This is my new dinnertime SAVIOR. I can get this Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake on the table in 20 minutes flat. It’s shockingly delicious for how simple it is. It’s packed with protein, fiber, and flavor. And did I mention it’s an easy pantry meal? You can make this dinner with (almost) just what’s in your cupboard. Perfect for those busy weeknights when you’re running between practices and need something filling, tasty, and dirt cheap. Try it out tonight!
How’s your June coming along? Here’s what we’ve been up to:
Absolutely NOTHING. Swinging on the porch, staring at the grass, watching the cars go by. Maybe with a giant lollipop, because why not.
There is something about Grandma’s (GG’s) porch that makes time stand still. (GG is Kris, my sweet mother-in-law, for you long-time readers.) They just sold their house up in Sidney, Montana, that they’ve been in for 30 years. They are moving to Utah, so this was our last hurrah.
We are so grateful that they will be one-day-drive closer to us in Sacramento (instead of the current 2-day-drive!), but we are devastated to say goodbye to the family home. We (all 19 of us!) have been soaking up every last minute with nonstop popsicles on the porch, ice cream runs, board games, night games (remember Sardines? and Kick-the-Can?? We are going back in time here guys) and visits to Johnson Hardware, the store that’s been the family business for over 100 years:
These times, they are a-changin, amiright? We’re excited to make new memories in their new place. What makes a home, anyway? The people…and the food. Keep the ice cream coming GG 🤣
Maybe next time we are together I will fix everyone my new favorite 20 minute dinner so that we can all get back to alternating between finding shapes in the clouds and accusing each other of cheating at Nertz. 😂 Priorities.
This is my new fav dinner
My friend Sarah called me up to tell me about this recipe she found in the NYT. She said she fed her entire family from stuff she already had in the cupboard. They ate every bite and fought over the leftovers. And it was healthy to boot. I mean, how could I not make it immediately?
It was a definite winner. This recipe has shown up in different versions all over the internet, but this is my take. (The original recipe creator is Ali Slagle! She’s amazing.)
The idea is super simple. Slice up some shallots and garlic, add in tomato paste and seasonings, dump in a few cans of white beans, top with cheese, and broil for 3 minutes. DONE. The crispy craggy edges are the best part. You can eat this using crusty bread as a scoop, or slap it on some rice or potatoes, or top it with a fried egg. The options are endless!
This is one of those non-recipe recipes that seems like you should be able to just throw it together, but I love having it written out. That’s why I started this blog in the first place! I actually suck at throwing dinner together, even ones as stupid easy as this one.
I LOVE this meal, especially for hot summer nights when I can’t handle the idea of 50 minutes of casserole time in the oven, but I want something warm and homey. It’s called a “bake” but it’s not, really, there is no baking involved, just torching the top of the cheese to get it all melty and pizza-like. America’s kryptonite, right? No shame here. I LIVE for a good cheese crisp.
Cheesy white bean tomato bake ingredients
This recipe is so easy. You can swap out ingredients at will (like mozzarella for Gouda, or onions for shallots) to make it your own, or according to what you have on hand. Check the recipe card for full ingredients amounts and instructions!
- extra-virgin olive oil: make this high quality, if you can!
- fat garlic cloves: use jarred garlic if you must, its a bummer for flavor but sometimes convenience wins, I hear you
- shallots: technically optional but I love the flavor it adds.
- Cento tomato paste: or any high quality brand
- oregano, try to get your dad to grow this in his yard, hang dry it for you, and gift it to you in a ziplock that looks like weed
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- crushed red pepper: adds flavor, not a ton of heat
- canned white beans: I like cannelini or Great Northern
- fresh rosemary: fresh is optional, but it really amps up the flavor!
- smoked gouda: or your favorite white melting cheese!
- parmesan: adds in that perfect nutty, deep flavor.
Step-by-step how to make it
First slice up your garlic and shallots. You don’t even have to chop them, just a quick slice is fine.
Toss them in a pan with some nice olive oil. Let it sauté for a couple minutes.
Then we’re going to add a 6-ounce can of tomato paste, which I know sounds like a lot. Tomato paste is pretty concentrated, so you may be thinking whaaat. But it works, I promise. This is such a quick recipe (that doesn’t cook for very long), that the intense tomato-ness adds a depth of flavor that these beans (which were sitting on the shelf 5 minutes ago) need.
Have you seen this trick for those tiny 6 ounce cans? Use the can opener on both ends, then push it out using the lid.
Add the tomato paste to the shallots, minus the lid.
Add the spices on top of the tomato paste and let this mixture cook for a few minutes, to mellow out the tomato and to give time for the spices to infuse.
More lazy ideas 😂 I like to lightly drain the beans. Take the lid off, hold it on with your finger, and drain off the top part of the liquid. Don’t worry about draining it in a colander. We actually want some of the liquid in the can. It’s full of flavor and bean-ness (a technical term), and it helps to thicken our sauce.
Add all the beans to the pan (it doesn’t matter if you have different kinds, any white bean is fine). Let this mixture simmer and cook for 5-20 minutes, whatever you have time for. Add a little extra water if you are simmering a longer time.
When you are done simmering, add in the fresh rosemary, if you have it:
Then sprinkle the top with some mozzarella,
and some parmesan, of course. Then stick it under the broiler!
and ta-da! That’s it. Dinner is done. Serve this hot mess with some crusty bread and a salad and boom, you’re done.
What to serve this bake with
I think it’s best with a simple main dish to keep the sides simple too. A green salad or your family’s favorite veggie and some good bread for scooping up all that cheesy goodness are all you really need! Here are some ideas to get you started.
Bread:
- Quick and Easy French Bread Recipe >> done in just about an hour, just waiting to be slathered in butter
- The Best Garlic Butter Bread >> it does NOT matter what the dinner is, I will always say yes to garlic bread!
- Cheddar Biscuits >> cheddar biscuits in cheesy beans sounds pretty magical, ngl
- Sweet and Moist Cornbread Recipe >> if you’ve never plopped a whole piece of cornbread right into a bowl of beans (any flavor) and eaten them together, you’re missing out in life
- Artisan Bread from Preppy Kitchen
Salad or Veggies:
- Green Salad with Feta and Beets (The Fanciest No-Chop Salad Ever) >> a delicious salad that can be on the table in about 5 minutes? Yes, please!
- Fresh Coleslaw (with Lemon and Herbs!) >> I love the bright, lemony herb flavors in this slaw, and it would pair so nicely with cheesy beans
- Lemon Almond Green Beans >> another quick and easy option that has tons of flavor
- Easy Roasted Broccoli Recipe >> a no-brainer roasted veggie dish that is a total family favorite here
- Summer Green Salad from Cooking in my Genes
How to store leftover cheesy beans
Cheesy beans need to be refrigerated in an airtight container, and will last in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. You can warm up leftovers in the microwave. Or, add them to an oven safe skillet to heat over the stove, add some extra cheese, and set under the broiler for a few minutes for the best results.
If you have leftover beans you just can’t get to before they go bad, you can definitely freeze them. If you’re looking to make ahead or meal prep, the recipe comes together so fast that it is probably quicker to make these fresh for a meal or to meal prep them for several meals in one week than to freeze and thaw. If you’re making this recipe for a small crowd and don’t want a lot of leftovers, divide the recipe by 2 or 3, so you are just using 1 or 2 cans of beans.
To freeze cheesy beans, add them to a freezer ziplock bag, squeeze all the air out, and seal. They will be good in the freezer for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then warm up in an oven safe skillet. Once warm, add extra cheese, and finish under the broiler for a few minutes til all melty.
Cheesy bean frequently asked questions
Absolutely! I love the size, flavor, and look of the white beans, but any type of plain canned beans will do. Use up what you have!
I love to play with this. Gouda and parmesan are specified in the recipe, but you can use whatever you’ve got in the cheese drawer. If you don’t like gouda, use gruyere or havarti. If you don’t have any on hand but do have mozzarella, cheddar, or monterey jack, use that!
Because this recipe is so simple, it really opens the door to lots of variations that you can try, depending on the time and ingredients you have available. Try switching the beans or cheeses you use. You could make a spicy version by adding diced jalapenos or increasing the amount of red pepper flakes. If you really want to have meat, you can add cooked bacon crumbles or stir in some andouille sausage or even cooked chicken breast before adding the cheese and broiling.
More easy recipes when you need dinner FAST
Some nights dinner just sneaks up on you. Other nights your schedule gets turned on its head and you have to make changes, quick. And then there are those days where you’re in a mood and just CANNOT with dinner, again. Ha! Here are some of my tried and true super fast dinners to get dinner done and on the table without a fuss.
- Shakshuka, But Better >> this recipe also has beans, but in a spiced onion and tomato sauce with eggs poached right in. Sooo good!
- Best Chicken Tacos Recipe (Stovetop or Crockpot) >> the perfect recipe to help you go from zero to tacos in your mouth in 30 minutes
- 30 Minute Korean Beef Recipe >> So good, so little effort. If you’re like me and always keep some ground beef in the freezer, this is such a clutch dinner
- Easy Wonton Soup Recipe with Frozen Wontons >> I’m obsessed with the soup because yes, it’s delicious, but also because it’s done in about 15 minutes flat!
- Creamy Tomato Soup >> a twenty minute miracle soup plus some grilled cheese sandwiches = dinner heaven
- 20 Minute Broccoli Lemon Pasta Skillet >> this checks all the boxes: easy, tasty, and healthy
- Shrimp Tacos from Well Plated
- 20 minute Saucy Cashew Chicken & Broccoli from Kale Junkie
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Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
Equipment
- cast iron skillet or any skillet that can go from the stove to the oven
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 small shallots, or 1 large shallot
- 1 (6 ounce can) high quality tomato paste, I like Cento brand
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, use 1 and 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
- 3 (15-ounce) cans white beans, cannellini
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine (or use 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 cup smoked gouda, or mozzarella cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup parmesan, finely shredded
- crusty French bread , for serving
Instructions
- Prep your veggies: Thinly slice 5 cloves of garlic. Thinly slice 2 small shallots. (or chopping them is fine, if you prefer)
- Heat a large, oven safe skillet (I use a cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Let it preheat for 1 minute.
- Add 1/4 cup olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots. Saute for 3 minutes, then add the sliced garlic.
- Saute the garlic and shallots on medium heat for about 60 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant and just barely starting to brown.
- Add 1 (6-oz) can Cento tomato paste. Quality really matters for this ingredient. Stir it all together, spreading the tomato paste out in the pan.
- Season the mixture with 1 tablespoon oregano, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper.* Stir the spices in and let the tomato paste cook in the pan for about 2 minutes.
- Add the beans. Open 3 cans of white beans. Place the removed lid on top of the open can, and dump some of the liquid sitting on top of the beans into the sink. Do not drain the beans in a colander, and definitely don't rinse. We are only partially draining them. Turn the can upside down in the sink and give it a couple shakes, and call it good. Repeat with the other two cans. Add all the partially drained beans to the pan with the tomato paste.
- Add 3/4 cup water to the pan. Stir it all together and turn the heat up to medium high and bring to a simmer, meaning that it will be bubbling. Lower the heat to medium low. Cook for about 10 minutes at a low simmer (small occasional bubbles.)
- Turn off the stove and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary.
- Give it a taste and see if you want to adjust the seasonings.
- Shred 2 cups of smoked gouda cheese.** Sprinkle the cheese all over the top of the beans.
- Shred 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the beans.
- Turn your broiler to high heat. Move the oven rack up so that the pan is a few inches away from the heat.
- Broil the cheesy beans for 2-4 minutes. After 2 minutes, start checking it every 30 seconds. Broiling can take you from nothing to on fire in seconds, so stick around! Take it out when the cheese is melted and has started to brown in spots.
- Serve hot with crusty French bread!
- Storage: Store any leftovers covered in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, or put it back in a pan and heat on the stove and repeat the broiling process.
- Freezing: Beans freeze phenomenally! Add any cooled leftovers to a ziplock and freeze for 2-3 months. Let thaw in the fridge overnight, then add it to an oven-safe pan, heat on low (sprinkle with water and stir if it's very thick) until warm. Then add more cheese and broil as directed.
