If you’re looking for an inexpensive, rib-sticking, pantry-based meal, look no further than my Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake! Made from a bag of dried butter beans (or any dried white beans) and a few basic veggies, this cheesy bean bake is the heartier, arguably healthier version of baked rigatoni.
That lonesome bag of dried beans in your pantry is begging to be used, and this hearty recipe is a prime contender. Featuring meaty white beans in a veggie-packed tomato sauce, topped with oodles of cheese, and baked till golden brown and gooey, these cheesy beans are sure to win over even the staunchest legume detractors.
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Why You’ll Love This Cheesy Bean Bake Recipe
I’ve been a fan-girl of Deb Perelman over at Smitten Kitchen since the early aughts, and her recipe for pizza beans has been part of my repertoire since she released it. I’ve adapted her recipe to work with dried lima beans (or the dried white beans of your choice) and added a few bits of personal flair, but the end result is equally cheesy and satisfying.
Aside from tasting eerily close to a slice of ‘za, this cheesy white bean-tomato bake is:
- Perfect for Rent Week - Whether you’re participating in a no-spend challenge or your coffers are empty till your next paycheck, this dried lima bean recipe is here for you. Aside from a can of tomatoes and a bag of beans, the only items you need are cheap and long-lasting — French mirepoix, garlic, a jalapeño, whatever leafy greens are kicking around in the fridge or freezer, and cheese.
- Rich & Filling - Despite the relatively virtuous list of ingredients, these baked tomato cheese beans are enough to satisfy even the gnarliest hunger pangs. Better yet, one pot makes a whopping 8-10 servings, so you’ll have plenty for leftovers throughout the week.
- Endlessly Riffable - Swap out the variety of beans to match what’s in your pantry, add or omit veggies to your liking, amp up the heat, add sausage… options abound. Read on below for more ideas!
- Easy Peasy - While the recipe takes a decent amount of time to make, there’s very little active prep required. Most of the time is dedicated to soaking and cooking the beans to al dente perfection, perfect for when you’re puttering around the house. The amount of work you’ll have to do only equates to about 30 minutes.
Ingredients & Substitutions
As promised, you only need a few ingredients to make a delightfully thrifty and deliciously cozy batch of cheesy beans with tomato sauce. Here’s what to grab:
- Dried White Beans - Butter beans, also known as Lima beans, are readily available at most grocery stores. If you have a larger variety to choose from, Greek Gigante beans or Royal Corona beans are amazing. Smaller white beans like cannellini or great northern beans work, too; I just prefer the texture of the larger varieties in this application.
- Olive Oil - For sautéing. Feel free to swap in your preferred oil (e.g. avocado or canola).
- Carrots, Celery, & Yellow Onion - These three humble ingredients team up to form the French trinity known as mirepoix. Feel free to use frozen diced veggies to save on prep time. You can also swap the carrots for green bell peppers if you prefer the Cajun trinity.
- Jalapeños - Joe and I love heat, so chiles go into nearly everything I make. Feel free to omit them if you are sensitive to heat. You can also add more or swap in the chile of your choice.
- Garlic - In our house, “too garlicky” isn’t a thing. Feel free to dial back the enthusiasm if you prefer.
- Canned San Marzano Tomatoes - San Marzano tomatoes are far and away the best canned tomatoes you can get, but you can definitely use regular canned whole roma tomatoes instead. Make sure to reach for the kind that are packed in tomato purée. Alternatively, canned cherry tomatoes are also great.
- Kale - Despite my best efforts, I always seem to end up with more kale than I anticipated. Adding it to soups, stews, and casseroles like this is a great way to put it to use before it goes bad. Feel free to swap in the leafy greens of your choice, including but not limited to spinach, frozen spinach, or chard.
- Edam Cheese - This is a bit more obscure, but it was what was an Aldi find that was in my fridge and I’m on the no-spend January challenge with the rest of y’all! Feel free to swap in low-moisture mozzarella, or any other melty cheese of your choice (e.g. cheddar, pepperjack, or any other cheese you’d put on pizza).
- Parmesan Cheese - For extra cheesy, salty goodness. You’re welcome to use any hard-aged Italian cheese you have on hand.
- Italian Seasoning & Red Pepper Flakes - I love the idea of pizza beans, so I opted to dress my cheese up just like I would my favorite slice. Feel free to omit or swap in your own favorite toppings.
- Fresh Parsley - Totally optional, but lovely for a pop of green and a touch of bright, lemony flavor. I prefer flat-leaf parsley, but curly works too!
How To Make Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
Don’t go getting scared off by a long set of instructions. This white bean tomato bake is easy enough for even a complete cooking noob to master. Here’s how it’s done:
How to Prepare Dried Beans
Step 1: Clean. Thoroughly rinse and pick over the dried beans for stones or debris. Place rinsed beans in a large bowl.
Step 2: Soak. Cover with enough cool water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Cover and soak 6-8 hours or overnight.
Step 3: Drain and discard soaking water. Set beans aside.
How to Cook Dried Lima Beans (or Any Dried Beans)
Step 1: Sauté Aromatics. In a Dutch oven or large oven-safe pot with lid, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the carrots, celery, onions, and jalapeño. Sauté till veggies begin to soften and onions become translucent, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté till fragrant, about 1 minute.
Step 2: Boil. Add drained, soaked beans and enough cool water to cover them by about 2 inches. (I used about 2000mL). Bring to a boil for 10-15 minutes, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Step 3: Simmer. Cover the pot and gently simmer the beans for 1-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans have softened to al dente. Season with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt after the beans have begun to soften, at least 20 minutes before they're done cooking entirely.
Step 4: Strain off the bean cooking liquid, reserving for later.
How to Assemble Cheesy Beans
Step 1: Prep Veggies. While the beans are cooking, prepare the tomatoes and kale. Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and squish into roughly cherry tomato-sized pieces with your hands or a pair of scissors. Set aside. Remove kale stems and chop leaves. If you don't want to waste the stems, chop them finely.
Step 2: Sauté. Return the Dutch oven to medium heat. Add another 1-2 tablespoon oil, then briefly sauté the kale till it begins to wilt. Using a slotted spoon, add the tomato pieces, reserving the liquid.
Step 3: Add the cooked beans and aromatics back to the pot. Slowly add the leftover tomato juice, as needed. The beans shouldn't look completely dry, but they shouldn't be stewy, either. We're basically making baked rigatoni, but with beans. If needed, add up to ½ cup of the bean cooking liquid next.
Step 4: Season again with kosher salt, to taste. (I used about 1 ½ teaspoons here)
Step 5: Prepare for Oven. Remove the beans from the heat. Spread beans/veggies in an even layer. Preheat the oven to 475F. Add the shredded Edam (or preferred melting cheese) first, then top evenly with parmesan. Sprinkle on the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes with the same vigor as you would on your favorite slice of pizza.
Step 6: Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is browned and bubbly. If needed, you can hit it with the broiler to make this process go faster — just keep an eye on it!
Step 7: Serve & Enjoy! Carefully remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Serve with (or on top of) a piece of buttered toast or garlic bread. Garnish with parsley, if desired, then dig in!
Optional Variations
The great thing about this white bean casserole is how versatile it is. Here are just a few ideas to make it work with what you’ve got:
- Swap Your Beans or Cheese - No big dried white beans? Use small ones! No white beans at all? Pinto’s will do! As far as cheese is concerned, use whatever kind of melty goodness you have kicking around. Mozzarella is great for stretch, but queso quesadilla, colby, jack, pepperjack, cheddar, or gouda are all great options too!
- Dairy-Free/Vegan - To make these cheesy beans vegan-friendly, simply swap in the vegan melting cheese of your choice, and use vegan butter on your toast. 😉
- Add or Swap Veggies - I stuck with the basics that are always in my fridge, but you’re welcome to switch things up. As I mentioned above, green bell pepper can stand in for carrots. You can also add any color of bell pepper, chopped mushrooms, or any other veggies you like. Just make sure to sauté them first for the best flavor.
- Meat Lovers’ - If going completely vegetarian isn’t your style, consider beefing up your white bean bake with some Italian sausage. After the beans have cooked, before you add kale to the pan, brown up to 1 pound of mild or hot Italian sausage and break it up into bits. Add the kale (you probably won’t need any extra oil), then continue with the recipe as instructed.
Expert Tips
- Soak your beans. A little bit of forethought is always a boon when working with dried beans. Soaking helps to cut back on cook time, helps the beans cook more evenly, and apparently can help with some of the more *musical* aspects of the beans. If you can’t soak the beans overnight, you can do a shortcut version — pour boiling water over the beans to cover by 2 inches, then soak for an hour and drain.
- Shred your own cheese. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it a million times more: always shred your own cheese. It’s cheaper than buying it pre-shredded and it melts way better.
- Wait to add salt or acid. There’s a school of thought that says adding salt or acid to bean cooking water too early will cause the skins to toughen and the beans to take longer to cook. Wait to add either until the beans have begun to soften, but aren’t yet fully cooked.
- Trust your teeth. There’s no precise amount of time it’ll take to cook a bag of beans. It varies widely depending on a variety of factors, including how fresh the dried beans are. If they’ve been sitting in your pantry collecting dust for over a year, they will take longer. Whether or not you soaked them will also affect cook time, as will the variety of beans you use. The best way to know if they’re done is to take a bite.
- Use the kale stems. Kale stems get a bad rap for being tough, but they’re filled with all the same goodies as the leaves. To get the most bang for your buck, chop up the stems nice and fine and toss them in with the leaves.
- Save the bean cooking liquid. You probably won’t need more than about ¼ cup of the bean cooking liquid for this recipe, but don’t go tossing it down the drain! It’s super flavorful and is already pre-starched, making it great for adding body to soups, stews, gravy, and sauces. You can use it pretty much anywhere you’d use regular veggie broth.
- Save the parmesan rind. When you grate your own parm, you get the added bonus of the hard rind. While some might throw it away, don’t! It’s filled with delicious umami flavor. I like to pop them in the freezer, then toss one in to add flavor to whatever soup or pasta sauce I’m making.
Frequently Asked Questions
So long as dried beans are stored in a dry spot and don’t get infested by pests, they don’t really go “bad,” per se. Rather, they just become a bit stale. The longer they sit on the shelf, the more dry they become, so they’ll take a bit longer to cook up. The texture might not be quite as delicious as if they were fresh, but they are still perfectly safe and edible.
That said, if you’ve used your dry beans as pie weights, don’t try using them to cook with; keep them as pie weights. Similarly, if your bag of beans has been exposed to moisture and shows signs of molding or spoilage, throw them away (preferably in the compost pile). And finally, if a mouse or rat has nibbled the corner of the bag, toss the whole thing; it’s no longer safe to eat.
It depends. Soaking the beans ahead of time and using dried beans that are less than a year from the purchase date will cook faster than older or unsoaked beans. Generally speaking, you’ll need between 1-3 hours to cook dried beans on the stovetop.
Yep! They’re a smaller variety than lima beans, but they’ll totally work in this white bean tomato cheese bake.
Technically speaking, I don’t think so. They’re more pinkish-brown. That said, you can certainly use them in this recipe. They also make fantastic refried beans and charro beans!
Absolutely! If you do, I recommend following the OG instructions from Smitten Kitchen. Just remember to drain and rinse them first.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- These cheesy tomato white beans will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- If possible, store them in Pyrex (borosilicate glass) containers so you can remove the lid and bake them back to bubbly goodness without dirtying another dish.
- To reheat, I recommend using the oven or toaster oven set to about 200-250F. They should warm through in about 30 minutes. If you’re in more of a rush, microwaving also works!
More Cheap Pantry-Based Recipes
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Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake With Dried Butter Beans
Equipment
- Mixing/Prep Bowls
- Large Mesh Strainer or Colander
Ingredients
- 1 pound Dried White Beans, Large rinsed and picked over. Preferably Butter Beans, Lima, Gigante, or Royal Corona, but smaller varieties like cannellini work too.
- Cool Water
- 3-4 tablespoon Olive Oil, divided
- 230 grams Carrots, Diced Small about 3 large, 1 ¾ Cups
- 165 grams Celery, Diced Small about 3-4 stalks, 1 ½ Cups
- 300 grams Yellow Onion, Diced Small about 1 large, 3 Cups
- 1-2 Jalapeños, Diced Small optional, can omit if sensitive to heat
- 6-10 cloves Garlic, Chopped Small
- ~2000 mL Cool Water
- 3-4 teaspoon Kosher Salt, divided
- 28 oz Canned San Marzano Tomatoes packed in tomato purée
- 6 oz Kale stems removed and diced fine, leaves chopped into 2" pieces; can swap in the leafy greens of your choice (e.g. spinach)
- 6-8 oz Edam Cheese or low-moisture mozzarella, or any other melty cheese of your choice; coarsely shredded
- 3 oz Parmesan Cheese or any hard-aged Italian cheese, coarsely shredded
- Italian Seasoning to taste
- Red Pepper Flakes to taste
- Fresh Italian Parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
Prepare Dried Beans
- Thoroughly rinse and pick over the dried beans for stones or debris. Cover with enough cool water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Cover and soak 6-8 hours or overnight. [If you're in a rush, you can pour boiling water over the beans to cover by 2 inches, then soak for an hour.] Drain and discard soaking water. Set beans aside.
Cook Dried Beans
- In a Dutch oven or large oven-safe pot with lid, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the carrots, celery, onions, and jalapeño. Sauté till veggies begin to soften and onions become translucent, about 8-10 minutes.
- Add garlic and sauté till fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add drained, soaked beans and enough cool water to cover them by about 2 inches. (I used about 2000mL). Bring to a boil for 10-15 minutes, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and simmer 1-3 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans have softened to al dente. Season with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt after the beans have begun to soften, at least 20 minutes before they're done cooking entirely. Strain off the bean cooking liquid by pouring the beans through a colander set over a bowl. Reserve the beans and the liquid for later.
Assemble & Bake
- While the beans are cooking, prepare the tomatoes and kale. Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and squish into roughly cherry tomato-sized pieces with your hands or a pair of scissors. Set aside. Remove kale stems and chop leaves. If you don't want to waste the stems, chop them finely.
- Return the Dutch oven to medium heat. Add another 1-2 tablespoon oil, then briefly sauté the kale and kale stems till the leaves begin to wilt and the stems soften. Using a slotted spoon, add the tomato pieces, reserving the liquid.
- Add the cooked beans and aromatics back to the pot. Slowly add the leftover tomato juice, as needed. The beans shouldn't look completely dry, but they shouldn't be stewy, either. We're basically making baked rigatoni, but with beans. If needed, add up to ½ cup of the bean cooking liquid next. (The rest can be saved for making soup or sauce — it's pre-starched vegetable stock!)
- Season again with kosher salt, to taste. (I used about 1 ½ teaspoons here)Remove from heat. Spread beans/veggies in an even layer. Preheat the oven to 475F.
- Add the shredded Edam (or preferred melting cheese) first, then top evenly with parmesan. Sprinkle on the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes with the same vigor as you would on your favorite slice of pizza.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes in the preheated oven, until cheese is browned and bubbly. If needed, you can hit it with the broiler to make this process go faster — just keep an eye on it!
- Carefully remove from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Serve with (or on top of) a piece of buttered toast or garlic bread. Garnish with parsley, if desired, then dig in!
Storage & Reheating
- These cheesy tomato white beans will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If possible, store them in Pyrex (borosilicate glass) containers so you can remove the lid and bake them back to bubbly goodness without dirtying another dish.To reheat, I recommend using the oven or toaster oven set to about 200-250F. They should warm through in about 30 minutes. If you’re in more of a rush, microwaving also works!
Notes
- The amount of time the beans take to cook to al dente is dependent on a few factors. First, pre-soaking the beans will cut down on cook time. Even if you can only soak for 2 hours, that's better than nothing. Second, the age of the dried beans will play a factor. If they've been sitting in your pantry for a few years, they're going to take longer than freshly dried beans. Third, the variety of beans will also play a factor. I like using fat beans like butter beans/lima beans or gigante beans, but smaller white beans will also work.
- Only boil for 15 minutes. After that, the beans should be simmered gently. You should see small bubbles coming to the surface, but you don't want them to get pulverized, so keep it low.
- Wait to add salt. While common cooking practice encourages salting at every step, you need to be a bit careful with dried beans. Wait to add any salt or acid to the pot until the beans are beginning to soften, or they may end up tough.
- Waste not, want not. While kale stems are tough, they're still edible. I like to chop them finely and add them in with the aromatics. Also, hang onto the bean cooking liquid — you can use it for soup, sauce, or stew later in the week. As a bonus, it's already pre-starched, so it adds lovely body to whatever you make.
- Shred your own cheese. It melts so much better! Also, feel free to play with cheese varieties. The inspiration here is baked rigatoni and/or pizza, so use whatever you like on your slice. Since I'm doing No-Spend January, I used the Edam I bought from Aldi a couple of months ago.
Mackenzie says
I'm trying to eat more beans lately and love this recipe! It was such a tasty, comforting dish for me and my partner!
Ash, The Grocery Addict says
That makes me so happy! I'm obsessed with beans and feel like they don't get the love they deserve. 💛