Cheese and Cannellini Bake

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Cook this in a round dish, then turn out and slice and serve as you would a pâté. It is good eaten hot with fresh vegetables or cold with coleslaw or salad. It can also be made with other pulses such as butter (lima) beans.

Serves 2

A little oil for greasing
1 slice of white bread, crusts removed
1 large egg, lightly beaten
30 ml/2 tbsp vegetable stock
400 g/14 oz/large can of cannellini beans, drained
1 small onion, roughly chopped, or 30 ml/2 tbsp frozen diced onion
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped, or 2.5 ml/½ tsp garlic purée (paste)
1 celery stick, roughly chopped
75 g/3 oz/¾ cup grated mature
Cheddar cheese
30 ml/2 tbsp fresh or frozen chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper


  1. Place an upturned saucer or a metal pastry (paste) cutter in the base of the ceramic cooking pot. Pour in about 5 cm/2 in of hot (not boiling) water, then turn on the slow cooker to High. Grease a 13-15 cm/5-6 in round fixed-base cake tin or soufflé dish and line the base with greaseproof (waxed) paper or baking parchment.
  2. Tear the bread into small pieces and put in a food processor. Pour the beaten egg and stock or milk over the bread and let it soak and soften for a minute.
  3. Add the beans to the food processor with the onion, garlic and celery. Process until fairly smooth, then add the cheese, parsley and salt and pepper and process for a few more seconds or until everything is well-blended. Spoon and scrape the mixture into the prepared tin or dish, level the top, then cover with clingfilm (plastic wrap) or lightly oiled foil.
  4. Place on top of the saucer or pastry cutter in the pot and pour in enough boiling water to come about half-way up the side of the tin or dish. Cover with the lid and cook for 3-4 hours or until firm and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out hot.
  5. Carefully remove and leave for 5 minutes before turning out. If serving hot, cut in half and serve at once with freshly cooked vegetables. If serving cold, leave to cool completely and chill before slicing and serving with salad.


Second serving
Put the remaining bake on a plate and cover with foil or clingfilm. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. This dish is not suitable for freezing.