The Pantry Staple Perfect For Making Ground Beef Stretch In A Pinch

Whether you're making beef and vegetable stir-fry, hearty chili, or classic Salisbury steak, ground beef is a popular protein that serves as a primary component in many go-to meals. However, even if you already know how to choose the best ground beef at the grocery store, pairing this versatile food with the right ingredients is just as important. Especially if you're looking for more cost-effective ways to stretch every ounce of beef you consume, choosing extras that are just as nutritious and satisfying is crucial. Fortunately, for an easy mix-in that adds protein, fiber, and flavor to many favorite meals, you don't need to look further than canned beans.

Beans are not only a solid source of protein and fiber; they also contain prebiotics and anti-inflammatory compounds. Most importantly, canned beans are a highly affordable alternative to ground beef. For example, one 15.5-ounce can of red kidney beans from Walmart costs $0.86 while 1 pound of ground beef costs $6.93.

A proficient way to add more beans to your diet is to use them as a replacement for half the amount of beef in many home-cooked recipes. More importantly, choose dishes where the texture and flavor of beans can mimic ground beef. For example, incorporate a small amount of refried kidney beans to your next batch of taco meat. If you enjoy the mild yet hearty combination of ground beef and refried beans, you can start adding whole canned beans to all sorts of beef-based dishes.

Next to using refried beans to upgrade taco night, feel free to add whole canned beans to a variety of saucy meals like chili, hamburger soup, and bolognese pasta sauce. In one pot meals, you can easily mix beans directly into your sauce base which makes the swap less noticeable. On the other hand, if hiding this central ingredient isn't important, you can also add beans to more simplified meals like stir-fry, nachos, or sloppy Joes.

Even though swapping beef for beans is an easy way to save money and incorporate more plant-based protein into your diet, there are a few simple ways to make this alternative more enjoyable. Since canned beans are often high in sodium, consider buying low sodium options or better yet, cook your own dried beans in a pressure cooker or over the stove. Dried beans are more affordable than canned and cooking your own gives you more control over their resulting flavor and texture.

Speaking of flavor, when swapping out beef for beans, you may need to use more seasonings in your recipes. Sure enough, the simplest way to make canned beans taste homemade is to cook them with aromatic ingredients like onions and garlic plus enough dried spices. Lastly, from a visual perspective, choose beans that match the color of your recipes. For example, use dark red kidney beans in chili and pinto beans in sloppy Joes.