Creamy White Bean and Fennel Casserole
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings
- 6tablespoons olive oil
- 2large fennel bulbs (about 2 pounds)
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- 2(14-ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini, great Northern or navy
- ½cup heavy cream
- 1teaspoon fresh lemon zest plus 2 tablespoons juice (from 1 lemon)
- ½cup panko
- ½packed cup finely grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
425 calories; 23 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 12 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 766 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the fennel. Cut it in half lengthwise and slice it crosswise, about ¼-inch thick (reserve about ¼ cup roughly chopped fennel fronds). Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add the sliced fennel, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but still retaining a little bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, pour 1 can white beans and its liquid into a blender. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil and purée until smooth. Drain and rinse the remaining can of beans and transfer it to the skillet along with the bean purée. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Mix the panko with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest and ½ teaspoon pepper and toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly over the fennel-white bean mixture.
- Step 4
Bake until bubbly and lightly golden on top, about 15 minutes. Broil until topping is browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes, if desired. Top with reserved fennel fronds and serve.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
CJepson
Made this as a soup, no topping, no baking. Used juice from two large lemons, left out the cream, used only one bulb of fennel, because that is how many I had (two would have been an improvement), but used 6 cloves of garlic and heaping teaspoon of Aleppo chili flakes. Hand blended the entire pot smooth. Fantastic, delicious, satisfying, shareable.
Emily
While I don't mind positive critique (example -- to say a recipe needs more of a particular ingredient), I am really tired of people changing a lot of things and then commenting on how good (or disappointing) the recipe is. Wonderful if you made a soup out of a casserole, left out an ingredient (cream haters -- are you listening?), added other flavors, AND messed with the proportions, but please then don't even imply that you are commenting on the original recipe because you are not.
Ben Gregori
Abbbsolutely delicious. Since I made this in a 12-in cast iron pan and had extra large fennel bulbs, I only used 1.5 bulbs instead of 2. I cooked it for about 30 minutes in the oven on a lower rack, and it came out bubbly and perfect. Served with rustic sourdough bread for a perfect dinner as i study for midterm exams!
Jeannie
Be aware, fennel has properties that enhance digestion. You'll feel quite regular after eating it.
Joshua
I made a tasty vegan version of this dish, substituting cashew cream for the heavy cream and sliced mushrooms (sautéed with garlic and thyme) for the sausage. I squeezed some extra lemon juice into the panko mixture and added nutritional yeast flakes instead of Parmesan.
helena
absolutely delicious, used creme fraiche instead of creme, and added a sliced leek and fennel seeds. Next time will add some dijon
Leslie
With so many positive reviews saying they followed the recipe exactly (a rarity on NYT recipes) I resisted the urge to add anything and I followed suit. The result was hearty and delicious without tasting like it was terrible for me. I thought it would be nice with some grilled toast and I was wrong -- it's best enjoyed totally on its own. My husband asked me to put it on the "keeper" recipe list. Looking forward to next time already.
Eric
I feel stupid asking but do you precook the sausage or does it cook in the oven in just that relatively short time?
Sue Ryan
I cooked this tonight. Exactly per the recipe. It was awesome. Changes for our family that I would make (not to take away from the original but to tailor a bit): Increase the garlic, increase the panko and all its ingredients by 1/3 to give that topping a bit of assertiveness. Otherwise it's about the best dish from NYT I've ever cooked. Tonight I served it with some decorative fresh fennel leaves. II don't think it needs a meat accompaniment. I would serve with a green salad or caesar.
Bina
Very tasty. Made as written, with no substitutions (I like to do this the first time making any recipe). I did add the optional sausage (cooking for meat lovers tonight), but no doubt it would still be delicious on its own. I used to steer clear of fennel, as I'm not a licorice or anise fan... but it does not taste at all like licorice when cooked-- just a unique. intriguing flavor. Thanks for suggesting this casserole, Tejal Rao.
Barbara
Just wondering how this is not labor intensive, my people? I love it and I've made it 3 times but prepping the fennel, grating the cheese, mincing the garlic, juicing the lemons (I use 2), zesting the lemons, blending the beans and liquid is equal to a good number of steps, and not a neglible number of utensils. I wouldn't say it's difficult, but it's not a snap. I have to disagree with the "Easy" label. Delicious yes.
Kristi
Substituting pureed soft tofu (thinned with soy milk if needed) for heavy cream works well for vegans.
Kate
Used a Staub broad based casserole. Followed the recipe to a tee, with the mistake of adding the zested lemon to the cream/ bean purée. ( no problem) .. added a bit less than a pound of German sausage from Whole Foods that I sliced raw and scattered on top- in the oven for 10minutes - then the panko/ Parm on top for another 20 minutes .. A perfect stick your ribs meal. Delicious. Unctuous..Filing it away for next winter!
Ed
Made this tonight as our main course. I followed the recipe except I used whole Greek yogurt vs the cream. Delicious! I really liked the the lemon/fennel combination. I plan to make this in the future. I think it would be great accompanying Halibut or Cod as a side dish plus it would work for any guests that were vegetarian.
mizizzle
Made things up a bit! Soaked the equivalent of 2 cans of beans in salted water overnight, then rinsed and cooked on slow boil with olive oil and a few sprigs of thyme for about 20 min until skin split and tender inside. W/ beans in cooking liquid, I stirred in greek yogurt, squeeze of lemon and added to caste iron skillet with browned but firm fennel and smooched oven-roasted garlic (whole head) made earlier. Doubled the panko, cheese, lemon zest mixture and baked at 425 for 12 min. Excellent!
steve ro
As suggested by another commenter, I used raw cashew cream as a heart-healthy substitute for heavy cream, and it was excellent. It did not feel like anything was missing. I did cook my own beans, which are always better than canned. To use cashews, I simply put about 3/4 cup raw cashews into the blender with the bean broth, and pureed them before adding the beans, lemon juice and olive oil per instructions. I will make this again.
Emily
This is such a delicious dish. I had to on the side with white fish. One thing is to make sure it’s seasoned well. I felt it could have used a bit more salt perhaps in the puree
Joseph
Browned the garlic in oil first, added hot itallian sausage to cook in garlic oil (browned round patties). Removed, and cooked fennel in remaining oil. Broke up sausage garlic and added to mixture to bake. Made fish heartier and less 1 note!
SuzanneS
My husband and I really enjoyed this dish. It was simple to make and very delicious. I added 1/2 can more white beans as it seemed "too soupy" before putting in the oven. This was not really necessary. We love fennel and this is a great dish to highlight this vegetable. I did add 2 Italian sausages I browned first and then sliced and added as suggested in the recipe. My husband has spent an entire day making a french cassoulet with duck, and even he said this was "really good".
MK
As a bean/fennel lover but lactose intolerant, I made a couple of tweaks and this dish was still exceptional. I just used a half cup of oat milk mixed with a tablespoon of cornstarch instead of the cream. We have some plump butter beans at the store so I used those as the whole beans and stuck with Cannelinni for the blended ones. I skipped the parm because I didn’t have any, but did have Italian seasoned bread crumbs which worked just as well as Panko, I assume. Bean/fennel lovers unite!
Name
Make sure bean sauce is liquid enough to bubble. Some lemon zest in the sauce is nice, too. Would also work well with broccoli, asparagus, beans etc
Cara
When I read the recipe I thought: fennel & white beans? I don't know. but followed the recipe exactly. It's very delicious. Lovely late winter meal with a crisp green salad and sourdough.
Todd
This is so good. It’s become a staple in my rotation, and I rarely have leftovers. Even my kids will eat it. The suggestion in the intro about adding sausage is an excellent one and elevates the whole dish from “satisfying” to “crave able” status. Highly recommend serving alongside some sort of simple acidic salad to cut the richness and some crusty bread for sopping up the leavings (including from the cast-iron pan before washing).
Jill
This was surprisingly delicious! It's so simple and yet is so tasty. I was too lazy to get the blender out, so I just smashed some of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon. The result may have been a bit less creamy but required far less cleanup and came together quickly.
skullgirl8
I love this recipe! Great combo of fennel, lemon and white beans. Made this almost exactly like the recipe. To me, anything with fennel and white beans is Italian American food. I added a spicy Italian spice mix to it for a little more zip. I replaced the heavy cream with nonfat yogurt, just because that’s what I had. I also replaced the Panko with my own Italian bread crumb mixture because I don’t like panko bread crumbs.
Freddi
I just made this for the first time due to the accolades this recipe received. I found it was a lot of work for something that tasted so bland. Yes it had a nice creamy texture. The beans dominated the flavor and it was hard to taste the fennel. I do not plan to make this dish again. This was a surprising result as so many people posted such positive comments.
Vicki
This is a very nice dish--very easy. Quite a good midweek meal with rice or a green salad with crusty bread.
susan
Amazing dish that is more than the sum of its parts. Complex, rich flavors that are perfect for a cold, blustery day. I followed the recipe (just subbed homemade breadcrumbs for panko) and plan to do so when I make it again—which will be soon!
Glo
I actually appreciate all the comments including individual variations. Thanks everyone.
Vallory
Great recipe! I followed almost exactly. The only changes I made were 1) using leftover cabbage instead of spinach, 2) adding impossible Italian sausage (removed outer skin and tucked chunks into skillet before baking) and 3) another round of salt and pepper prior to baking.
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