Pizza Bean Skillet

• This quick bean-and-veggie dish has the delicious flavors of a pizza—but without a crust.
• You’ll love the gut-health benefits from the fiber-rich veggies and beans. 
• You don’t have to use cannellini beans; chickpeas or another favorite will work.

Our Pizza Bean Skillet is all the pizza flavor with a high-fiber twist. Antioxidant-rich onions and green bell peppers are added to earthy and meaty cremini mushrooms to give this a veggie-forward spin. Creamy cannellini beans add heartiness and soak up the Italian-inspired flavors of garlic, basil and oregano. Top with melty and bone health–boosting mozzarella cheese for the ultimate gluten-free dinner. Keep reading for our expert tips on shortcuts, recipe variations and more. 

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too! 

• To enhance the flavor of your dish, cook the tomato paste before adding other ingredients. This process caramelizes the sugars and eliminates the raw, sometimes metallic taste.
• To save time on preparation, consider using prechopped onions and bell peppers available in the produce section.
• While we usually prefer to shred our own cheese because it tends to melt better, you can opt for preshredded cheese in this recipe if you’re short on time.
• For additional flavor, you could substitute the water with a no-salt-added vegetable broth.

Nutrition Notes

• Cremini mushrooms are a dark, meaty mushroom and are the mini version of the popular portobello mushrooms. These types of mushrooms are low-carb and contain potassium for heart health and prebiotic fiber for gut health. 
• Cannellini beans have both protein and fiber to help keep you fuller longer. Cannellini beans also have a small amount of calcium, beneficial for bone health and also for muscle contraction. Look for low- or no-sodium beans and always rinse your beans to control the sodium.
• Mozzarella cheese is an additional source of calcium and protein in this dish. Mozzarella is a lower sodium cheese, so it’s a great choice if you are working to manage high blood pressure.