A Really Good Five-Minute Dinner

A few months ago, I came home with my five-year-old after a very long Sunday of activities and schlepping. Both of us were cranky and in need of early bedtime, and I was in no way up for cooking. It was one of those nights where you really want to order takeout, but you just did that the night before.

In a last-ditch effort, I grabbed a can of beans in tomato sauce from the cabinet, then looked in the fridge for something to oomph it up a bit. Mozzarella? Sure. I threw the beans in a pot with a handful of shredded mozz, along with some spinach, warmed it up for two minutes, then scooped it onto a slice of sandwich bread. “Pizza beans!” I declared, because sometimes ya gotta sell it. And frankly, my cabinet concoction did not look particularly appetizing. Still, I figured it would taste okay, because tomato sauce and mozzarella usually do. Then I took a bite from the pile of mystery beans, and to my astonishment, it was PHENOMENAL. Savory and saucy and gooey. It was so much better than a can-of-beans-plus-the-first-thing-I-saw-in-the-fridge had any right to be.

I now make it regularly, even when I have more than five minutes to make dinner. It’s warm and filling and super flexible and tastes great with whatever leftover veg you have hanging in your fridge, like cauliflower or zucchini.

Five-Minute Saucy, Cheesy Beans
Serves 1-2

1 can of white or gigante beans in tomato sauce (I used these, but any brand works! Just make sure it’s savory sauce — not sweet, like Heinz baked beans)
1 scant handful of shredded mozzarella
1-2 cups of baby spinach, or chopped cauliflower, broccoli, or whatever chunky vegetable you have knocking around the produce bin

Pour beans into a small saucepan (make sure to scrape out all that yummy sauce!), and set it over a low heat. Scatter mozzarella over the top and stir until it melts and everything is warm and gooey. Stir veggies in for a minute, then turn off the heat.

Serve in heaping scoops over a slice of sandwich bread, or on its own in a bowl. This makes a very hearty serving for one — or two, if you’re sharing it with a five-year-old who’s more tired than hungry. The good news is it really does take five minutes max. Rather than make a big batch up front, I’d suggest starting with one and just leaving the pot unwashed until dinner is definitely over.

P.S. How to say goodbye at a party, and the killer hot chocolate you should make year-round.