A can of beans is easier to use when you know what it could become. Black beans can stretch a rice bowl. White beans can make a hearty toast topping. Chickpeas can turn chopped vegetables into a quick salad. You need only one can for any of these ideas, and none requires buying ingredients for all three. These three easy canned bean dinners will make your weeknights simpler.

Start with the meal that fits what is already in your kitchen. After a long commute or on a snowy Mohawk Valley evening, a dinner that uses a few familiar ingredients can be more useful than a recipe that sends you back out to the store. The combinations below are starting points. Adjust the portions to the people you are feeding.

These dinners are perfect for busy weeknights and utilize the versatility of canned beans to create satisfying meals that everyone will enjoy. Consider making these three easy canned bean dinners to streamline your meal prep.

Choose the bean and check the label

Plain canned beans give you room to choose the flavor. Look for black beans, cannellini beans or chickpeas, depending on the meal. Seasoned beans can work as well, but taste the finished combination before adding more salt. If sodium matters to your household, compare the actual amounts on the Nutrition Facts panel. Make sure you are comparing the same serving size or adjust for the difference.

The Food and Drug Administration’s sodium guide recommends comparing labels, considering lower-sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables, and rinsing sodium-containing canned foods such as beans. It also suggests herbs and spices as ways to add flavor. Do not assume the label on one brand applies to another brand’s can.

Check the can before opening it. USDA guidance on damaged cans says not to use food from leaking, bulging or badly dented cans. Do not taste questionable food to decide if it is safe. These dinner ideas are for commercially canned beans in sound containers, not for testing a home-canned product.

Dinner 1: A warm black bean bowl

Start with freshly cooked rice or another grain. Drain the beans and rinse if desired. Warm them with a little water and a pinch of cumin or another seasoning you already like. Prepare frozen corn or mixed vegetables according to the package, then put the grain, beans and vegetables in bowls. A spoonful of salsa or a squeeze of lime gives the dish a brighter finish.

Build each bowl at the table if people want different toppings. Keep the stronger seasonings on the side for anyone who prefers a milder meal. If there is no rice, serve the beans and vegetables in tortillas or over a freshly baked potato. The point is to use the base you have rather than turn one missing ingredient into a new grocery run.

For a household that wants a little crunch, add sliced cabbage just before serving. Keep a topping separate if you intend to save it for another meal. That makes it easier to use later without digging through a container of mixed ingredients.

Dinner 2: White beans on toast

Toast bread while warming drained white beans with a small amount of olive oil, garlic and a splash of water. Mash some beans with the back of a spoon so the topping stays on the bread. Leave some whole for texture. Add black pepper and a little lemon juice or vinegar at the end. Top the toast at the table so it does not sit and soften.

To make it a fuller meal, serve it with cooked vegetables or a simple side salad. A skillet of spinach or another green can go on the toast under the beans. If your bread is nearly gone, use the same warm topping over freshly cooked pasta or a potato. Add enough liquid to make it easy to spoon onto the base you choose.

Scale the meal at the table

For two people, divide the drained beans between two bowls, two plates of toast or two wraps, then add the vegetables and grain or bread to suit each appetite. For one person, use what you want and put the remaining beans away promptly. Keep a spare meal idea on the refrigerator so the unused portion has a job: white beans in soup, black beans in a tortilla or chickpeas on a salad.

Dinner 3: Chickpea salad with a tangy dressing

Drain and rinse chickpeas, then mix with chopped cucumber, carrots or another vegetable you enjoy raw. Dress with oil and vinegar or lemon juice, and add pepper or herbs. Serve with bread or spoon it into a wrap. If you prefer a softer texture, mash a few of the chickpeas before mixing.

Make only the amount of salad you plan to serve or refrigerate promptly. If one person needs dinner later, set that portion aside before the meal rather than leaving the full bowl on the table. A second serving can have its own dressing so you can adjust the flavor when it is served.

Plan for the part of the can you do not use

USDA says opened canned beans can be refrigerated for three to four days. Put unused beans into a clean covered container, label it with the opening date and refrigerate promptly. If you make a mixed dish, also consider how the other ingredients were handled. Do not treat adding beans as a way to restart the storage time of older leftovers.

For cooked leftovers, follow USDA’s leftover guidance on cooling, refrigeration and reheating. Put the food away promptly, within two hours at ordinary room temperatures or within one hour above 90°F. Use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days or freeze them for longer storage. Reheat leftovers to 165°F when serving them hot.

Make one dinner repeatable

Choose a combination your household would eat again and write it down in plain language. For example: black beans, grain, corn, lime and salsa. When you shop, check which parts are already on hand. Buy for the meal you plan to make rather than buying several cans on the chance you might use them.

Try changing one ingredient next time. Swap the grain, use another vegetable or try a new seasoning. A dependable dinner is easier to repeat when you can remember its basic shape without looking up a recipe every time.