Serve this spicy red bean casserole with rice, cornbread or tortillas for a satisfying meal or corn chips as an appetizer!

Red Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup dried small red beans
- 4 cups water, divided
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeno pepper
- ½ inch 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
Instructions
- 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.
- 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. Skip the soaking and stovetop cooking in this case.
- Hack: 2 cups tomato sauce can be substituted for the fresh tomatoes.
Did you know? Red beans are a member of the legume family. Legumes come in many options, are inexpensive and they’re packed with nutrition!!
Suggestion: Pair this with some cheddar cheese jalapeno cornbread.
Please follow and like us: