Here’s a dinner you can feed your family/friends with for under $3. Lots of fiber, protein and veggies! This will feed 4-6 people depending on portion size. This is my own concoction that I made last night.

Cheesy Rice and Bean Casserole

1 cup brown rice (white is o.k if that’s all you have) – I used short grain brown

2 cups veggie broth (or water) – if you use white rice, only use 1.5 cups

1 15oz or 19oz can kidney beans (drained & rinsed)

1 garlic clove (minced)

1 onion (chopped)

1/2 cup of frozen or canned corn

1 1/4 cups salsa (the fresher kind is better!)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp to 1 Tbsp hot sauce (optional, I just like spicy dishes)

2 slices of non dairy cheese (or 1/2 cup grated soy cheese)

Preheat oven to 400F. Cook brown rice with veggie broth. If you are using white rice you will only need 1 1/2 cups of broth. In a pan, fry onion on medium heat until slightly browned (about 3 minutes). Set aside. In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, onion and all other ingredients. Pour into a greased glass casserole dish. Divide both cheese slices in 4 and place on top of rice mixture. Bake for  25-35 minutes.

Note: If you have some fresh coriander on hand, it would definitely be worth adding a handful to this mixture.

You can serve with a side salad if you have fresh greens on hand, this will make the meal go further.