By There's nothing quite as exciting as a dump-and-bake recipe, especially when it's high in protein and fiber like this white bean casserole. It's creamy, dreamy, and so, so easy to make with just a handful of ingredients. This high-protein dinner packs in 31 grams of protein compared to just 15g in other similar recipes.
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I love all things orzo. I mean, just look at my one-pot salmon and orzo and red pesto pasta salad! It's the most fun pasta and always a kid favorite, but it lacks much protein. So, I started cooking it in bone broth, then adding beans, and finally experimenting with various flavors.
I've done Tuscan white bean casserole and a vegetarian white bean casserole, but my favorite is one with leeks and lemon. I did quite a few tests to make sure the lemon came through without being bitter and to ensure it's silky, creamy, not sticky, creamy. So, now that it's leek season, it's time to make this high-protein high-fiber recipe!
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cover with foil
In order for dry pasta to cook in the oven, we need to keep all the liquid and steam inside the dish. The best way to do this is to cover with foil so any steam hits the foil and then drops back down into the pasta. Without this, the pasta will dry out and won't cook.
key ingredients & swaps
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Garlic: You can roast this before, but it's fine to just dump it into the dish raw.
- Kale: Tuscan kale works best. Separate the stems from the leaves. If you use prechopped lettuce, just take out any big stems.
- White beans: Any variety of white beans will work. My favorite white beans are cannellini or Great Northern beans.
- Leeks: Like a giant green onion! Be sure to slice and wash them first because dirt likes to hide in the many layers. Green onion or white onion will work as a substitute.
- Lemon: We want the zest and the juice!
- Bone broth: Adds 9x the protein of traditional broth. Of course, if you want this dish to be vegetarian, use vegetable broth.
- Seasoning: We're keeping it simple with just some salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Cheese and cream: Add heavy cream or half and half after baking, and then mozzarella or an Italian blend cheese is optional for serving.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
step by step: tips to nail this recipe every time
- Dice small: The garlic, the leek, and the kale should all be small enough to fit on a fork and into your mouth.
- Cover completely: We want to mix the content thoroughly and then pat it down to make sure all the orzo is covered in liquid for baking.
- Bake with foil and then without: This way, the orzo can cook, and then you take the foil off, and any excess liquid can evaporate.
- Carefully stir in the kale stems while the orzo is hot. This helps them wilt and cook down a bit without them overcooking.
quick recipe video
how to cut a leek
Leeks look like big green onions, but they have tons of layers like a traditional onion. So, to cut them, cut off the green top, then cut off the root portion. Slice it in half lengthwise, then thinly chop pieces. This will result in lots of thinly sliced layers that can be washed to get out any dirt hiding in there.
testing notes
No need to pre-cook the orzo!
Just dump in the dry pasta. But orzo varies in cook time based on whether it's high-quality or cheaper pasta. Cheaper pasta cooks faster, while high-quality pasta cooks more slowly.
If your casserole seems too wet or too dry
When you remove the foil, the casserole should be moist (there should be liquid that needs to cook off). If it's really wet, cook a bit longer with the foil off. If it's drying out and the orzo is dry on top, add more broth to finish cooking the orzo.
Recipe
white bean casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound orzo*
- 2 ½ cups chicken bone broth
- 2 cans white beans (drained)
- 1 leek (thinly sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon pepper and red pepper flakes (each, omit red pepper flakes as needed)
- 5 stems Tuscan kale (leaves removed from the stems, leaves diced and stems finely chopped)
- 1 Lemon
- ½ c heavy cream (or half and half or similar)
- 2 tablespoon italian cheese blend
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prep your leeks, garlic, and kale.
- In a square casserole dish, add the 2 cans white beans, 1 leek, 1 pound orzo*, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon pepper and red pepper flakes, the zest from the lemon, and kale stems. Mix to combine. Then add 2 ½ cups chicken bone broth and stir to coat. Use the back of a spoon to push down the orzo into the broth so it's fully coated. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.See notes on orzo cook times!
- When you remove the dish from the oven, use a mitt to hold it and carefully stir in the kale leaves, juice from half a lemon, ½ c heavy cream, and 2 tablespoon italian cheese blend. Optional to leave out the Italian cheese or just top it with it. Once the kale leaves have wilted and softened, serve!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
Scrumptious! Made as directed and will absolutely be adding this to our rotation.
Awesome!!
I've made these two weeks in a row for meal prep. It's so filling that I made it into 5 portions. Delicious and so easy.
That's amazing and so great to hear!