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January 28, 2015

Quick and Easy Winter Comfort Meals Featuring Canned Beans and Tomatoes

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Thank you to the Canned Food Alliance for sponsoring this post!

Given all the snow, ice, and super cold weather we’ve been getting lately, I’m all about comforting recipes like soups, stews, and casseroles. Relying on canned ingredients (tomatoes, beans, vegetables, stock, etc.) makes preparing these warming meals fast and easy. Here are two of my favorite ingredients to buy canned, along with some quick recipes that feature them. Enjoy!

1) Beans

I almost never cook dried beans from scratch – ain’t nobody got time for that! Canned beans make a great cheap and convenient protein addition to recipes. Here are some of my favorite wintery, bean-tastic recipes on the blog. I had 45 recipes on my blog that use canned beans, so this was a tough call. 😉

  • Mexican Lasagna and Sweet Potato & Black Bean Veggie Enchiladas. These recipes are both a constant staple in our house. So good.

mexican lasagna (2)

  • Butternut Squash & Turkey Chili – save even more time by buying canned cubed butternut squash, too!
  • Lazy Woman’s Butternut Squash Soup – this one uses canned butternut squash and beans – easiest soup of all time.
  • Mexican Brown Rice Casserole and Vegan Mexican Quinoa Salad – clearly we love Mexican in this house.

mexican quinoa salad2

  • “Cheesy” coconut sautéed chickpeas and kale. Vegan and super delicious comfort food.
  • Chicken and white bean chili soup. Love this in winter – so satisfying!

chicken chili soup

2) Diced Tomatoes

Cleaned, chopped, and already cooked tomatoes? Awesome. I love throwing diced tomatoes into meals, whether it’s a soup or stew or a stand alone dish. Canned tomato sauce is another favorite addition to recipes, especially soups, like my Veggie-tastic Minestrone Soup!

Here are some fave recipes featuring diced tomatoes:

  • Sweet Potato Lentil Chili. This is one of my most popular recipes on the blog, and an old favorite! Save time by using canned lentils and canned cubed sweet potato, too (not sure why I didn’t think of that originally!) – just remember that canned ingredients have already been cooked, so they won’t need as long to heat up – consider adding them later or cutting down the cooking time significantly!

sweet potato lentil chili (2)

  • Saucy Tomato and Artichoke Chicken. Easiest dinner ever – we make variations of this at least a couple times a month. This Tomato Basil Garlic Chicken is an even easier/simpler variation.
  • Turkey, Veggie, and Barley Chili and Chunky Turkey and Vegetable Soup. Both are quick and so satisfying.

IMG_4726

What are your favorite ingredients to buy canned to save time? I also love canned beets – they seriously taste just as good as fresh, and save so much time, trouble, and bright red mess. I always keep some on hand to toss into salads!

- anne
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23 comments
  • Jojo @ Run Fast Eat Lots
    January 28, 2015 · 12:19PM:
    I buy canned Thai curry paste and coconut milk for a super easy, quick one-pot meal
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 28, 2015 · 2:15PM:
      I buy those canned too - love them!
      Reply
  • Melissa | Suitcase and Heels
    January 28, 2015 · 12:46PM:
    I always buy canned beets for smoothies. I once tried roasting fresh ones but holy mess Batman! I also always have a few cans of condensed tomato soup on hand. At the moment I have a plethora of canned beans so I just may make that Mexican lasagna for supper this week. :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 28, 2015 · 2:15PM:
      Omg... why has it never occurred to me to add beets to smoothies?!?! Mind blown. And totally agree re: the holy mess batman!
      Reply
      • Melissa | Suitcase and Heels
        January 28, 2015 · 2:19PM:
        One of my favourite smoothies is frozen strawberries, canned beets, apple juice, and carrot juice. Om nom nom.
        Reply
        • Anne
          January 28, 2015 · 2:20PM:
          I'm totally trying that - such a good idea! Yum! I wonder if I could add whole carrots and it would work? That might be weird, right?
          Reply
          • Melissa | Suitcase and Heels
            January 28, 2015 · 2:23PM:
            I bet if they were cooked carrots they'd blend into smoothie format better. You could even turn the liquid they were cooked in into carroty ice cubes to try to save some leeched nutrients. Or maybe not.
            Reply
            • Anne
              January 28, 2015 · 2:24PM:
              Hmmm I'll have to experiment!
              Reply
  • Dani @ DaniCaliforniaCooks
    January 28, 2015 · 1:24PM:
    Lots and lots of canned beans!! And we usually have some cans of soup around - love the whole foods chilis.
    Reply
  • Dana | fresh simple five
    January 28, 2015 · 1:30PM:
    I always try to have canned beans on hand because they are so easy to throw into pasta, soups, chilis, etc. I feel like they complete many meals and are a great alternative to meat. Good looking recipes!
    Reply
  • Kirtley @ The Gist of Fit
    January 28, 2015 · 1:32PM:
    I'm working on 10 minute meals right now with canned beans and frozen veggies! It's SO nice to have the convenience! Those recipes look bomb!
    Reply
  • Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment
    January 28, 2015 · 1:39PM:
    Canned beans and sauce from a jar. Also pre-chopped garlic is a huge time saver in my opinion. Good to know about the beets - will have to give them a try!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 28, 2015 · 2:14PM:
      I love pre-minced garlic, too - I always forget to buy it!
      Reply
  • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
    January 28, 2015 · 2:13PM:
    Even though I cook dried beans (usually), I ALWAYS have many cans in the pantry! Same with tomatoes (fire-roasted!) and tuna, salmon, and sardines!
    Reply
  • Roadrunner January 28, 2015 · 2:31PM:
    Very novel ideas!
    Reply
  • Tara @ Living Light
    January 28, 2015 · 2:45PM:
    I have to try canned beets! I was never too sure about them.. therefore, I have always bought them pickled instead. Thanks for the suggestion :) I always have a variety of beans, diced tomatoes, and sometimes corn. I probably should buy it frozen but I rarely use it!!! The really don't like lentils in the can though. Maybe I need to try a different brand.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 28, 2015 · 3:35PM:
      I've tried the canned lentils from Whole Foods and they are good!
      Reply
      • Tara @ Living Light
        January 28, 2015 · 3:39PM:
        I don't have a Whole Foods near me but I will definitely keep that in mind! Thanks! At least lentils are a lot easier to cook from scratch than beans :)
        Reply
  • Erin @ Erin's Inside Job
    January 28, 2015 · 3:08PM:
    I think that I most often buy canned beans and tomatoes like you mentioned. For quick meals, a lot of my veggies are in the freezer, but I have been known to use canned versions sometimes. OH! Pumpkin! Can't forget delicious pumpkin during the fall :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 28, 2015 · 3:35PM:
      Yes, canned pumpkin and butternut squash are awesome!
      Reply
  • Amanda @ Slimplify Life
    January 28, 2015 · 5:17PM:
    These look so amazing! Fave canned item = garbanzo beans. Such a quick and easy punch of protein!
    Reply
  • Les @ The Balanced Berry
    January 28, 2015 · 11:27PM:
    I too am all about canned beans. They're just so easy and tasty! I also love canned tomatoes and tuna :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 29, 2015 · 8:58AM:
      Canned tuna and sardines are awesome. :)
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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