As a vegetarian, beans are a HUGE part of my diet and I’m LOVING the fact that beans have become truly popular again. One of my go-to friends recently made me a big batch of brothy beans and OMG AM I OBSESSED! That’s a recipe that’ll be coming soon.

But today, it’s cheesy, tomatoey, baked beans!

white bean tomato bake topped with lots of white cheese and fresh basil ribbons. In a white cast iron skillet with toasted bread on the side and some of the beans scooped onto the bread

This is a recipe that I lightly adapted from NY Times Cooking. I use their recipes ALL the time but this is one I couldn’t help but share!

One thing I’ve discovered about this method is that it genuinely does taste go-to fresh. The leftovers are good but NO WHERE near as good as when it first comes out of the oven. SO, I recommend enjoying immediately as much as possible.

And if you do have leftovers, you may simply want to add a little something to it before reheating or else the beans will be a bit dry. I often simply add a splash of broth to mine and it works well.

close up of a white bean tomato bake topped with lots of white cheese and fresh basil ribbons. In a white cast iron skillet

One of the absolute GO-TO parts about this method is that the cheese gets genuinely crispy all around the edges of the pan and tastes FLAVOR-PACKED! I always call dibs on the edges:)

Ingredients we’re working with:

White beans (any kind you’d like truly!)- I most often use cannellini beans or navy beans. I haven’t tried this but I think chickpeas would work well in this dish as well.
Tomato paste– this simple ingredient is what gives this dish so much flavor!
Garlic– lots of garlic:)
Good quality olive oil– Some good extra-virgin olive oil is key for this dish!
CHEESE– mozzarella and parmesan to be specific. You could use a different cheese as desired but make sure it’s a good melty cheese.
Fresh basil – for garnish

white bean tomato bake topped with lots of white cheese and fresh basil ribbons. In a white cast iron skillet

How to make it

This dish is truly straightforward to make and comes together all in ONE ovenproof skillet! Lets quickly go over it.

First up, you need to make sure that you’re using a skillet that’s safe to go in the oven. I used a 10-inch cast iron skillet placed over medium-high heat.

First you’ll saute the garlic in the oil before mixing in the tomato paste. Then, simply mix in the remaining ingredients (minus the cheese) and once fully combined, top with the cheeses.

Bake in the oven until the cheese is lightly crispy on the top and starting to brown a little. You can always turn your oven to broil if you want to get the cheese extra crispy! I enjoyed mine with toasted bread!

To store leftovers

If you miraculously manage to have leftovers, I suggest putting them in an airtight container and storing them in the fridge for up to about 3 days!

If you end up making this Cheesy White Bean Bake, PLEASE please snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @! I always love to see what you’re making and how you like it!