Dried beans: budget-friendly and delicious (part 3)

Today is the last installment of our 3-part series on a favorite ingredient here at $2 Dinners: budget-friendly dried beans. As with the previous two articles, my hope is to inspire you to add these nutritious little bargains to the menu at your house by showing you how easy they are to cook, and then by giving you a recipe that shows you how you can use them in a flavorful and budget-friendly way.


This week’s first recipe shows you a simple and flavorful way to cook dried Great Northern beans, and then in the second recipe, we’ll use them to make Italian Sausage with Beans and Tomato, an Italian-inspired dish that your family will ask for again and again. This hearty, one-pot meal takes almost prep time because the beans were cooked in advance, and the 30-minute simmer time leaves you free to pack lunches, help with homework, or sit and relax while dinner practically cooks itself!

Click on the orange boxes for a printable version of the recipes

Easy Great Northern Beans (makes 6 servings @ about 48 cents per serving)



Italian Sausage with Beans and Tomato (serves 4 to 6 @ about $1.47 per serving)

Dried beans are budget-friendly and delicious, too (part 2)

Today we continue our 3-part series on a favorite ingredient here at $2 Dinners: budget-friendly dried beans. One of the best food bargains around, beans not only pack a healthy punch, they’re also easy to prepare. This week’s first recipe shows you a simple and flavorful way to cook dried kidney beans, and then in the second recipe, we’ll use those perfectly-prepared beans to make Red Beans and Rice, a comfort food favorite from New Orleans. This hearty, savory, and filling recipe is perfect for a frosty January day!

Click on the orange boxes for printable versions of the recipes

Easy Red Beans (makes 6 servings @ about 79 cents per serving)



Red Beans and Rice (makes 6 servings @ about $1.89 per serving)