Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
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This Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake is packed with protein, flavorful and delicious, easy to make, and a great appetizer or side dish. It’s s similar to a Mexican-flavored dip too. Serve it with tortilla chips or with tacos for dinner. This is a simple recipe, and it’s perfect for the whole family to enjoy as a meatless meal or perfect for parties. We hope you all love this recipe as much as we do. The melty cheese with spices and creamy white beans is delicious.
🫘 Creamy Baked White Beans
There are several different white beans that have a creamy center. The most common ones are Navy Beans, Great Northern Beans, Butter Beans (also known as Lima Beans), and Cannellini beans. We prefer Navy Beans in this recipe because they have a more subtle flavor and are creamier in texture. Butter Beans are our second go-to when making this dish because they are buttery, rich in flavor, and creamy. The two beans we don’t recommend for this dish are Great Northern Beans and Cannellini Beans because Great Northern Beans have a firmer texture and a pronounced flavor. At the same time, Cannellini Beans (also referred to as white kidney beans) are meatier and earthy.
🍅 Ingredients
This cheesy white beans recipe calls for simple ingredients, which can be easily found at a local grocery store. Here’s what you will need to make this delicious bean bake.
- Shallot. Adds a mild onion flavor. We don’t want to overpower the recipe with onion flavor, so the mild shallot flavor is perfect.
- Garlic. We add three garlic cloves to this recipe for flavor.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.
- White Beans. We prefer Navy Beans for their creamy and subtle flavor. Butter Beans, aka Lima Beans, are also suitable for that creamy texture.
- Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes. Or substitute with regular diced tomatoes or crushed whole tomatoes. We prefer the fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor.
- Tomato Paste. We only add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste for a deeper tomato flavor.
- Chicken Broth. Or substitute with vegetable broth if vegetarian.
- Spices. The spices we use in this recipe are chipotle powder, smoked paprika, Mexican oregano (or regular oregano), black pepper, and red pepper flakes (optional).
- Salt. We first salt when sauteing the shallot and garlic with olive oil, then we salt to taste the dish when we add the tomatoes, beans, and chicken broth with seasoning.
- Lime Juice. It adds a nice acidity and flavor; be sure to use freshly squeezed lime juice and not the bottle of lime juice from the store.
- Mexican Cheese Blend. We used a thick-cut cheese blend from the store, but feel free to combine fresh cheese, like Cojita, Cheddar Cheese and Monterey Jack, and Queso cheese.
🥘 Instructions
This cheesy white bean tomato bake recipe is simple to make. To make this a one-pan meal with little cleanup, we recommend having a large ovenproof skillet or a cast-iron skillet. If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, we recommend adding everything to a baking dish before adding the cheese.
- Preheat Oven. Preheat the oven to 400° F and continue with the next steps.
- Sauté Shallot and Garlic. Add olive oil to a cast-iron skillet or oven-safe pan once it’s preheated over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallot and garlic and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until the shallots start caramelizing, which is quick, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in Beans, Tomatoes, and Broth. Add the white beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth to the same pan. Add the seasoning and carefully mix everything. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat, and continue simmering for 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced almost in half.
- Taste and Season. Add 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and stir everything. At this time, taste the sauce, and determine if you need to add another generous pinch of salt for flavor or lime juice for balance.
- Add Cheese and Bake. Generously sprinkle cheese all over the top of the mixture and carefully transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for 20 minutes or once you see the cheese turning brown.
- Serve and Enjoy. Carefully remove from the oven and add toppings, such as cilantro, hot sauce, and sour cream, and enjoy.
FAQs
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave until hot, and give everything a quick stir.
You can serve this as a dip with tortilla chips or as a side dish with your favorite Mexican recipes like tacos or quesadillas. This is an excellent recipe for serving a crowd for a fiesta or game day party. Or, for an easy dinner, you layer it on flour or corn tortillas to make tostadas or burritos.
You can use both for this recipe.
If using canned beans, I recommend draining them and giving them a quick rinse before using.
For dried beans, I recommend soaking them for at least 5 hours or overnight with a pinch of salt. Then, drain, rinse, and cook the beans in a pot with broth or water with 2 generous pinches of salt, a pinch of black pepper, and 2 bay leaves. Cook on the stovetop or pressure cooker, depending on how you cook your homemade beans.
This Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake is easy to make, packed with protein, flavorful, and delicious. It’s the perfect appetizer to serve with a crowd or as a side dish with dinner. We hope you all love our recipe. Enjoy! ♡
Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 garlic minced
- pinch of salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 2 cups white beans such as navy beans or butter beans
- 14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken broth or substitute veggie broth
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- pinch of red chili flakes optional
- 2-3 tbsp lime juice
- pinch of salt plus more to taste
- ¾ cup Mexican Cheese Blend
- cilantro
- hot sauce
- sour cream
- cotija cheese
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Sauté Shallot and Garlic. Add olive oil to a cast-iron skillet or oven-safe pan once it’s preheated over medium-high heat. Add the minced shallot and garlic and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir until the shallots start to caramelize, about 2 minutes.2 tbsp olive oil, 1 shallot, 3 garlic, pinch of salt, pinch of black pepper
- Stir in Beans, Tomatoes, Broth, and Spices. Add the white beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth to the same pan. Add the seasoning (chili powder, smoked paprika, oregano, red chili flakes, and a pinch of salt) and carefully mix everything. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat, and continue simmering for 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced almost in half.2 cups white beans, 14.5 oz fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, pinch of red chili flakes
- Taste and Season. Add 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice and stir everything. Taste the sauce, and determine if you need to add a generous pinch of salt for flavor or more lime juice for balance. Take a spoonful of the sauce and add to a small bowl. Add a drop of lime juice and taste. If it tastes better, add more lime juice to the pan. Repeat with a sprinkle of salt. Repeat one more time until you find that perfect balance.2-3 tbsp lime juice, pinch of salt
- Add Cheese and Bake. Generously sprinkle cheese all over the top of the bean mixture and carefully transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Cook for 20 minutes or once the cheese starts to turn brown.3/4 cup Mexican Cheese Blend
- Serve and Enjoy. Carefully remove from the oven and add toppings, such as cilantro, hot sauce, and sour cream, and enjoy.
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