i need flavorful beans and rice

[peverroad]

the only way my family will now it rice is if it comes out of one of those flavored packets with everything in it.
I got a great deal on 20 lbs bag of rice and then another 10 lb bag.
So I need ways to make it. I like white rice with milk and sugar but don't think they would like that as a side dish. And i would like to keep it cheaper than using those packets, so less than a $1 for side.
I also have lots of pinto beans. I have to have flavor. My family is so accustomed (sp) to prepackages foods i need to slowly get them alway and to real foods. I have tons of spices and spice mixtures.

[mel j]

Chili & rice. We always end up mixing it together

Rice pudding as a dessert

Rice & lentil casserole with cheese

Stuffed peppers

[thirdtimemomma]

For the BEST beans use 1/2 to 1 TBS salt and a couple cloves of garlic when cooking.. then you can add taco seasoning for a mexican bean, rotel (tomato and green chiles) and italian seasoning for an italian style, add cooked ground sausage for another dish or use chopped uncooked bacon! YUM!

We liked beans over white rice all the time! I make the rice sticky and add salt while cooking.. YUM YUM YUM!

Here's another good one, chicken rotel rice.. Line a baking dish with chopped cooked chicken (you can add cooked pinto's on top if you want) then drizzle a can of rotel over the chicken, then add a good layer of leftover cooked rice (2 cups cooked is a good start), then mix a can of cream of whatever soup and a can of milk and pour that on top! Top with cheese. Heat in the oven till bubbly! Yum!

Add lime to cooked rice and make chipotle style bean bowl. YUM.

Another favorite is dirty rice, ground beef cooked with onion, garlic and chopped green peppers, and rice all mixed, can add beans to this too. (check hillbillyhousewife for her recipe for Dirty rice and add a cup or two cooked beans)

[ecocentric]

I like to saute onion and garlic in oil a minute before I add the water to boil. You can add some spices into the oil too, a bit before you add the water. Stirring in some broth powder/bouillon or using liquid broth instead of water also helps bulk rice taste more like packaged flavored ones. You can search pilaf recipes for inspiration, too.

[bananagrams]

Cilantro lime rice is good. I used this recipe, subbed stock for the water (you could use bullion to save money), and added the lime juice and cilantro after cooking. You could also add sauteed garlic and onion to it for more flavor.

For beans, after we've cooked the beans, I will saute onion, garlic, and peppers (bell or hot peppers like jalapenos or Anaheims), add the beans, sometimes some tomatoes (canned or fresh), oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.

[raisingcropsandbabies]

I second the cilantro lime rice!

For my pinto beans (I serve them as it and also make them into refried beans and freeze in freezer bags):

soak a bunch pinto beans at night. in morning, throw in a crockpot along with a couple chopped onions, 4 cloves of garlic, salt, crumbled bacon and it's grease, and cover with water (oh you can also add a small can of jalapenos chopped, but we are wimps and don't like the heat). Cook 8-10 hours on low. At the end, you can add taco seasoning if you wish. I go both ways, but my family likes it better with taco seasoning in it. If you want refried beans, just puree the beans with some juice. You can also freeze the beans in little baggies too. They defrost fine.

[boogabri]

This isn't rice - but!

I caramalize onions, then stir in black and red kidneys, use some taco seasoning, add shredded cheese, then put it on top of some lettuce. Boom! Vegetarian taco salad.

I bet pintos could work. Like the above poster, we often make refried beans; SO lubs them.