Black bean soup

I really love the Vegetarian Black Bean Soup at Panera Bread, so when I came across a recipe for BBS on a can of beans, I had to try it. I'm not as concerned with the "vegetarian" part as others might be, but I'm thinking you could substitute a veggie broth for the chicken broth if you wanted to.

2 cans Black Beans (I used Bush's seasoned recipe, which is where this recipe came from. Do not drain the beans)
1 can low/reduced sodium chicken broth (or veg broth if you'd rather)
1/2 cup salsa (any kind you want, I used safeway brand mild, and put in 1cup total)
1/2 tsp chili powder (I didn't have any, so left it out. I am not that into the spicy stuff, so it worked well for me)

Mash contents of one can of beans with food processor or potato masher. Pour into saucepan with other can of beans and can of broth, and heat on stovetop. Add salsa and chili powder, and simmer until heated through. Serve as is, or add what we call "soup stuff" - sour cream, cheddar, onions, etc.

It was very tasty, IMO, and I'm looking forward to trying a bowl of leftovers cold as well.

My Kids' Favorite Chili

My boys (9 and 5) aren't big on anything spicier that super-mild salsa, so getting them to eat chili can be a challenge. After a lot of testing, this is the recipe we all like the best. It makes a LOT, but there's 6 of us in the house, so it works, and we have great leftovers too. Could definitely be easily cut in half though, for smaller batch.

Ingredients:
2 -2.5lbs ground beef, browned and drained
1/2 -1 onion (Vidalia or white), chopped
1 can white corn, drained and rinsed
2 cans kidney beans (we like 1 light, 1 dark for variety), drained and rinsed
2 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
3 cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1C water
2 packets chili seasoning (generic Safeway brand is just perfect for my picky kids)

Directions:
Brown ground beef till cooked through, adding onions to cook. Drain, then add all other ingredients to large pot (I think ours is a 5qt?). Mix thoroughly, and simmer up to 1 hour. Serve hot, with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, tortilla and/or corn chips, etc.

It tastes even better the next day, too!

Tex Mex lentil casserole

This is a pretty fast and easy dish to make. I think I found the recipe online at some point.

1 C red lentils (I've used brown ones too and it works fine)
1 can vegetable stock (if I was out of veggie stock I've used chicken which also worked well although obv. wouldn't be vegetarian if you went that route)
1 C chopped onion
1 can diced tomatoes (I like to use the ones w/the chilies but plain is fine)
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 C grated fat-free cheese
2 T chopped cilantro if desired

Combine all the ingredients except cheese and cilantro in 1 1/2 qt covered microwaveable dish. Microwave on high for 18-20 mins. (Depending on the strength of your micro, you may need to do it a little longer than that...keep an eye on the container near the end of the cooking time, and adjust accordingly.) Carefully remove cover and stir, sprinkle with cheese, cover and let stand for 20 mins. Garnish with cilantro.

Bean burgers

This recipe comes from my Betty Crocker cookbook, it's called "Italian Bean cakes" there. I make a few modifications though mostly to the spices.

2 cans (15-16 oz) beans of your choice, rinsed and drained (I find the red kidney beans and/or black beans work the best but you could use anything)
1/2 C bread crumbs
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1 t chili powder
a dash of curry to your taste
2 T olive/veg oil

Mash beans in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except oil. (Note: you may have to add a bit more bread crumbs to get the mix to a workable consistency, depending on what type of beans you use.) Shape mixture into 6 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Heat oil in 12-in nonstick skillet over med. heat. Cook patties 8-10 mins, turning once, until golden brown.

These are so good on toasted whole wheat buns with avocado/tomato/onion/burger toppings of your choice!