Bean and Cheese Casserole

Today we had friends come for Sunday lunch and I felt like doing something a little different to a roast (will find out if they appreciated it later!)

It's an Alison Holst recipe from a book I've had for decades, "Meals Without Meat", but the oldies are usually the goodies.  I'm a religiously one-pot cook.  Don't speak to me if there is more than one pot on the go, it's the only time I can't multi-task!

Anyway, peer pressure from the lovely Claire, I've taken pics so maybe she can convince her boys to eat what they grow (even if it is beans!)

This serves 8, and in my usual fashion, I put in what I thought was right, rather than muck around with such trivialities like halving the recipe!  It looks like lots of ingredients, but most of it's probably in the cupboard anyway.  Here's the official version (my measurements in brackets)

2 cups pinto or kidney beans (1 tin kidney beans)
3 onions (some homegrown red onions)
2 large or 2 medium cooking apples (2 bramley apples, odd shaped)
2 tablespoons oil (some in the pan)
1 teaspoon chilli powder, to taste (some curry powder cos chilli hates me)
1 teaspoon mustard powder (couple of pinches)
1 teaspoon oreganum (didn't have any, mixed herbs'll do)
1 teaspoon salt (may have forgotten this)
black pepper (yay, measurements match!)
4 tomatoes, chopped (tin of plum tomatoes, bashed when stirring)
1/4 cup white wine (leftover white wine from last night)
2 cups grated cheddar or mozzarella cheese (grated lots, it was yellow)

Here's a pic of the home grown stuff.  Will be serving the broadbeans (shelled) and spinach on the side.  Hope you noticed the cookbook holder - kettle, chopping board and peg (no, I don't want a proper one) Pure class!

Spinach and unshelled broad beans, some shelled broad beans and red onions

 The stressy part - two pots here!!!!  Cook the beans for about an hour to soften (kidney beans should boil for about 15 mins).  Chop and saute the onions and apples.











Put everything in a casserole dish and bake for 30 mins at 180 (160 if it's fan oven).  Relax, back to one pot ;-)

Stir in grated cheese and return to oven for another 10 mins. 

Serve with crusty bread and veges.  Voila!