Remember when a bag of dried beans was under a dollar? | Budget Friendly Meals

Paige Coleman · 2026-04-08T07:35:04.568964+00:00

I was making a big pot of chili in my old apartment kitchen and realized I'd grabbed a can of pinto beans instead of kidney beans. I just rinsed them and threw them in anyway, and honestly, it turned out just fine. Has anyone else had a pantry substitution actually work out better than planned?

the_sean5mo ago

Pantry swaps are the best happy accidents.

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ross.angela5mo ago

Oh totally! I once used salsa instead of tomato sauce in a soup because I was out, and it was way better. Those little swaps can be a win.

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val2233mo ago

Yeah "happy accidents" pretty much sums up half of cooking honestly.

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