauce with kidney beans. No oven needed for this hearty, old-school comfort dinner that feeds six.

Tex-Mex beans with chickpeas and kidney beans simmered in chili-spiced tomato sauce with green chiles. A vegan side or burrito filler ready in 25 minutes from pantry staples.

Mexican dairy dip with cream cheese, refried beans, and chili powder blended smooth. A three-ingredient game-day dip that takes 10 minutes and a springform pan.

Homemade refried pinto beans with chili powder and cumin, cooked in lard for authentic Mexican flavor. Ready in under 10 minutes from cooked beans.

Tex-Mex tostadas with deep-fried flour tortillas piled with pork, Rotel tomatoes, refried beans, shredded cheese, lettuce, avocado, and sour cream. Family-style Southwest dinner.

A great scrumptious side dish that can be served with roasted vegetables or a salad!