White Bean Skillet

This recipe and photos were provided by Sally Roeckell of Table and Dish and were originally published at 365Barrington.com.

This meatless white bean skillet meal is made from pantry staples for a quick weeknight dinner! The recipe calls for fire roasted tomatoes. You can buy them canned. However, making your own fire roasted tomatoes is easy to do and well worth the extra effort. It’s a great way to use up some of your end-of-the-summer tomato harvest, or it will give you an excuse to explore the great selection of heirloom and vine ripe tomatoes at Heinen’s.

If you’re  planning to make your own fire roasted tomatoes simply half and quarter your tomatoes and spread them out on a cooking sheet with sides. Drizzle a little olive oil and sea salt on them and roast in a 425° oven until tender. In the last few minutes, shut off the oven, turn on the broiler and let the broiler roast the edges of the tomatoes, giving them bits of black edges. This caramelization will sweeten the tomatoes.

As for how many tomatoes you should use, it depends on the size of your tomatoes. You can use any form of tomato, from a small cherry tomato to a large beef steak tomato. Cut them into equivalent sizes and cover the sheet pan completely in a single layer. You can always use two sheet pans and save the extra in the refrigerator to use throughout the week. Ultimately you’re looking for 28 ounces of roasted tomatoes.  If you would rather use canned and save the effort, use the method in the recipe below.

I love this recipe because most of the ingredients are usually in my pantry. Adding fresh mushrooms, onions and tomatoes allows me to create a dinner in a short amount of time that is hearty and delicious.

This is a dish you can serve vegetarian and even vegan. If you want to add protein, I highly recommend adding a perfectly-cooked sunny-side up egg.

How do you make sunny side up eggs? I’ve finally perfected the process. I used to put a lid on my pan as many “how-to” sites instruct, but this doesn’t work well in my opinion. It causes a build-up of steam that will cook the white, but it also creates a milky white film over the yolk.

I want my sunny side up eggs to look sunny! Start with a non stick pan and add a bit of  olive oil and butter. When the butter has melted, carefully add your egg. Let it cook low and slow. When the white starts to firm up on the bottom, tip the pan a bit and spoon some of the hot oil-butter combo onto the white and a bit over the yolk. Repeat this until the whites are completely opaque, then it’s ready.  Use a slotted spoon or fish spatula to carefully remove from the pan and place it onto the skillet ingredients just before serving.

If you prefer meat or seafood for protein, sautéed pieces of chicken breast or grilled shrimp are a great addition. As with most of my recipes, you can adapt this dish for own personal taste and family preferences.

Tuscan White Bean Skillet with Tomatoes, Mushrooms & Artichokes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces baby Portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup drained and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes or make your own see method.
• 2 (14.5-ounce) cans drained and rinsed Cannellini beans
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon sugar or agave
• Parsley for garnish if desired and crusty bread for dipping.

Method

1. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, add the mushrooms to the pan in a single layer. Brown for 1 to 2 minutes per side; transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining mushrooms.*
2. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan; then add the onions and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook until fragrant and softened, another 2 minutes.
3. Add the diced tomatoes to the pan, along with the beans, artichoke hearts, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, and sugar. Cover the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Let cook for about 10 minutes, until hot. Return the mushrooms to the pan and cook for another minute or two to warm them up.
4. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired, or add perfectly-cooked sunny-side-up eggs to the top of this dish. Be sure to serve with plenty of crusty bread.

Quick Tip*

I grew up putting all mushrooms in a skillet and stirring them around in oil or butter. The result was basically steamed and slightly sautéed mushrooms. When crowding the pan with all of the mushrooms at once, all of the moisture that is released basically boils or steams the mushrooms instead of allowing them to achieve the beautiful caramelized edges that you get when cooking them in smaller batches.  This elevates the flavor as well as the look of the finished dish. It’s an extra step, but I think worth the effort.

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