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Frugal potluck choices: Our favorite beans and rice

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Our favorite beans and rice!

I grew up in a home where beans were rarely served (and then, it was either baked beans or my mom's chili).

Joshua grew up eating lots of beans and rice, and when we got married he told me that beans really weren't his favorite... especially not beans and rice.

We've been married 7 years now and I've really expanded my recipe collection when it comes to beans! I've been able to find lots of yummy meals that include beans and satisfy my husband's taste buds! :)

One such recipe from the past year has been the dreaded... beans and rice. The first night I served beans and rice, I didn't even tell Joshua what I had made for dinner! I just served it up. ;) And as I had hoped... my version of beans and rice was acceptable to him! He actually said it was good!! I was so delighted, since the children and I all love it! :)

I don't have a "real" recipe, but here is how I make my beans and rice:

I cook pinto beans following this recipe. We like our beans nice and tender! :) Adding the salt and Tapatio hot sauce called for in that recipe makes for some fabulous tasting beans!

I cook some rice. Our favorite is basmati rice, which I get in bulk at Costco. But any rice will work! For some extra color in the rice, I sometimes add chives or paprika.

Then I layer the cooked rice, cooked beans, and shredded cheeses. If I'm taking the dish to a potluck, I can easily re-warm this part in the oven.

When serving, I add some sour cream to the top and serve with tortilla chips on the side.

We all love this way of making beans and rice, and I've taken it to our church potlucks many times, since it is affordable and everyone loves it! :)

Our favorite beans and rice!

Here's my price breakdown when making beans and rice for a crowd. And these amounts really will make about 16 servings. :) Prices are from Costco.

2.5 pounds C+F pinto beans      $1.29
Salt and Tapatio hot sauce       $0.05
2.5 cups dry (7.5 cups cooked) Basmati rice      $1.10
4 cups (1 pound) Tillamook shredded cheddar cheese    $2.20
2 cups (16 ounces) Darigold sour cream       $0.90
16 ounces Mission tortilla strips        $1.11

Total cost for 16 servings: $6.65

Reasons we love this beans and rice:

It's easy.
It's affordable.
It's yummy! :)

I don't take this to every potluck though... I still make my cheesy bread for potlucks, and have recently taken homemade pizza (re-warmed in the oven) which was eaten in a flash!! :) I like variety, so it's fun making various things to take. :)

Be sure to visit Jessica's blog for more Frugal Fridays tips and ideas! :)

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Comments

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2009-11-20 09:03.

rice

what is the difference between basmati and white rice?

Submitted by Tammy on Fri, 2009-11-20 13:59.
Tammy's picture

Basmati is a type of

Basmati is a type of long-grain white rice. We like the flavor it has, and it also holds its form/shape well in casseroles and such (rather than getting mushy). It wouldn't make good rice pudding for that reason. :) It just has a different flavor than plain white rice... and after sampling it in various dishes at friends' homes we started using it ourselves. :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2009-11-20 12:19.

Rice

How do you make your rice?

That looks delicious-- I'm not a beans and rice person-- but this tempts me!! :)

Submitted by Tammy on Fri, 2009-11-20 14:02.
Tammy's picture

Making rice

I just follow the directions on the package. :) The rice in the photos is a bit red because I added paprika (along with a few other things... chives... cumin... onion...). But I usually just make plain rice, since the beans have Tapatio hot sauce in them and with cheese, sour cream, etc. it's a very flavorful dish! :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2009-11-20 13:05.

I'll have to try this... my

I'll have to try this... my hubby is not a bean fan (yet)!

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2009-11-20 15:50.

Yum!

Yes, you could use any rice... but I'm sure basmati makes a huge difference. It's a very yummy rice--my favorite kind! This sounds really yummy. And now I feel like Penny is old enough to tolerate me eating beans (she's 5 months now), so I think I'll try this next week. Thanks for the inspiration, Tammy! :D

Nicole

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 2009-11-20 20:31.

Bastmati Rice

I can tell you a really good way to make it
Let it soak in water, rinse it out, this is to remove some of the starch.
Boil for a few minutes then drain (the longer it soaks the less boiling time required)
add a small amount of butter or oil to the bottom
pour the rice in, add butter and oil
take a knife and kind of make 3 holes in the rice
cover the lid of your pot with a towel (I use a rubbermand to hold it there on top)
let it steam on very low (Honestly if I'm busy sometimes I just turn it off, it depends lol)
the towel will absorb the water and it will come out great

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2009-11-21 09:29.

Mission tortilla chips?

Where do you find Mission tortilla chips for $1.11 for 16 ounces?

Submitted by Tammy on Sun, 2009-11-22 19:36.
Tammy's picture

I get the Mission tortilla

I get the Mission tortilla chips in a 3-pound bag at Costco. I haven't priced them elsewhere recently, but I'm guessing it's a good price for that brand... and we love the Mission strips (easier to eat!). :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Sat, 2009-11-21 10:42.

I love beans

I love beens I but them in my salad all the time. I'm not a huge meat eater so they take the place just fine.

Submitted by Anonymous on Sun, 2009-11-22 09:23.

Thank you!

Thank you, Tammy! My husband grew up in a Puerto Rican family and rice and beans was a constant side dish to dinner, sometimes the main meal, too. I've cooked up pinto (and black) beans in bulk in the past, mashed them a little, and then put them in freezer containers for all kinds of Hispanic style dinners, it is SO much cheaper than buying a can of refried beans at the store. This is another great recipe to use with beans!

He also thinks your simple bean taco recipe is very authentic! His grandmother fries the tortillas with the beans and cheese already inside... Place desired contents on tortilla (but not lettuce or veggies) and then fold tortilla in half. "Pin" the edge shut with wooden toothpicks, then lightly crisp in oil on each side (cast iron works best!). Remove and serve with sour cream, lettuce... She always adds a squirt of lime juice to the meat/beans of each taco.

Submitted by Tammy on Sun, 2009-11-22 19:38.
Tammy's picture

Beans in Puerto Rico

Thanks for adding such interesting info about beans in Puerto Rico! :) I imagine the bean tacos are even better when stuffed with beans and cheese before frying... so the cheese is nice and melty! :)

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 2010-01-13 08:39.

2 bean questions

I've soaked my black beans overnight and am ready to cook them in the crockpot during the day. Do you typically add the salt at the end? About how much salt do you use for a crockpot full?

Also, do you ever use cheddar cheese on your tortillas? We don't have mozzarella. Thanks!

Submitted by Tammy on Wed, 2010-01-13 15:34.
Tammy's picture

Salt and cheese on beans

I add salt at the end, to taste. I usually drain my beans (in a strainer in the sink) after cooking, and then add a couple cups of fresh water into the pot (to facilitate stirring) and stir in the salt at that point. :) I've never done beans in the crock pot! :)

We like cheddar with our beans, as well. It's a fattier cheese (than say, mozzarella) so I would use slightly less -- but very tasty! :)

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