The No-Fuss Way To Instantly Enhance Canned Beans And Make Them Restaurant-Worthy 

Canned beans have earned an unfortunate reputation as a dull yet sensible budget dinner. But while this pantry powerhouse is certainly budget-friendly, eating canned beans for dinner doesn't have to be boring or bland. There are many ways to boost canned beans, but one of the simplest ways to fancy up this convenient and protein-packed legume involves the addition of another pantry staple: olive oil. A quick olive oil braise or simmer adds a major depth of flavor and can give any old can of beans a creamy, restaurant-quality texture (in fact, beans are one of the many canned foods commonly used in restaurant kitchens). 

For a simple stovetop braise, just add a generous drizzle of olive oil to a pot with your favorite aromatics (this is optional, but highly encouraged because aromatics truly take food to the next level). Then, throw in the rinsed and drained canned beans — any type will do, from cannellini to garbanzo — and simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes. Be careful not to cook the beans for too long, as this is one of the most common canned bean mistakes. And that's it: creamy, flavorful, restaurant-worthy beans from can to plate in less than 20 minutes.

If you have a bit more time on your hands, you can olive oil-braise your canned beans in the oven. Simply toss a couple of rinsed and drained cans of beans into a casserole dish with around ¾ cup of olive oil. Then mix it all up, cover tightly with aluminum foil to keep the moisture in, and stick it in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for roughly 40 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking process.

Whether you braise your beans on the stovetop or in the oven, the creamy, olive oil-enriched final product makes a perfect British-style toast topping, pasta or rice mix-in, or even a satisfying vegetarian dinner all on its own. 

If you want to zhuzh up your olive-oil braised beans even further, you can play around with different toppings like lemon zest, fresh herbs, a generous sprinkling of cheese such as parmesan, or even an extra drizzle of olive oil. If you go the finishing oil route, we suggest following Martha Stewart's money-saving oil advice: Use an inexpensive everyday olive oil for braising the beans and a high-quality extra-virgin variety for that final drizzle to keep this bean-based dinner budget-friendly.