Easy, Cheesy Pizza Beans Recipe

When you need a dinner that everyone will like, pizza is the crowd-pleasing go-to that you really can't go wrong with. Since pizza is such a winner in nearly every iteration, it provides an easy formula to experiment with. This easy, cheesy pizza beans recipe takes a handful of classic pizza ingredients and transforms them into a hearty, skillet-cooked, white bean-based dish instead. This clever one-pan recipe turns into a cheesy skillet meal that will no doubt get a thumbs up response from the pizza lovers in your house, and it's just as customizable as a regular pizza, meaning you can switch things up depending on what you have on hand or based on your family's flavor preferences. 

I love using a cast iron skillet for this recipe to sizzle up the onions, garlic, and oregano, which immediately sets off an Italian-inspired aroma in your kitchen. The creamy beans and marinara go in next, and once that's bubbling, we even manage to sneak lots of fresh spinach in there for some added greens. To stay true to that cheesy namesake, the whole skillet is topped off with plenty of mozzarella cheese for a savory and delicious spin on classic pizza night.

To make this recipe, start in the produce aisle and pick up a yellow onion, garlic, baby spinach, and fresh basil. To make this recipe extra easy, I opted for a jar of store-bought marinara, or you can consider making your own tomato sauce for extra freshness. You'll of course need canned white beans, and either cannellini or butter beans will work best. Chickpeas don't have the right creamy texture for this recipe, so avoid those. Remaining necessary ingredients include shredded mozzarella, parmesan, olive oil, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown, 5 to 8 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and oregano, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour in the marinara sauce and beans and stir to combine.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce starts to bubble, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the spinach in two batches, stirring until each batch wilts into the sauce.

Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.

Cover the skillet and cook until the cheese is melted, 4 to 6 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle with the parmesan.

Garnish the beans with basil and red pepper flakes and serve with optional baguette.

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There are lots of options if you want to swap out ingredients or add more to the mix in this recipe. Since there's a nearly endless amount of veggie toppings you could add to pizza, the same goes for pizza beans. When sauteing the onion and garlic, you can also add in sliced mushrooms, diced red pepper, or diced eggplant. To use sliced zucchini, char it in the skillet before cooking the onions and garlic, and layer it on the pizza bean surface right before adding the cheese. You can also add sliced grape tomatoes at the same time, and they will warm up nicely while the cheese melts. Chopped sun-dried tomatoes, olives, jarred roasted red peppers, or artichokes can be added right along with the marinara sauce and beans for a briny flavor.

In terms of cheese, there are many potential swaps as well. Other white cheeses like provolone or fontina would pair well, or add dollops of ricotta instead of shredded cheese. For a vegan version, you could try making your own vegan cheese sauce with butternut squash.

For a meaty skillet dish, when you add the beans, add in browned Italian sausage for some added savory depth. Or, add a layer of sliced pepperoni on top of the melted cheese layer for a tried-and-true pizza feel.

Serving the pizza beans straight from the skillet with toasted baguette is a simple way to enjoy it, but there are many other pairings. In terms of bready pairings, garlic bread, ciabatta, or focaccia are all great options as well. Toasted sourdough is nice and sturdy for dipping, or even crunchy pita chips could work.

If you want to skip the bread or explore other carb pairing options, note that the dish lends itself well to combining with pasta. Try it served over cooked fusilli, bowtie pasta, orzo, ravioli, tortellini, or cooked pearl couscous, to name a few options. For those looking for pasta alternatives, the beans and sauce are great with zucchini noodles or shredded spaghetti squash. For an even heartier combination, pair it with potato gnocchi. And for meatier options, the beans also make a great topper for grilled chicken breast or Italian sausages. 

For a vegetarian meal, try scooping some of the skillet over a steamy hot baked potato. Cook up some eggplant rounds and use the pizza beans as an eggplant parmesan topper. Use it as a filling for stuffed portobello mushrooms or stuffed peppers, or layer a healthy scoopful over roasted cauliflower steaks. 

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