This smoky and spiced, black bean bake has lots of melty cheese and offers different suggestions for adjusting the spiciness. In the original recipe, the enchilada sauce was an option. We found that without it, the dish was too dry. While it makes a great party dip, it became our main dish on a bed of rice with a side salad.
Black beans shine in a deep-red mixture of fried garlic, caramelized tomato paste, smoked paprika and cumin. The whole skillet gets coated in a generous sprinkling of sharp Cheddar, then baked until melted. The final result is what you hope for from a really good chili or stew, but in a lot less time. For a spicier rendition, add a pinch of cayenne with the paprika, or douse the final skillet with hot sauce.
We served ours with Red Hot Blue corn chips, a bit of fresh guacamole, and a smattering of scallion slices and chopped cilantro. Other serving options include tortillas, tortilla chips, rice, a baked potato or fried eggs.
OPTIONS: A main dish served with tortilla chips or used as a side with tacos, burritos or enchiladas. Blend whole beans with refried beans. Add sautéed jalapeno or serrano peppers. Sprinkle in a liberal dose of freshly cracked peppercorns, or pour a few squirts of habanero sauce on top. Add a chopped chipotle pepper, 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, and cream cheese to the bean mixture before popping in the oven. Use hot smoked paprika for more intense spice.
Cheesy, Spicy Black Bean Bake
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped small
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 10-oz. can enchilada sauce
- 1½ tsp. smoked paprika (or HOT smoked)
- ¼ tsp. red-pepper flakes
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 (14-oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup boiling water
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 cups grated Cheddar
- Optional toppings: guacamole, chopped cilantro, sliced scallion greens, sour cream
Directions
- Heat the oven to 475 degrees.
- In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Fry the garlic until lightly golden, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the tomato paste, enchilada sauce, paprika, red-pepper flakes and cumin (be careful of splattering), and fry for 30 seconds, reducing the heat as needed to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add the beans, water and generous pinches of salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the top then bake until the cheese has melted, 5 to 10 minutes. If the top is not as browned as you’d like, run the skillet under the broiler for 1 or 2 minutes. Add your toppings and serve immediately.
Adapted from a recipe by Ali Slagle for NYTimes Cooking
Accounting for Taste 
Yummy!
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