We jokingly call these meaty, greeny, cheesy, beany, spicy baked chickpeas because, well, internet recipe naming conventions make us laugh but I really think of them as Pizza Beans 2.0. I introduced Pizza Beans 1.0 in my second cookbook, Smitten Kitchen Every Day, where I dreamed of a mash-up of Greek gigante beans in tomato sauce and an American baked ziti, with beans instead of noodles. I called them “pizza” beans to try to convince my then-kindergartener to try them with clever marketing. We still adore the recipe and all of the truly unexpected places it’s landed.
But to be honest, these are even more popular with the family these days. Heartier with chickpeas, Italian sausage, dark greens, extra red pepper flakes for heat, and a pecorino-mozzarella broiled cheesy top, the whole dish seems louder, and even more filling. You can see that our default is still to scoop them onto garlic bread (also helps bring reluctant 4th graders to the table) but they’re also fantastic, with or without the melted cheese on top, over polenta or even pasta. It makes a big pan of beans and the leftovers are great — perfect for meal prepping.
Servings: 6
Time: 10 minutes to mix, then overnight or longer to freeze
Source: Smitten Kitchen
Note: If your mozzarella seems wet or comes in water, drain it on paper towels for a while before grating it so the final dish doesn’t become too watery. Gluten-free: This dish is (of course) only gluten-free if you exclude the garlic bread, or make garlic bread with gf bread.
Simmer the chickpeas in the sauce for 10 minutes, or if you have more time, simmering them for 20 to 25 minutes softens them in a lovely way. If the mixture looks too thick, add 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup at a time, until you get a thick but saucy consistency. Add kale and let it cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. If you’re preparing the dish for later, or skipping the cheese on top, this is a great place to pause the recipe. You could even freeze it at this point.
Source: Smitten Kitchen