Santa Fe Rice and Beans Recipe: Feeds 6 for $3.00!

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Let me introduce you to the cheapest, most delicious dinner in the world. If you need to reduce your grocery bill quickly, this dinner will do the trick. One dish makes enough to serve 2 adults and 4 children for two meals! We usually finish it up for lunch the next day.  If you happen to be on a rice and beans budget, then what better dish than rice and beans? You can add an easy veggie or fruit to this to make a complete dinner. We had leftover apples in the fridge so we served this with apple slices.

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked white rice

1 can black beans (use what you have, this tastes great with kidney beans as well)

1 cup of corn kernels (frozen or canned)

1 1/4 cups of salsa, diced tomatoes or diced tomatoes with chilies (like rotel)

1 cup sour cream 

1 cup of Mexican cheese (we've used cheddar, monterey jack or a taco blend that wegmans sells)

Optional:

Toss in anything around the house you think would work with it.

Examples: chilies, spices, cream cheese, sliced olives, chopped onion, chopped green pepper, whatever floats your boat.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the rice according to package directions, combine all ingredients, reserving half of the cheese to sprinkle on top. Season with salt and pepper. 

Transfer to a greased baking dish (about 2 quart) and spoon ingredients in. 

Top with the reserved cheese. If you forgot to reserve cheese- don't worry, it will still be delicious.

Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes.

If you don't have foil. Don't stress, it'll be fine. Or you can bake it for 30 without the cheese on top, then add the cheese and finish cooking for another 10 minutes.

Costs of goods figured at Aldi.

Cost:

Rice: $ .25

Black beans: $ .55

Corn: $ .49 for 1 can

Salsa: $ .57

Sour cream: $ .60

Cheese: $ .94

Total: $3.40 to feed 2 adults and 4 children for 2 meals.

Cost per meal: $1.70

Cost per person: $ .29

Just for illustrative purposes- if you could eat this for 3 meals a day, every day for a month, then your monthly grocery bill would be $153 or $39 a week!  (But don't do that! We have much better options for just a few dollars more).