This post was updated 1/18/22
From “I’m Hungry” to “Dinner’s Ready” in Twenty
Have you ever wanted warm, comforting home-cooked food…now? The kind where you don’t have to simmer a pot all day or plan ahead? You want relatively healthy, super simple dinner in a flash. This is it. This is cheesy baked beans. Using ingredients you probably already have. From start to finish, you could have this on your table in just twenty minutes.
Jump to Recipe
A Delicious Meal Using Pantry Staples
I love that this recipe is so flavorful but that it comes together quickly with pantry staples. Beans, canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, spices, olive oil and cheese. Optional add-ons are bread or tortillas. Up the protein if desired with, my favorite, fried eggs, or brown some meat alongside the onion. It’s a hearty meal for a cold night.
Healthy Yet Comforting
Are you coming off the holidays with a few extra pounds? This is the perfect recipe to bridge the gap between holiday feasting and squeaky clean eating (if we ever get there…I mean, I haven’t arrived yet). Do you know what I mean, though? It’s hard to go from hard sugar and all the carb-laden side dishes to big salads and lean proteins. Baby steps, I say.
That’s why I love this recipe to help me on my way to cleaner eating. Tomatoes, onions and garlic count as vegetables. The beans are full of fiber and protein. The olive oil is a super healthy fat. The cheese has protein. And, if you choose sourdough, the bread just got healthier, too. Not that you need all these reasons to make this dish. The taste alone will have you scheduling it into a weekly meal rotation.
More Healthy, Comforting Recipes
- Gut Healing Soup: This warm soup uses seasonal vegetables, bone broth, and chicken thighs to help heal your gut and fill your belly.
- Chicken Ginger Soup with Soba Noodles: A little twist on a classic recipe incorporates soba noodles and ginger into familiar chicken soup.
- White Bean and Sausage Stew: I used up the contents of my pantry and freezer when I moved out of my previous house, and came up with this hearty stew. I hope you like it!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you try this super easy and nourishing recipe. See you next time,
Rebekah
Easy Cheesy Baked Beans
Equipment
- Large cast iron skillet, or skillet that can go under the broiler
- Broiler
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 3 cups cooked white cannellini beans (2 15 oz. cans)
- 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- 8 oz. cheese I used a variety; cheddar, mozzarella, and/or Parmesan would all work well
- crusty sourdough bread, for serving
- option add-ins: ground meat, sausage, or fried eggs
Instructions
- Preheat broiler to high. Chop onions and garlic and saute (along with meat, if using) in an ovenproof skillet until soft, about 5 minutes (10 minutes if cooking meat).
- Add oregano, salt, and crushed red pepper and stir for one minute. Stir in beans and tomatoes. Gently break up the tomatoes with your spatula. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
- While beans are cooking, grate cheese. Sprinkle over top of beans. Cook under broiler for 3-4 minutes until cheese is melted and golden.
- If you plan to serve this with crusty sourdough and/or eggs, prepare those at this time. Serve with beans.
