Bulk Up Pot Roast With This Canned Ingredient Sitting In Your Pantry

When you're in a dinner slump, it feels almost impossible to find your way out. But never fear — the classic pot roast is always here. Pot roasts are easy, contain few ingredients, and if you make it in a slow cooker, you can let it simmer all day for a perfectly delicious meal come dinnertime. Between the hearty potatoes and carrots, tender chuck roast, and essential pot roast seasonings like thyme, you're guaranteed a meal too good to be homemade. But what if you don't have enough ingredients to bulk it up? Look no further than your pantry for this one trusty staple: pinto beans.

Adding a can of pinto beans to your pot roast fills out the meal when you're low on veggies, adds a soft texture to the dish, and absorbs the juices of the meat and broth really well to deliver even more flavor. Many pot roast recipes include these versatile beans and barbecue sauce for a Southwest-style take on the classic meal, and boy, does it hit every time.

While we recommend using canned beans — they're just more convenient — some recipes instead call for dried pinto beans. Both are easy additions: If they're canned, you'll cook the meat, veggies, and broth first, and then add the beans to simmer later. And if they're dried, simply add them to the pot first, cover with water or broth, and layer the roast and veggies on top to cook together for several hours. Either way, the final result is tender and comforting.

Most classic pot roast recipes are fairly simple, meaning there are endless ways to enhance the dish depending on the flavors you crave. If you're aiming for a Southwest or Tex-Mex take on the meal, add in some sliced jalapeño peppers or green chiles to the pot while simmering, and then top with corn, sharp cheddar, or Monterrey jack cheese at the end. If you're hoping for Southern comfort food, add some thick cuts of bacon and store-bought bourbon barbecue sauce to the mix, then serve with slices of sweet cornbread on the side.

However you choose to upgrade your pinto bean pot roast, there are a few tips in mind. Make sure canned beans are completely drained before adding them to the pot, or that dried beans are fully washed. Also, if you're using dried beans, hold off on adding salt to the pot until they're thoroughly cookedExpert chefs say beans won't get as tender if you do so.