Food | Frugal Living | Frugal Tips | Recipes
Feelin’ Frugal: Black Beans & Rice
It is no secret that eating a meatless meal occasionally will save you money on your grocery budget. Here is my family’s favorite version of black beans and rice.
Black Beans & Rice
- 1 can whole black beans
- 1/2 green pepper, chopped
- 1/2 red pepper, chopped
- onion to taste, chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 dashes of thyme
- garlic to taste, fresh or powder
- 1 dash black pepper
Directions:
Drain the liquid from your can of beans into a sauce pan. Add the chopped veggies and seasonings. Stir well to combine. Simmer on the stove until the vegetables are soft.
Add the beans, stir and simmer until warm. Serve over rice with cheese and sour cream or in a tortilla.
Tip:
You can also add 1/2 of a chopped tomato, but since I hate tomatoes I always leave them out.
A big thank you to my friend, Roxy, for teaching me how to make this when we were college roommates!
What is your favorite meatless meal?
Meatless meals….people cook like that??
🙂
Aw, come on Lisa! Doesn’t that picture look tempting to you?? 😉
If I liked beans…..maybe. I could always replace the beans with some form of meat… We get a good chunk of meat from my aunt-homegrown and cheaper. That is frugal and green, right??
I just graduated to eating peppers so I feel that I have grown sufficiently for now.
Black beans are a healthy item. I add to a dish as often as once a week.
Fantastic! I mostly add black beans to taco meat. What other dishes do you put them in?
Love beans! You can make this even cheaper though if you buy dried beans… I cook up a pound or two in the crockpot and then put 2 cups of beans per container and put them in the freezer. This amount is slightly more than what you get from the can (16 oz. rather than 15), but it is the best way to divide the beans so that you have fairly equal amounts. You get the equivalent of 3 cans of beans per pound this way for a little more than the price of one can of beans. Plus you can control the amount of salt you put into them 😉
We try to do at least one meatless recipe each week. This week we had pinto beans and rice. I also usually make a lot of our pasta dishes without meat and no one seems to even realize they are meatless 😉
Good point about the dried beans, Pam! I’ve only does this once, but I need to start making it a regular habit.
i’m still figuring out the dried beans too! sometimes i get it just right but then the next time is a flop!
our favorite meatless meal is actually one we haven’t had in a while but i need to get it back out again. it’s so simple. rice with broccoli, slivered almonds, chopped tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese on top. just seasoned with salt and pepper. so simple but so delicious!
Stacey, that does sound really good! I wish my husband liked cooked broccoli. 🙁
Making beans in the crock pot is the way to go! When it’s hot where I live we plug in the crock pot out in the garage since it takes all day to cook beans. Mine have always turned out well. Another way to cut back on meat is to learn how to prepare tofu. Marinated and baked tofu is fabulous! My meat eaters were fighting over a batch I made thinking it was steak! When I make tofu or beans and rice my kids literally cheer! I think it’s all in the way the dish is prepared. As a vegan myself, I appreciate your simple, meatless dishes.
I haven’t had tofu since college! Thanks for the tip.