We had a chili cook off at work this Fall, and I was left with an abundance of kidney beans.  Making more chili to use up the kidney beans is out of the question, so I’ve been trying to create some different uses for kidney beans… and failing miserably. 

The classic bean soups just aren’t working for me right now.  If I add black beans, the kidney beans just sort of disappear.  Black beans do tend to take-over any dish of which they are a part; both in color and flavor.  So, avoiding black beans, I’ve tried navy beans, butter beans, and pinto beans, which were all okay with my kidney beans, but I still haven’t come up with an idea in which to use JUST kidney beans, and use them up in a big way. 
 
I do, however, remember a really fantastic salad that my daughter used to make when she lived on the West Coast.  She mixed up a salad of kidney beans (drained and rinsed well), some finely shredded medium cheddar cheese, chives or green onion, a little salt and pepper, and mix it all together with either taco sauce or her favorite salsa.  Then she peeled and halved nice, ripe avocados and sprinkled them with a little lemon juice and set them on small plates. To serve she just spooned the kidney bean salad mixture into the avocado halves.  That was yummy, indeed!  

There is also a fabulous Three-Bean Salad that I’ve enjoyed many times at potlucks, but, to this date have not gotten a recipe.  I would love to have a really great recipe for a Three-Bean Salad that I could call my own.  Any suggestions?

Back to my dilema… are there casseroles, soups, or salads that use a good amount of kidney beans?  I’d love to surprise my family by cleaning out the stack of cans of kidney beans that are piled in my pantry.  Your input is greatly appreciated!