Baked Chipotle Cannellini Beans with Spinach and Cotija Cheese

4 or 5 15 oz cans of cannellini (white beans) beans, rinsed and drained (or cooked yourself)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes (if you like it extra spicy)

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped

1-2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers

2/3 cup spinach

1/2 cup Cotija Cheese (or crumbled feta if you can't find Cotija)

1 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs

  1. Preheat the oven to 425F degrees.

  2. Bring the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and minced garlic up to heat over a medium flame for about a minute.

  3. Stir in the tomatoes and the fresh oregano and bring to a gentle simmer.

  4. Off the heat, add the adobo sauce and taste. I added a little too much the first time I made this, so beware, adobo is powerful stuff.

  5. Salt and pepper to taste, but go easy on the salt, because I find that canned beans can be a touch salty.

  6. Add the beans and spinach, and stir to combine.

  7. Pour the mixture into a 9x13 baking pan and sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and bake in the top-third of the oven for roughly twenty-five minutes, or until it is browned and bubbly on top