2024 Winning Bean Recipes

by Farmers' Almanac Staff Updated: August 7, 2024

Award-Winning Bean Recipes

Every year we select an ingredient and ask readers and web visitors to submit original recipes that contain that ingredient. The winning recipes get cash prizes and the chance to be published in both the print edition of the Farmers’ Almanac and here online.

Beans were our ingredient last year and while we knew that we’d get many great-tasting recipes, we were very pleased with the wide variety of bean recipes that were submitted.

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Special Thanks

Special thanks to The Green Ladle Culinary Arts School of Lewiston, Maine, for lending us their student-chefs to prepare each of the final recipes for judging. And to the photography students at the Lewiston Regional Technical Center for the photos of the winning dishes!

The following three bean recipes were the Farmers’ Almanac judges’ top picks. Let us know how they taste when you make them:

The Farmers’ Almanac 2024 Prize-Winning Bean Recipes

Savory Cannellini Bean Butter Crumb Pie

Delores Johansen – Greenville, MI

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Course Dinner, Lunch

Ingredients

1 lb Italian ground turkey sausage
1 can cannellini beans
5 oz finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup chopped baby portobello mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil

Crumb topping

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven 375 degrees
Press sausage into round baking dish or pie plate and bake for 10 minutes, then set aside.
Sauté chopped mushrooms in olive oil until tender and lightly browned (4-5 minutes).
Drain and rinse beans. Place beans in medium- sized bowl and add tomatoes, garlic, mushrooms, spinach and mozzarella cheese. Toss lightly and then pour mixture on top of sausage crust.
Melt butter, then add breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese to the butter. Mix together and sprinkle mixture evenly over pie. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake 5 more minutes. For best flavor, remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes.

Keyword Farmers’ Almanac Recipe Contest, recipe contest winner

Chewy Chickpea Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Elizabeth Pittman – Millstadt, IL

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Course cookies

Ingredients

1 15 oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter of your choice)
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Dry with a paper towel. Remove any loose skins.
In a food processor, blend the chickpeas until smooth. (Add reserved juice (aquafaba) one spoonful at a time if necessary to help blend.)
In a mixing bowl, combine the blended chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup (or honey), and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
Add baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the wet mixture. Mix until a dough forms.
Gently fold the chocolate chips into the cookie dough.
Using a spoon, drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet. These cookies won't spread much, so shape them or flatten them with your hands if needed.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Keyword Chickpea Peanut Butter Chcolate Chip Cookies

Amie’s Black Bean and Rice Enchiladas

Amie Wilder – Beckley, WV

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Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilis
2 tsps ground cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsps onion powder
1 tsp chili powder
2 cups cooked rice
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese or cheddar cheese
8 large flour tortillas
1 can red enchilada sauce
Sour cream and fresh chopped cilantro (for optional topping)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green pepper, onion and jalapeno. Cook until tender about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Stir in black beans, tomatoes and green chilis, cumin, red pepper flakes, onion powder and chili powder. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Fold in the rice and cheese, and cook another 5 minutes.
Spoon 1/2 of the rice and bean mixture down the center of the tortilla. Fold the sides over the filling and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Top with enchilada sauce. Cover and bake 25 minutes. Top with sour cream and cilantro and enjoy!