59 Non-Boring Ways to Use Rice, Beans, & Pasta (+ tips for perfectly cooked rice & beans!)

Need a tasty, easy recipe to use your dried pinto beans? Try this spicy cheesy pinto bean bowls! They’re sure to become a lunchtime favorite.

Comforting & filling white chicken chili is very easy and can be made for lunch / dinner in no time - its quick and easy and best white chicken chili recipe.

The best recipe of Chickpea Tikka Masala you need to try- its easy, creamy, vegan and delicious! 

Delicious, creamy, cheesy rice casserole made with lots of mushrooms and chicken.

This Instant Pot Rice-a-Roni chicken is a kid friendly meal you do not want to miss!  And no worries, this version is all real food…no scary processed ingredients here!

These Jamaican Rice and Peas are very easy to make, using simple ingredients. It is packed with flavor, a under 30 minute meal that even pickiest kids will eat and which is really budget friendly and filling.

This easy to make bean bread recipe is made with pinto beans and a few other pantry ingredients. Serve it with some homemade butter and raw honey, a salad, soup, or even a meat dish.

These homemade baked beans are slowly cooked to absorb all the delicious smoky, savory sauce, loaded with so much flavor that you will not miss the meat. Easy to make, even easier to eat.

Instant Pot coconut rice is a great side dish, no matter the meal. Comes together quickly, using wholesome ingredients, and big flavor!

The simple shrimp risotto is loaded with lemon, chilli, garlic and is the perfect indulgent comfort food dinner!

This hearty and super simple chili will be your next favorite go-to! Using only convenient staple foods, this meatless meal is whipped up in just 10 minutes. It's the best easy vegan chili sin carne.

This Italian Sausage Soup packed with veggies and white beans comes together in a single pot in less than 30 minutes and makes for a hearty, comforting meal.

Instant Pot Arroz con Gandules are a quick and complete weeknight meal!  Using pantry staples, you’ll have this dinner on the table in just a half hour.

This hearty vegan minestrone soup is packed with seasonal vegetables, beans, lentils and whole grains. Perfect comforting vegan winter soup full of flavor and nutrients!

No meat on hand? You can still do taco Tuesday! This oil-free vegan taco meat is made with lentils, pecans, and seasonings. It is made in the Instant Pot and is quick and easy to make.

These Healthy Peanut Butter Blondies are gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar free and vegan friendly! Made with chickpeas but you’d never know it.

Thick creamy slow cooker red beans and rice is a Cajun style recipe chock full of flavorful veggies, savory spices, and andoullie sausage. It can be served & enjoyed as a stew, side dish, or as the main meal making it easy to prepare as it is fit for any occasion.

Healthy Chocolate Hummus Recipe is easy to make and ready in 5 minutes! It’s a nutritious dip, appetizer, dessert, snack or spread that everyone in my family, including my kids, loves. 

A simple side dish, this copycat Taziki's Greek lemon rice is fresh & full of bright lemon flavor making it ideal for virtually any meal.

Take Mexican flavors over-the-top with homemade refried beans made on the stove top, Crock Pot, or Instant Pot! The perfect easy, healthy dip or side dish!

Quick and easy instructions for cooking great northern beans in an instant pot. With or without soaking.

There's something intensely satisfying about serving good old-fashioned Instant Pot Pork and Beans with dinner! Whether you are having burgers, chops, grilled chicken, or pulled pork sandwiches, this humble side dish deserves a chance to shine on your plate!

This light and fluffy rice pilaf is popular with Mexican food or grilled meats. Packed with fresh spinach, it makes a healthy side dish that’s vegetarian and gluten-free. It’s so versatile, you can also enjoy it for breakfast with eggs and black beans.

Quick, easy, flavorful, filling and cheesy Instant Pot Enchilada Rice gets done in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for a busy weeknight meal and to feed a crowd on a budget.

A signature Middle Eastern dish made with lentils and rice and garnished with crispy fried onions! It is gluten-free, vegan and one of the most comforting one pot meal! 

This traditional 4 bean salad has a few surprises in store for you! A delicate blend of sweet and savory for the perfect gluten free side dish.

If you're going to have any Mexican-type meal, you gotta have Ranchero Beans! Tacos, enchiladas, tostadas, burritos... these soaked, flavorful beans fill a BIG, gaping hole on the plate!

This one pot Chicken and Rice is a very easy chicken recipe and is perfect for dinner any night of the week. With just a few ingredients and about 30 minutes, you can have the most delicious chicken dinner ready to serve. 

A simple vegetarian sweet potato black bean taco that will bring Taco Tuesday up a notch. Make these in the oven or an air fryer.

This Mexican Ground Beef Casserole With Rice And Beans is a super family-friendly meal that you're going to love! Make it quickly and easily in your Instant Pot.

A delicious vegan chili, made with only pantry staples and even better on the second day.

A simplified version of the French classic meat, bean, and vegetable dish.  Easy enough to make even with babies in the house.

Chickpea stir fry with pineapple is a delicious, filling meal made from pantry staples.  This easy weeknight dinner will be on your table in just 15 minutes!  

Serve this brimming-with-flavor soup in deep bowls that you can cozily wrap your hands around on a chilly evening. It’s easy to make, easy to eat and one of those recipes that gets even more flavorful with time, so it is perfect for making ahead.

This simple, fresh-tasting salad is a great side dish to a variety of foods. With the variety of colours contained in the salad, you are assured of receiving a myriad of health-benefiting nutrients. 

These Brioche Sweet Rolls filled with Red Bean Paste are a delicious and original way to include more Legumes into your diet. Perfect for breakfast and your kids lunchbox, these Red Bean Sweet Rolls are also a great healthier sweet treat to snack on all day long!

This Greek orzo salad is delicious and super easy to prepare. When you're wondering what to serve with a steak, baked chicken, or seafood, this is the perfect side dish.

The whole family will love this veggie loaded black eye pea soup!

This Cannellini Bean Dip is a go-to appetiser when you want something that’s quickly and easily prepared.

Loaded with the bold flavor of salsa and spices, this hearty dish is a delicious addition to taco night. This  Mexican Instant Pot rice and beans recipe also would be the perfect base for a burrito or burrito bowl.

A delicious and filling soup for any type of rainy day or winter day! Filled with navy beans, ham, and more.

With plenty of black beans, fresh corn and spicy monterey jack cheese, these black bean quesadillas come together in under 30 minutes and disappear fast!

Juicy Chicken thighs loaded with Cajun seasoning with colorful peppers, onions and long grain white rice. The easy and delicious Cajun Chicken Rice Instant Pot recipe comes together under 30 minutes!

Packed with hearty plant based protein, vegetables and spices, this quick and  Easy Black Bean Soup is perfect for a cozy weeknight meal.

Tender, juicy, flaky Salmon with garlic butter sauce and a slightly flavor induced rice cooked all together in the same pot.

Looking for a tasty, frugal meal that's a snap to make? One taste of these Easy Indian Lentils and you'll be surprised at how satisfying and delicious lentils can be.

Yes, you read it right. “Bean Fudge.” This Bean Fudge is so super rich and flavorful that no one will expect that it's made from beans.

This beefy, cheesy lasagna mac is sure to be your family's new favorite Instant Pot meal! Hearty and filling, this dish can be made even healthier using gluten free pasta.

Top your favorite pasta with this dreamy sauce. Made with real butter, cream, and parmesan cheese, this really is the BEST alfredo sauce recipe, so be sure to save it for later!

It only takes thirty minutes and a single sauté pan to make this Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta. Chicken, bacon, and penne pasta are coated in a creamy cheese sauce with tangy ranch seasoning.

Parsley Parmesan Pasta recipe that takes 15 minutes to make and costs less than $4.  Blend the parsley with other simple ingredients to make a nut free pesto sauce and then pour on top of pasta! 

This caramelized onion pasta is the perfect under 30 minute dinner. It is slightly sweet from the caramelized onions and tangy from the addition of the gorgonzola cheese.

Pasta e Fagioli is an Italian soup with pasta and beans is a delicious and hearty meal perfect for lunch or dinner. 

This cheesy baked spaghetti casserole is kid-friendly, filling, and perfect for feeding a crowd.  Melty cheese, meaty sauce, and al dente pasta make this a great weeknight meal!

A creamy Instant Pot Ziti recipe with a meat sauce loaded with sausage and ground beef this traditionally baked cheesy pasta dish will amaze you with how easy this is to make in the pressure cooker. 

Easy cheesy chicken pasta recipe made in one pot. Simple to do in the slow cooker!

 Perfectly al dente pasta combine with a made-from-scratch cream of mushroom soup sauce with chopped green pepper, pimentos, diced onion, and a generous amount of shredded cheddar cheese.  

A wholesome, real food version of a much loved favorite children's pasta.