This easy dump and bake 5-ingredient dinner is your new favorite thing to make for dinner or as an appetizer to bring to a party! Just pour everything in the pan, bake, and then serve with toasty bread for dipping and enjoying the sauce. This Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake recipe is viral for a reason!
I have my busy weeks where I need 'dump and go' dinners. However, you know I'm not going to sacrifice flavor or nutrition for anything! I have been seeing incredible baked bean dishes online lately, but none caught my eye like this one has. While my Boston Baked Beans are truly a labor of love, this cheesy white bean tomato bake is anything but labor!
I adapted this recipe from the New York Times version and the Smitten Kitchen famous 'pizza beans.' My version of cheesy white bean tomato bake has way more tomato flavor and way more sauce than the New York Times version. And while I do love the Smitten Kitchen version of pizza beans and make it often, this is a shortcut method that does not contain any chopped vegetables. It's truly a dump and go recipe, but you will be rewarded with so much flavor!
The Ingredients
I'm saying this recipe has only 5 ingredients, because I'm assuming you have olive oil, salt, pepper and boiling water in your house already. You need an 8 or 9-inch baking dish for this recipe. I use a 9-inch round pie pan most frequently, but a square brownie pan is fine, too.
- Olive Oil. Just two tablespoon of olive oil for the bottom of the dish. It doesn't need to be extra virgin since we're baking it. This is plenty to coat the bottom of the pan and prevent any sticking.
- Garlic. Three cloves of garlic that have been thinly sliced. You can buy already peeled garlic cloves as a shortcut, but I really don't recommend the already chopped garlic. Fresh garlic is best.
- White Beans. You need two 15-ounce (or one 29-ounce) can of white beans. For this cheesy white bean tomato bake, you can use large white Gigante beans, or regular navy, cannellini white beans.
- Canned Tomatoes. One 15-ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes is best here, but if you just have regular diced that's fine, too.
- Tomato Paste. Using 3 tablespoons of double-concentrate tomato paste amps up the tomato flavor here. You can also add a handful of cherry tomatoes to the top of the dish for more tomato flavor, like I did in the video.
- Mozzarella Cheese. Six ounces of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced or grated is fine.
How to Make Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
First, preheat the oven to 475-degrees Fahrenheit (yes, this is very hot), and have an oven rack position in the upper third of the oven.
In the bottom of a 9-inch round or square baking dish, add the olive oil and thinly sliced garlic cloves.
Pour the drained and rinsed beans into the dish.
Add the diced tomatoes (with all of the juices from the can), the tomato paste, salt, pepper and ½ cup of boiling water. Stir very well, but try not to disturb the garlic on the bottom of the pan.
Arrange the fresh mozzarella slices on top, and bake for 10 minutes. If the mixture is bubbling but the cheese isn’t starting to turn golden brown, use the broiler until golden brown and bubbly.
Recipe Variations
- Vegan - I have omitted the cheese for a vegan in my life, and also have used a great dairy-free mozzarella from the brand 'Miyoko's.' I have also used the 'pourable pizza cheese' from Miyoko's, and it's totally delicious here. This dish is totally veganizable!
- Tomatoes - If you can't find the small can of fire roasted tomatoes, you can use regular diced or crushed tomatoes. If you use half of a large can of fire-roasted tomatoes, use the rest of the can in my vegetarian chili slow cooker recipe.
- Beans - Technically, any white beans will work here: the big Gigante beans are what is commonly used, but butter beans, white beans, navy beans, or cannellini beans all work.
Cheesy White Bean Tomato Bake
Cheesy white bean tomato bake in a casserole dish for scooping up with toasted bread is ready in 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 29-ounce can of white beans (or 2 15-ounce cans), drained and rinsed
- 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons double-concentrate tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup boiling water
- 6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 475-degrees F, and have an oven rack position in the upper third of the oven.
- In the bottom of a 9-inch round pie pan or 8 or 9-inch square pan, add the olive oil.
- Scatter the sliced garlic cloves all over the oil.
- Pour the drained and rinsed beans into the dish.
Add the diced tomatoes (with all of the juices from the can), the tomato paste, salt, pepper and boiling water. Stir the mixture together very well, but try not to disturb the garlic pieces on the bottom of the pan. - Arrange the fresh mozzarella slices on top, and bake for 10 minutes. If the mixture is bubbling but the cheese isn’t starting to turn golden brown, use the broiler.
Notes
Vegan - I have omitted the cheese for a vegan in my life, and also have used a great dairy-free mozzarella from the brand 'Miyoko's.' I have also used the 'pourable pizza cheese' from Miyoko's, and it's totally delicious here. This dish is totally veganizable!
Tomatoes - If you can't find the small can of fire roasted tomatoes, you can use regular diced or crushed tomatoes. If you use half of a large can of fire-roasted tomatoes, use the rest of the can in my vegetarian chili slow cooker recipe.
Beans - Technically, any white beans will work here: the big Gigante beans are what is commonly used, but butter beans, white beans, navy beans, or cannellini beans all work.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 502Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 1547mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 15gSugar: 5gProtein: 31g
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