You absolutely have to buy these canned beans at Aldi

While there are advantages to buying dried beans, including raw value and better control over salt content, canned beans can’t be beat for convenience. You’re probably familiar with popular canned bean sellers Goya—especially after a politically motivated boycott in 2020 that led to higher sales—and Bush’s. But some store-brand canned beans are just better.

One of the best is Aldi’s private-label brand Dakota’s Pride, specifically Dakota’s Pride pinto beans. It goes unnoticed because Aldi only has about a 2% market share in the U.S., compared to giants like Walmart, which have an 18% share. But that’s a good thing. It helps make Dakota’s Pride pinto beans some of the best value around, with about six servings from each 30-ounce can costing $1.75. For comparison, Goya’s 29-ounce canned pinto beans cost $2.68 at Walmart. To get a similar value, you’d have to buy two 15.5-ounce cans of Walmart’s private-label Great Value brand for a total of $1.72. But since you’re avoiding Great Value canned beans, you’ll want to stick with Dakota’s Pride.

Read more: 10 frozen foods you should always buy at Aldi

The best recipes for Dakota’s Pride canned pinto beans

If you can snag a few cans, you’ll have plenty of ways to use the creamy, slightly nutty, and earthy pinto beans. Since pinto beans are originally from Mexico and Peru, they’re commonly used in South American cuisine. Pinto bean chili with pan-toasted spices is an easy one-pot way to use them, unless you think chili doesn’t contain beans. You can also add them to any burrito or use them in a taco casserole. With a few changes, you can even serve Mexican pinto beans as a side dish or turn them into refried beans.

Pinto beans are also a vegetarian’s and vegan’s best friend. They give shape to vegetarian pinto bean burgers, for example, and form the basis for some regional styles of baked beans, including in Texas and the Carolinas. Pinto beans are also a great substitute for other types of beans, including black beans and kidney beans. You can even use them in place of adzuki beans to make an earthier, heartier, and less sweet version of sweet red bean paste. Just make sure you label them correctly to avoid confusing the sweet paste with baked beans.

Read the original article on The Daily Meal.