I’m excited to share another delicious recipe in partnership with Alberta Pulse Growers. If you are looking for a hearty weeknight dinner idea, you’ll love this cheesy white bean-tomato bake. This vegetarian meal is the perfect side dish, but can easily be turned into a main dish paired with a simple side salad and a piece of warm crusty bread.
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This bean bake uses a few simple pantry ingredients and requires minimal prep. Best of all, it’s sure to please the whole family!
3 Important Benefits of Adding Pulses to your Diet
Not only do beans add texture, colour and taste to your recipe, but above all beans provide important health benefits.
High Levels of Plant Protein
Typically, pulses contain twice the amount of protein found in whole grains like wheat, oats, barley and rice. Consuming the recommended amount of daily protein is important for:
- Building lean muscle.
- Helping maintain a healthy weight.
- Curbing hunger.
High in Fibre
Pulses are very high in fibre and contain both soluble and insoluble fibre. Diets that are high in fibre can help with weight management. Dietary fibre aids in satiety and supports digestive health by promoting regularity.
Micronutrient Rich
Pulses provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals including iron, potassium, magnesium zinc, and folate. Diets that incorporate pulses have demonstrated higher intakes of protein, fibre, folate zinc, calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium, and decreased consumption of saturated fat.
Resource: Pulse Canada
Looking for more plant-based protein meal ideas? Try these!
Black Bean, Feta and Cucumber Salad
Black Bean Vegetarian Chili with Dark Chocolate
Hearty Tortilla Soup with Black Beans and Corn
Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito Bowl
Why you’ll love this Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake recipe
- Easy! This simple recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes and uses mostly ingredients you probably have already in your pantry. This recipe also requires minimal produce, so it is very budget friendly as well!
- Use what you have on hand. For this recipe, I used Great Northern Beans but you can also use your favourite dry or canned beans or whatever you have on hand. Cannelli beans, Chickpeas or even Red Kidney beans are all great options.
- You can add extra protein. If you want to double up on the protein, you can also add in some ground beef or shredded chicken. It’s a great way to make this dish even more filling.
Ingredients for these cheesy white beans
- 1 tbsp of canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (14 oz)
- 2 cans of white beans (15 oz each)
- 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp of dried basil
- 1 tsp of dried oregano
- 1 tsp of dried thyme
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
How to make a Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
step 1
Preheat the oven to 425 F. Using a large ovenproof skillet, add the tablespoon of oil to medium-high heat. Next, add the diced onion and cook for a few minutes until soft (about 3 minutes).
step 2
Then, add in the chopped garlic and diced red pepper and cook for a couple of minutes until soft, about 4 minutes. Reduce to medium heat if your garlic is cooking too fast (we do not want it to get too crispy or burn). Next, add in the diced tomatoes and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.
step 3
Stir in the spices (red pepper flakes, dried basil, dried thyme and dried oregano), one or two generous pinches of salt and pepper, then cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
step 4
Add in the white beans and stir to combine.
step 5
Finally, sprinkle cheese over the bean mixture and transfer the skillet into the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese turns golden brown…kind of like baked lasagna’s edges.
Optional: for extra crisp cheese, broil for 1-2 minutes before removing from the oven.
What to serve with cheesy white bean tomato bake
My favourite way to enjoy this dish is to add a few spoonfuls on a slice of toasted bread with a little grated parmesan cheese for a quick lunch. For a delicious dinner idea, I love serving this alongside some rice or a simple baby spinach salad.
How should you store your Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
Since this dish can easily be made in advance, allow to come to room temperature and cover it with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for up to three days. You can also transfer it to a baking dish and just reheat it in the oven when you are ready to serve.
Can you freeze this Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake?
Yes, absolutely. This is another reason why I love making this ahead for delicious dinners for a busy weeknight. You can portion it out and or store leftovers in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Simply reheat at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until you achieve bubbly melty cheese at the top.
Easiest Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp of canola oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (14 oz)
- 2 cans of white beans (14 oz each) (2 ½ cups cooked beans)
- 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp of dried basil
- 1 tsp of dried oregano
- 1 tsp of dried thyme
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Using a large ovenproof skillet, add the tablespoon of oil to medium-high heat. Next add the diced onion and cook for a few minutes until soft (about 3 minutes).
- Then, add in the chopped garlic and diced red pepper and cook for a couple of minutes until soft, about 4 minutes.
- Stir in the spices (red pepper flakes, dried basil, dried thyme and dried oregano), one or two generous pinches of salt and pepper, then cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add in the white beans and stir to combine.
- Finally, sprinkle cheese over the bean mixture and transfer the skillet into the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese turns golden brown…kind of like baked lasagna’s edges.
Notes
My favourite way to enjoy this dish is to add a few spoonfuls on a slice of toasted bread with a little grated parmesan cheese for a quick lunch. For a delicious dinner idea, I love serving this alongside some rice or a simple baby spinach salad.
Christopher is a food and lifestyle expert, recipe developer and the content creator behind May Eighty Five. With over 6 years of creating recipes for your favourite food brands, he also shares tips, tricks and how to’s that he has learnt over the years. Every week, he shares quick, simple and mostly healthy recipes along with some home and entertaining tips. You will find flavorful cocktails, delicious appetizers, tasty mains and some indulgent desserts.
