Veggie Supreme White Bean Hotdish.

By Anna Luisa Rodriguez

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Midwest is best

Good morning! If you’ve read some of my other writing for this newsletter or The Post, you probably know two things about me: I’m a longtime vegetarian and a born-and-raised Midwesterner. While those are two cherished components of my identity, they have often been at odds with one another. 

For many years, I’ve had to pass up Juicy Lucy burgers with molten-cheese centers, crispy fried walleye fillets and anything with Spam. Family trips to the Minnesota State Fair during my five-year stint as a vegan felt like a particularly cruel form of torture, as the wafting aromas of cheese curds and corndogs mocked me and my apple slices. Suffice it to say, it hasn’t always been easy.

Over the years, I’ve learned how to reconcile these parts of myself, and the results have been delicious. There has been trial and error, but I’ve had luck adapting some of my favorite meals while still keeping the savory, umami flavors I love intact. (My creamy wild rice soup is a testament to this.) The goal isn’t always to imitate the meaty elements of a dish, though. Rather, I often find more success when I use the Midwestern fare I know and love as a framework to create new vegetarian creations that are tasty in their own right.

That’s exactly what cookbook author and Food Network star Molly Yeh accomplishes in today’s recipe, for a cheesy, vegetable-loaded hotdish. In Minnesota and the greater Midwest, hotdish is traditionally a casserole composed of ground meat, frozen vegetables such as corn or green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, and frozen tater tots. But if the Minnesota Congressional Hot Dish Competition is any indication, there is plenty of room for experimentation. 

Yeh’s hotdish draws inspiration from the flavors of a loaded veggie pizza. Popular toppings such as onion, bell pepper and spinach are sautéed and seasoned with garlic, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes, then combined with olives, canned cannellini beans and diced tomatoes for additional heft. Once the mixture thickens, mascarpone and mozzarella are added to provide rich creaminess. Everything gets sprinkled with additional mozzarella and garlicky breadcrumbs and baked for 12 to 15 minutes, until the surface is melty and starting to brown. Top it all off with basil, parmesan and more crushed red pepper flakes.

Besides being a one-pot wonder, this meal is also very flexible and forgiving. Just like with pizza toppings, if there’s an element that’s not for you, feel free to leave it out. Or you can swap it with artichokes, mushrooms or broccolini. If you don’t have cannellini beans, any canned white beans will do. And if you want to make it vegan, replace the mascarpone with a dairy-free ricotta, and use store-bought vegan mozzarella and parmesan. 

While this hotdish particularly pleases my Midwestern palate, the appeal of this cheesy casserole is universal, wherever you’re from.

Photos by Tom McCorkle; food styling by Gina Nistico, both for The Washington Post

Veggie Supreme White Bean Hotdish

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Make ahead: Assemble the casserole in a metal or other freezer-safe 9-by-13-inch casserole dish. Top with the panko mixture, then cool, tightly wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. If baking from frozen, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, uncover, then bake at 450 degrees until the topping is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Servings: 6 (makes about 10 1/2 cups)
Total time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fine salt, divided, plus more to taste
• 5 ounces baby spinach, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely grated, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• One (2.25-ounce) can sliced black olives, drained and rinsed
• Two (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• One (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup mascarpone
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 3/4 cup panko
• 1/2 cup (1 ounce) finely grated parmesan cheese
• Handful of torn basil leaves

Steps

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.

2. In a Dutch oven or other large oven-safe pot over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the onion, bell pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, just until wilted. Stir in half of the garlic, the oregano, and a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the olives, beans, tomatoes and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, so the mixture is at a simmer, and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Stir in the mascarpone and a big handful of the mozzarella until melted. Taste, and season with more salt, as needed.

3. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top, going all the way to the edge.

4. In a small bowl, toss the panko with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the remaining garlic. Scatter the panko mixture all over the mozzarella.

5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melty and the topping is lightly browned. Top with the parmesan, basil and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes, and serve hot.

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Adapted from “Home is Where the Eggs Are” by Molly Yeh (William Morrow, 2022). Tested by Joe Yonan.

Nutrition information per serving (1 3/4 cups): Calories: 433; Total Fat: 24 g; Saturated Fat: 12 g; Carbohydrates: 36 g; Sodium: 952 mg; Cholesterol: 52 mg; Protein: 18 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 10 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas:

• Mascarpone >> ricotta or cream cheese.
• Don’t like olives? >> Leave them out.
• Dried oregano >> dried basil, or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh oregano.
• Cannellini beans >> other white beans or chickpeas.
• Canned beans >> home-cooked beans.
• Parmesan cheese >> grana Padano or pecorino Romano.
• Swap any of the vegetables >> for artichokes, mushrooms, broccolini or another favorite.
• To make it vegan >> replace the mascarpone with a nondairy ricotta, and use store-bought nondairy mozzarella and parmesan. 
• To make it gluten-free >> use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
• Prefer a hotdish with meat? >> Try Chicken Pot Tot Hotdish or Tim Walz’s Tater Tot Hotdish.