Red Bean Casserole
⅔ cup dried small red beans
4 cup water, divided
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeno pepper
½” piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 slices bacon
⅛ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
2 large tomatoes (1 pound or 2 cups chopped)
¼ tsp chili powder
⅛ tsp garam masala
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup pickled red onions
Cover beans with 2 cups of water and allow to soak for 6 – 12 hours. Drain and rinse.
Add 2 cups of water and beans to a saucepan. Turn heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until tender, checking occasionally to ensure there is enough water to keep beans from scorching. Drain excess water, if necessary.
(NOTE: The above step can be done ahead. Store beans tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Roughly chop onion and place in a blender or food processor with garlic, jalapeno and ginger. Puree until smooth adding a bit of water if necessary.
Cook bacon in a saute pan over medium-low heat until it’s crispy and has rendered its fat. Add onion mixture, cumin and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the excess moisture has evaporated and turned a golden brown, 8 – 10 minutes.
Puree tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Mix tomatoes, onion mixture, chili powder and garam masala together. Gently stir in beans.
Transfer to an oven-safe dish and drizzle cream evenly over the top. Bake until sauce is thickened and the top is brown, 30 – 40 minutes.
Sprinkle top with pickled red onions and a small amount of brine.
Serve hot with rice or tortillas, if desired.
4 servings, 285 calories per serving (beans only)
Hack: Freeze leftover portions sealed in serving-sized portions for future use. Allow to thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
Hack: One cup of frozen onions can be substituted for fresh onion in this recipe.
Hack: One 15 oz. can of red beans, drained and rinsed, can be substituted for the dried beans in this recipe.
Hack: 2 cups tomato sauce can be substituted for the fresh tomatoes.
What a great recipe and just in time for the holiday. It looks so good and I can imagine its taste before I even try it. It could be high in calories depending what is added. I will be making this recipe in a couple of days and eating it with brown rice. Thank you for sharing this information.
This comes in at 285 calories per serving with just the beans, so yes, the calorie count could quickly get out of control depending on what you serve it with. Luckily, beans are rich in fiber and nutrition so you can feel full after eating a small amount. Because you plan to pair this dish with rice, the combination will create a complete protein that will further satisfy your appetite!
Why was I even looking elsewhere for this recipe? I can’t believe I didn’t just start off here on this site to learn this recipe. This is literally what I was looking for and for some reason, I didn’t think of looking on this site first. Thank you so much for this recipe and for making everything so easy to understand
I’m glad you stopped by! I love this recipe as a main entree with rice or a hors d’oeuvres with tortilla chips.
Thanks for the reminder that processed foods come in all shapes and sizes. Also surprised to learn that most cereals fall into the processed food and empty caloric value category. We are socialized to believe we are are what we eat and yet, most of us consume harmful ingredients on a daily basis.
Appreciate the sharing of many recipes as we are always looking to spice up our epicurean palate.
Do you have any breakfast quick serve recipes?
Unfortunately, we have been subject to misleading marketing practices that lead us to believe that the foods presented to us are healthier than they are. Fortunately, once we’re able to recognise these deceptive practices, it’s easier to make healthier choices.
I have a few great ideas for a quick and healthy breakfast! A smoothie or bowl of oatmeal comes together quickly with minimal work while overnight oats can be set up the night before for a grab-and-go meal.
This looks absolutely delicious. I would be tempted to have that for my dinner tonight if I wasn’t already having something else from this website. But I’ll be putting it on the list for tomorow I think. Thanks again for sharing another tasty-looking dish and saving me the hassle of deciding what to eat.
Thank you for your support and kind comments! I happy that you’re enjoying the recipes.
That’s one low-cal treat, Cynthia. Thank u for sharing this recipe. I was looking for red bean dishes and this came up. And I’m glad it did, because of all the sites I checked, this one seems to be a good one. Has all the ingredients that me likes.
So I shall try it out and let you know how it came up. I’m not a great cook, but I can rustle up some decent dishes, once in a while.
Love,
Aps
Thank you for your comments. I look forward to hearing back from you!