Spicy White Bean Casserole with Calabrian Chiles

Gigante beans give this casserole substance, but cannellini beans work too.

Spicy White Bean Casserole with Calabrian Chiles
Photo: Carson Downing
Hands On Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
1 hrs 20 mins
Servings:
8

Ingredients

  • 3 ounce sliced pancetta, chopped

  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

  • 2 15-ounce cans gigante beans, butter beans, or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

  • 3 - 4 jarred Calabrian chile peppers or peppadew peppers, finely chopped (seeds included)

  • 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • ¼ cup cream cheese (2 ounces), cut up and softened

  • 2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

  • ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping

  • Zest of 1 lemon plus juice of half of the lemon

  • 4 cup fresh broccoli florets

  • 1 cup panko

  • 1 tablespoon oil from jarred Calabrian chile peppers or olive oil

  • Handful of torn basil leaves

  • Crushed red pepper for topping

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a 4- to 6-qt. pot cook pancetta over medium 6 to 8 minutes or until crisp. Add onion, half of the garlic, and a big pinch kosher salt; cook 8 to 10 minutes or until very soft and translucent. Add oregano, beans, and chiles; toss to combine. Add chicken broth, cream, and cream cheese; bring to a simmer. Simmer gently 4 to 5 minutes or until cream cheese is melted. Stir in a handful of mozzarella, half of the grated Parmesan, and half of the lemon zest.

  2. Once everything is completely melted, turn off heat and stir in broccoli. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella, sprinkling it in an even layer all the way to the edge.

  3. In a small bowl toss panko with the Calabrian chile oil; remaining garlic, Parmesan, and lemon zest; a couple turns of black pepper; and a pinch salt. Scatter panko mixture over casserole. Bake, uncovered, 25 to 30 minutes or until mixture is bubbly, cheese is melty, and panko is lightly browned. Squeeze juice from lemon half over casserole. Let stand 20 minutes before serving. Top with additional Parmesan, the basil, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

384 Calories
25g Fat
29g Carbs
17g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 384
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 803mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 11%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 46.3mg 232%
Calcium 321mg 25%
Iron 2.3mg 13%
Potassium 646mg 14%
Fatty acids, total trans 1g
Folate, total 43.7mcg
Vitamin B-12 0.5mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.2mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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