Cooked beans will keep up to a week in the fridge and even become more flavorful a day or two after cooking. So if you’ve got leftovers from a delicious one-pot dinner, either freeze for a future meal, or stick them in the fridge and pack a lunch for school or the office later in the week.

Or, if you’ve cooked a simple pot of beans ahead of time to use in other recipes, portion them into small storage bags, lay them flat on their side and stack to store in the freezer. Then, when you need beans for a recipe, just grab them from the freezer instead of reaching for a can.