12 mashed bean recipes

While growing up, my Polish-Russian grandmother, who lived with our family, made these little meat patties quite often and they were a family favorite. Here is my rendition, from what I remember when cooking with Grandma, as she never wrote the recipe down. The patties were always served with mashed potatoes, green beans, applesauce, and, of course, plenty of ketchup for the patties.

Classic 7-layer Mexican dip with jalapeño bean dip, guacamole, seasoned sour cream, and cheddar. A no-cook party appetizer ready in 15 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Chili bean soup made from scratch with dried pink beans, stewed tomatoes, and chili seasoning. Half the beans get mashed for body, the rest set aside for a second meal.

No-cook layered Tex-Mex dip with mashed black beans, fresh avocado, spiced sour cream, cheddar, tomatoes, and olives. A crowd-pleasing party appetizer.

White Michigan bean soup is a three-ingredient classic: white navy-style beans simmered slowly with a smoked ham hock, then partly mashed to thicken. Old-school, no-fuss comfort.

Beans for burritos slow-cooks pink beans with onion, garlic, and chili powder in the crockpot, then mashes with green chiles and salsa for the perfect refried-style burrito filling.

Slow-simmered Mexican pinto beans cooked with salt pork, onion, garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. A four-hour, from-scratch bean pot that gets thick and rich without any mashing.

A vegetable-packed white lasagna layered with a creamy pesto sauce, mashed white beans, mushrooms, peppers, eggplant, and spinach-ricotta. No tomato in sight, finished with a parmesan-breadcrumb crust.

Homemade refried beans mashed to a creamy, lard-kissed puree with queso fresco crumbles and crispy tortilla chips. A 35-minute Mexican side dish that puts the canned stuff to shame.

Frijoles de la olla are Mexican pot beans cooked from dried pintos with just water and salt. Partially mashed for a thick, creamy sauce and served with warm flour tortillas and salsa.

Bean lovers will truly think this savory and hearty soup has a little bit of heaven in it.

Lime-bright black bean and corn relish with cilantro, red bell pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce. Five-minute no-cook condiment that pairs with grilled fish, tacos, or chicken.