Heirloom Bean and Mushroom “Carnitas” Casserole

What you see right here is a superb, hearty, winter-spirited casserole. It’s easy to drag collectively, and as soon as within the oven the scent of garlic and herbs baking alongside the heirloom beans, simmering tomatoes, and golden mushrooms will deliver neighbors in off the sidewalk. You must make it a.s.a.p!

I discovered the recipe deep in again of Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook – (Rancho Gordo endlessly round right here). The method for cooking the mushrooms is a part of what caught my consideration. You cook dinner the mushrooms in fairly a little bit of liquid after which permit them to cook dinner within the residual fats (olive oil) after the liquid evaporates. The method is like carnitas, the basic Mexican pork dish. Therefore the recipe title. However, after all, in contrast to the standard preparation, cooking this with mushrooms makes it a vegetarian casserole.  

Selecting the Proper Beans

The recipe falls into the Darkish & Hearty Beans chapter of the guide, and Eye of the Goat beans, or different brown beans are what’s really useful. That mentioned, many, many varieties of beans might work right here. I went a bit rogue and used some stunning Rancho Gordo Yellow Eye Beans. They’re creamy, melty, and gentle. They took on the effervescent casserole juices fantastically. I additionally love the best way these beans specifically maintain their markings. Past these solutions, I think about utilizing any creamy white bean can be good right here too – for instance, the Alubia Blanca, or Marcella. And, in the event you solely have canned beans available – it is okay! Drain them, rinse them, use them!

Cooking the Mushrooms

I simply needed to go away a visible reference right here. That is how the mushrooms regarded (above) after I take them off the warmth. And now that I am wanting, I might have even gone a bit longer. Do you see how there’s good browning on the perimeters? That is what you are after. Then, you add all the opposite elements to the identical pan (beneath), give all of it an excellent stir, add a little bit of cheese and pop it within the oven. I’ve tweaked the unique recipe a bit to will let you go from stovetop to oven in a single skillet (mirrored beneath), and bumped the amount up by half, as a result of this casserole is widespread and goes quick.

Variations

Listed here are a pair methods you would possibly construct on this concept!

– With Breadcrumbs: Toss 1 cup of chunky breadcrumbs with a glut of olive oil and sprinkle throughout the highest of the bean combination earlier than baking.

– Breakfast Casserole: Make three divots within the bean-mushroom combination previous to baking, crack an egg into every of the depressions & bake till eggs are set, and bean combination is effervescent.