BEAN CASSEROLES

BEANS MAKE A HEARTY BASE FOR CASSEROLES. Since casseroles are meant to be prepared relatively quickly, we wanted to figure out how to use canned or frozen beans in these recipes. We found that canned white and black beans are surprisingly good in casseroles. (Kidney beans also work well.) A11 of these beans remain fairly firm, even when baked. We tested several leading brands and found that Green Giant and Goya rated highest.

We had thought that organic beans made with far less sodium (many canned beans seem quite salty) would do well in this tasting. However, we found these beans to be bland and chalky. For the best favor, salt should be added during the cooking process, whether beans are cooked at home or by a food manufacturer.

The other alternative to cooking dried beans is using frozen. We find that frozen lima beans and black-eyed peas are firmer and more flavorful than canned versions. Unlike white, black, and kidney beans, which are much sturdier, these two legumes don't seem to take well to canning.

Bean casseroles go hand in hand with pork. We used cooked ham for most of the recipes in this chapter, but we also tried smoked ham. While the smoked ham intensified the flavor of the casserole, it also added a saltiness that some tasters found objectionable. We prefer to stick with cooked ham.

This chapter includes recipes for three different kinds of bean casseroles. We find that beans alone are not satisfying as a casserole. They need help from another starch. We developed recipes that pair beans with toasted bread crumbs, rice, and cornbread to create one-dish meals.

The white bean casserole is the easiest to prepare. A quick bean stew (sautéed aromatics, drained canned beans, tomatoes, and stock) is spooned into a baking dish, sprinkled with bread crumbs, and baked.

Hoppin' John, a bean and rice casserole from South Carolina, is a bit more complex. The rice is handled as is in the rice casserole recipes in the previous chapter. The black-eyed peas are stirred into the rice along with the liquid ingredients, and the mixture is baked in a casserole dish. This dish is appropriate year-round but is traditionally served on New Year's Day. The peas are supposed to bring good luck for the coming year.

The third type of casserole in this chapter combines a lima bean stew with a thick cornmeal batter that bakes into a cornbread topping. We tried cooking the lima beans in a roux base (flour and butter), but the flavor of the roux overwhelmed the lima beans. We found that the beans were better matched with chicken stock and a little cream.

The topping is a simple cornbread batter that should not be allowed to cover the filling completely. This is because the cream in the filling can cause it to become a bit watery. It's best if the batter is dropped by the spoonful over the filling (as if making a cobbler) so that some liquid from the sauce can evaporate in the oven. The result is a nicely thickened sauce that surrounds the beans and vegetables.