Cheesy White Beans

Creamy, tender white beans are blended with peppers, spices and layers upon layers of cheese for a dish that is absolutely crave-worthy. My Cheesy White Beans are the definition of comfort food and after just one bite, I think you’ll agree. Cannellini, Great Northern, Navy or Baby Lima beans all work in this dish. Great Northern and Cannellini beans are firmer and will hold their shape and texture the best, while Baby Lima or Navy beans will result in a softer, creamier dish. Even though the bean varieties differ in size, they will all work in this recipe, so pick your favorite.  

The night before making this dish, place two cups of dried white beans in a bowl and submerge them in plenty of cold water. The next day, drain the beans and add them to a large pot or enameled Dutch oven along with 32 ounces of chicken stock, one tablespoon of white vinegar, ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt and 3 cloves of minced garlic. Bring the pot of beans up to a boil, cover and simmer over medium to medium-low heat for 2 – 2½ hours or until the beans are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. If you find that your beans aren’t quite done, yet have absorbed all the liquid in the pot, add a ½ cup of water and continue cooking the beans until tender.  You don’t want the beans to dry out.  Plus, a small amount of liquid left in the pot will help to make a creamier cheese sauce in the end. 

When the beans are nearly done, chop and sauté half an onion, half a red bell pepper and half a de-seeded jalapeno in 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Cook until tender then add the vegetables to the pot of cooked beans along with one drained 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes,1 teaspoon of cumin and 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir until the butter has melted, then add 4 ounces of cream cheese and 1½ cups of shredded cheddar cheese. Stir the beans until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Taste the beans and add additional salt if needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired and enjoy. 

Print Recipe

Cheesy White Beans

Prep Time1 day d

Cook Time2 hours hrs

Total Time1 day d 2 hours hrs

Course: Main Course

Ingredients

• 2 cups dried white beans
• 32 oz chicken stock
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• ½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ½ onion, chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, chopped
• ½ jalapeno, de-seeded and chopped
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1, 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• cilantro (for garnish)

Instructions

• Place dried white beans in a large bowl and cover generously with cold water. Soak overnight.
• The next day, drain the beans and add them to a large stock pot or Dutch oven along with the chicken stock, 3 cloves of minced garlic, vinegar and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt.
• Bring the beans to a boil, cover and then simmer for 2 to 2½ hours until the beans are tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed by the beans. If the beans are still not quite done, yet the liquid has been absorbed, feel free to add ½ cup of water to the beans and continue cooking until tender.
• When the beans are almost done, chop and sauté the onion, bell pepper and jalapeno in two teaspoons of olive oil. When soft, add the cooked vegetables to the beans along with one can of drained diced tomatoes and two tablespoons of butter. Stir to combine.
• Next, add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and cumin. Stir until the cheesy beans are smooth and creamy. Taste the beans and add additional salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro if desired and enjoy.