Invest in a good pressure cooker (for speed) or crockpot and a dozen 1 quart canning jars. I have a 21-qt at home. It's an investment that pays off once you fig

Invest in a good pressure cooker (for speed) or crockpot and a dozen 1 quart canning jars. I have a 21-qt at home. It's an investment that pays off once you figure out all the things you can cook and freeze for later. With this you can make tons of beans in bulk, freeze them and defrost as necessary. I would serve the beans with fresh rice. The base for most of my beans (about 12 quarts) was a pint of bacon fat and like 3-4 full sized onions and a bunch of garlic. I got my meals down to about 50 cents each. You can get beans in bulk (25lb bags) from hispanic markets. Lentils with a mirepoix base are another great option.