A delicious baked casserole of black beans with onion, garlic, corn, jalapeño pepper, fresh cilantro, cheddar cheese and crumbled Mexican white cheese. This hearty bean dish doubles both as a side dish or as a meatless main dish.

Baked Black Beans

6 sun-dried tomatoes
Vegetable cooking spray
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds and veins discarded, minced
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups frozen thawed whole kernel corn
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
1 cup finely chopped cilantro
3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup (2 ounces) cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Mexican white or farmer's cheese

1. Pour hot water over sun-dried tomatoes in small bowl; let stand until tomatoes are soft, about 10 minutes. Drain tomatoes and coarsely chop.
2. Spray large saucepan with cooking spray; heat over medium heat until hot. Sauté onion, garlic and jalapeño pepper until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Combine all ingredients, except cheeses, in 1 1/2-quart casserole; sprinkle cheeses over top.
4. Bake, covered, at 350°F (175°C) until bean mixture is hot, about 30 minutes or microwave on medium high for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf.

Makes 4 main dish servings or 8 side dish servings.

Recipe provided courtesy of The Bean Education & Awareness Network.