Easy Beans and Brown Rice
A five-can, ten-minute freezer staple that sneaks brown rice and a rainbow of beans into an easy, protein-and-fiber-packed side.
- Prep Time
- 10 min
- Cook Time
- 3 min
- Total Time
- 13 min
- Servings
- 5 servings
My oldest brother is famously the pickiest eater in our family — his vegetable list starts and ends at peas, butter beans, and corn — but even he can get on board with beans. When he half-joked about wishing he had a personal chef to make him healthy meals without having to think about it, I reminded him that his sister happens to be a chef, so now this is what shows up at his house on a regular basis.
It's about as low-effort as cooking gets: five cans of beans, a bag of steam-in-the-bag brown rice, and ten minutes. The beans mask the rice completely, so even someone who insists they don't like brown rice won't notice it's in there.
Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans
- 1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans
- 1 (15 oz.) can great northern beans
- 1 (15 oz.) can blackeyed peas
- 1 (15 oz.) can lima beans
- 1 bag steam-in-a-bag whole grain brown rice
Instructions
- 1Cook the brown rice in the microwave according to package directions.
- 2Open and partially drain each can of beans, leaving a bit of the liquid for moisture, and dump into a large mixing bowl.
- 3Add the cooked rice and stir together well.
- 4Spoon into five containers, cover, and refrigerate.
- 5Reheat in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes when ready to eat.
Storage & Reheating
This doubles easily to make ten meals at once, and it freezes well for whenever you need a fast, no-thought side or light meal.
