Cheesy, Spicy Black Bean Bake

Name: Cheesy, Spicy Black Bean Bake
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced; 1/4 cup tomato paste; 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika; 1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed; 1/2 cup boiling water; Kosher salt and black pepper; 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar or Manchego cheese (from about a 6-ounce block)

By Ali Slagle

Published March 18, 2020

Cheesy, Spicy Black Bean Bake — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Total Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 4(9,961)
Comments: Read comments

Whether or not you’ve fallen for this cheesy white-bean tomato bake, we’d like you to meet its bolder counterpart, smoky and spiced, with lots of melty cheese. Black beans shine in a deep-red mixture of fried garlic, caramelized tomato paste, smoked paprika and cumin. The whole skillet gets coated in a generous sprinkling of sharp Cheddar or Manchego cheese, then baked until melted. The final result is what you hope for from a really good chili or stew, but in a lot less time. For a spicier rendition, add a pinch of cayenne with the paprika, or douse the final skillet with hot sauce. Serve with tortillas, tortilla chips, rice, a baked potato or fried eggs.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
¼cup tomato paste
1½teaspoons smoked paprika
¼teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1teaspoon ground cumin
2(14-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
½cup boiling water
Kosher salt and black pepper
1½cups grated Cheddar or Manchego cheese (from about a 6-ounce block)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat the oven to 475 degrees. In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Fry the garlic until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, red-pepper flakes and cumin (be careful of splattering), and fry for 30 seconds, reducing the heat as needed to prevent the garlic from burning.
Step 2
Add the beans, water and generous pinches of salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top then bake until the cheese has melted, 5 to 10 minutes. If the top is not as browned as you’d like, run the skillet under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Ratings

4 out of 5

9,961 user ratings

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Comments

faisane5 years ago

Even quicker (and more energy-efficient) to make on the stovetop - add the cheese, cover the skillet, and the cheese will melt. For browning run it briefly under the broiler.

Jeff5 years ago

Delicious. Easy. Great dip for a football game party, and Easy to double in quantity if needed. I would add sautéing a diced onion at the beginning next time.

RAMJ5 years ago

We enjoy beans as a diet staple. This can be a main dish served with tortilla chips or used as a side with tacos, burritos or enchiladas Try adding a can of spicy enchilada sauce in addition to the tomato paste in this recipe. Try blending whole beans with refried beans. I like adding onion and also a little minced garlic, perhaps some sauteed jalapeno or serrano peppers. Never wrong to sprinkle in a liberal dose of freshly cracked peppercorns. I will pour a few squirts of habanero sauce on top.

GD6 days ago

Great dish. Only mod was diced jalapeno that was getting wrinkly in the fridge. Used 4 cups of black beans we cooked from dry beans. Bought Manchego specifically for this recipe. Perfect side dish for grilled tri-tip.

Emma3 weeks ago

So good! It did feel more like a dip with all of that cheese. We ate with tortilla chips, next time I will probably make it to serve over brown rice or for burrito filling. My baby loved it. Make sure you’re using smoked paprika! I’ll probably try to with added chipotle pepper and onion next time. Also, I think I’ll make the tomato paste/spice mix to put in bread, that tomatoey Smokey flavor is amazing.

Part of our meal repertoire1 month ago

This dish has become a part of our regular weeknight rotation. It’s quick, easy, with simple ingredients you have in your pantry. My kids love it as do we. It’s also infinitely adaptable. We like sautéing onions in it, I swap out the black beans for whatever beans we have on hand. Tonight we added in diced up Spanish chorizo and wow! Thanks for this delicious recipe!

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