Cheesy, Spicy Black Bean Bake

By Ali Slagle

Published March 17, 2020

  • A cast-iron skillet is full of cheesy, spicy black-bean bake with bottles of hot sauce and tortilla chips nearby.
    Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(11,533)
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.

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

  • ¼ cup tomato paste

  • 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika

  • ¼ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

  • ½ cup boiling water

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 1 ½ cups grated Cheddar or Manchego cheese (from about a 6-ounce block)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

41 grams carbs; 63 milligrams cholesterol; 553 calories; 14 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 32 grams fat; 15 grams fiber; 824 milligrams sodium; 28 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
11,533 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

faisane

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.

Jeff

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.

RAMJ

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.

Laura

Clearly this is an easy and satifying dip. It really sang for me today as the star of burrito straight from my freezer. I filled flour tortillas, wrapped in plastic wrap and froze a few weeks ago. I wrapped it in a wet paper towel and microwaved it for 2 minutes. Then I actually paused mid keystroke at my desk to mindfully savor my lunch. Thank you for being my rose of the day.

veronica

started cooking and realized i was short on tomato paste. subbed half with adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers). delicious!

ChaCha

More saucy would be better. REALLY good over sweet potatoes!

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

By Ali Slagle

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.