Happy Sunday and welcome to this week’s edition of R&R. I’m so glad you’re here 🥰
Well this week I have been up to my elbows in Thanksgiving recipes. BY THE WAY, have I told you I’m doing a thanksgiving guide yet?!! Hah.. I know, I can’t shut up about it. Well, I tried REALLY hard to finish it time for Canadian Thanksgiving on the 14th but the stars were not aligned. It will be ready in plenty of time for US Thanksgiving, and thankfully I know most of you are celebrating that. If you are Canadian and are dying for some help this year, DM me and I can get you a copy, it just won’t be fully designed yet.
Otherwise let’s just get right into this week’s recipe!
This week’s 30-minute meal: Pizza Beans
This week's 30-minute meal is inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s pizza bean recipe. Since I’m clearly on a bean and tomato kick, and since I’m always on a pizza and cheese kick, this just felt right. I simplified things a bit from her original and added a few more “pizza-esque” ingredients. I encourage you to add in whatever else you love to top your pizza with (thinking mushrooms, bacon, or maybe even something pickly). Scroll right on down to the bottom to check it out.
This recipe is perfectly cozy, perfectly easy and you probably have most of the stuff on hand. It’s like pizza but kinda healthier, and a heck of a lot easier and faster.
The recipe is enough for Kyle and me, with very few or no leftovers, but I highly recommend just doubling it cause it’s great leftover, just use an XL pan or 2 medium size pans.
As a reminder, weekend R&R recipes are for paid subscribers, if you’re feeling like today is the day to upgrade, hit that button below.
If you’re vibing with this recipe, here’s a few more cozy ones for you with the same tomatoey, cheesy vibe.
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes
SERVES: 2
Grocery List + Printable version
Tools required🍴
Chef’s knife
Cutting board (not my exact one but very similar)
Fry pan (12” with lid)
Soft cheese grater
Parmesan grater
Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
1/2 yellow onion
~20 small slices pepperoni/turkey or veggie pepperoni
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup your favorite jarred pasta sauce
1 540 ml can white kidney or cannellini beans
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
Garlic bread to dip (optional)
Instructions:
Heat 1 tbsp oil to a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add in diced pepperoni and cook until pepperoni begins to crisp up. Add in 4 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp dried oregano and 1/4 tsp chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Then add 1/2 diced red and green pepper and cook for 2 more minutes just to soften up. Add 1 cup broth and cook until reduced by half.
Strain and rinse your beans, then add to pan with 1 cup pasta sauce. Stir will and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Heat broiler on low. Once beans are done, remove form heat, top with grated cheese and broil for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Let sit for a few minutes, then dig in.
Notes
Serving: serve this just as is, or level up by making garlic toast to dip and soak up all all that beautiful sauce.
Make it vegan: skip the pepperoni and cheeses or sub for vegan options.
Make it gluten-free: ✅
Make it dairy-free: sub for dairy free cheese, or skip the cheese altogether.
Veggies: add in any pizza-esque veggies you want. I’ve added kale which is great for some added “health”.
What to do with leftover sauce: make my favorite cottage cheese protein pasta. Blend your leftover sauce with 1 cup of cottage cheese. Pour over cooked pasta, heat and enjoy!
How to store/reheat: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the fridge. Reheat in a pot on the stove, or in the microwave, just know the cheese will be mixed in, which is definitely not a problem for me.
Substitutions
Pepperoni: omit, sub your favorite salami, use veggieroni, turkey pepperoni or even bacon bits.
Yellow onion: use any variety of onion, shallot, or add in 1/2 tsp onion powder.
Green/red peppers: any bell pepper works, or sub in mushrooms, kale, zucchini or any other veggies you like on pizza.
Garlic: sub 1 tsp garlic powder.
Jarred pasta sauce: sub in crushed tomatoes, just add a bit more salt and 1/2 tsp sugar to taste.
White kidney or cannellini beans: you can sub in any white bean, ground turkey or beef. I don’t recommend using a darker colored bean here.
Oregano: if you’re using a good jarred sauce and enjoy the flavor you can skip this. Or sub in 1 tsp dried basil.
Chili flakes: skip, use 1/8 tsp cayenne, or 1 tsp calabrian chili paste.
Chicken broth: sub veggie broth.
Mozzarella: sub provolone.
Parmesan: skip or sub pecorino.
Anything else? Drop a comment below if you have any questions, and don’t forget to let me know if you make it!
With love from Reggie. No stick this week but this was too good not share. 🫶
Well, joining you on Substack was so worth the money! I love this!!! Thank you!