One can of Mixed Beans & a pound of hamburger ~ two easy, different meals...

A can of ~ Mixed Beans ~ a pound of hamburger and some of your favorite ethnic ingredients (probably already in your pantry or fridge) and you've got a quick, easy and tasty dinner on the table in no time flat. ~  I like it like that!  How about you?

Sometimes for a quick dinner I'll turn to a can of beans and a pound of ground sirloin.  We have a wonderful local, family-run, village market in our little town and they have an old-fashioned meat counter.  The butchers will cut your meat right when you order it, or you can buy from the well-stocked meat case.  I buy the best quality, tastiest ground beef and it is no more expense than a big-box store (you know I'm talking 'bout you Walmart).  They have a loyal clientele and you can always look forward to a little chit-chat about what's going on around town.  Ahh, life like it used to be...  It's nice to be able to find such a place in this day and age, as well as being able to help out a local business.

I love the convenience and taste of canned beans.  If you're looking for a way to get creative with plain ol' hamburger and beans, this might hit the spot for your family like it does for mine. Enjoy ~ Toot-toot!  : )

I make the hamburger patty round or oval, depending on my mood.  To the ground beef I'll ~ add a handful of bread crumbs, sprinkle in some other seasonings/herb/spices, mix it, shape it and then fry it up.  Once it is cooked, I'll set aside the meat, clean out the pan, then add the beans.  I go to town doctoring them up, re-add the cooked hamburger patty and then let it all simmer for a few minutes so it is heated through before plating it up.  Depending on how you doctor-up the beans, you can get different cuisines.  For this pair of dinners, I used a can of Pinto & Great Northern Mixed Beans.
 

For this meal, I went the Tex-Mex route with the beans ~ doctoring them up with a blend of Mexican herbs and spices, bell peppers and salsa.  When I plated it up, I topped the glorious mess with more salsa, some sour cream and crushed tortilla chips. 

For the other meal I went the Italian route ~ I doctored up the mixed beans with a blend of Italian herbs/spices and sauteed mushrooms. Then ladled the beans over the the hamburger steak when I  plated it up and added fried onions to top it off.