Black Bean & Corn Bake With Cheese Topping

These Mexican-style baked black beans take very little effort and make a delicious and hearty dinner when served up with brown rice and a green salad, great for the cool weather. I found out after I made it that my neighbors could smell it baking and loved the aroma.

Any sharp, hard cheese can be used for the topping, but I happened to have on hand exactly half of cup each of old Cheddar and Asiago cheeses. It turned out to be a lovely combination in this recipe.

Black Bean & Corn Bake with Cheese Topping

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Mexican Published on September 17, 2007 Simple and delicious Mexican-style baked beans with a golden brown broiled cheese topping Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups dried black beans (3 cups cooked or 2 14 oz cans) 1/4 cup dried red kidney beans (3/4 cup cooked or 1/2 14 oz can) 6 sundried tomatoes 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 4 jalapeños, seeded and chopped 2 cups frozen corn 1 cup fresh parsley or cilantro, finely chopped 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon 1 bay leaf 1 cup fresh grated aged Cheddar or other sharp hard cheese Instructions: Rinse the black beans and kidney beans and soak for 8 hours or overnight in several inches of water with a little yogurt whey or lemon juice. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the beans are tender but firm. Drain and set aside in a large bowl. Meanwhile, pour hot water over the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and let stand for about 15 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Drain and coarsely chop. Put a frying pan on medium heat. When hot, pour in the olive oil, let sit for a moment, then swirl to coat the pan. Add the onions, garlic and jalapeños and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Pour the contents of the pan into the beans and add all the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Combine thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a large casserole dish and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake, covered, at 350° for 30 minutes. Before serving, take the cover off the beans and broil on the top rack for a couple of minutes until the cheese is golden brown. Discard the bay leaf and serve hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings