074 / 75 · Cupboard Rescue Meals

Tomato and Bean Skillet with Cheddar Dumplings

2 generous servings, each with 4 small dumplings · Active 20 min · Total 55 min

Print recipe · PDF

A can of tomatoes and a can of white beans become a full skillet supper under small steamed cheddar dumplings. The topping is made with flour, baking powder and milk rather than a packet mix. A tight lid traps the steam that cooks the dough, leaving the dumplings pale and soft on top, with a tomato-soaked underside. This is a useful cupboard meal when bread is gone and the oven feels like too much trouble.

Jump to ingredients

Tomato and white bean skillet with pale steamed cheddar dumplings.

Make the sauce before the dough

The tomato base needs enough time to lose its raw canned edge before the dumplings go in. It also needs to remain loose enough to make steam. Once the dough is mixed, the baking powder starts working, so do the simmering first and mix the topping just before you need it. A dry sauce can catch on the bottom long before the dumpling centers have cooked.

Small mounds cook more reliably

Eight little dumplings are easier to cook through than four large ones. Use two spoons to place them around the skillet with space between the mounds. Do not flatten them into a solid lid of dough; steam needs to move between them. Keep the heat low enough for a gentle simmer after covering. A hard boil can scorch the sauce and splash it over the pale tops.

Keep the lid on for the first stage

Opening repeatedly releases the steam that does the cooking. Wait until the stated time, then split one central dumpling to check that no sticky flour paste remains. The centers should be cooked bread, not merely hot batter. These dumplings will not develop a browned oven crust, and that is part of the dish. Spoon the beans and tomato into shallow bowls with the soft dumplings intact rather than stirring the topping through the sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml), divided
  • 1 small onion, finely diced (100 g)
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (14 oz/400 g)
  • 1 can cannellini beans (15 oz/425 g), drained and rinsed to yield about 1 1/3 cups (240 g)
  • 1 cup water (240 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (1 g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt (3 g), divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (0.5 g)
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (150 g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 g)
  • 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar (60 g)
  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk (95 ml)

Set out

Deep 10-inch (25 cm) skillet with tight lid, at least 2 1/2 inches (6 cm) deep, Mixing bowl, Two spoons, Instant-read thermometer

Allergens

Wheat, Milk. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in the skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion for 6–7 minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes, beans, water, oregano, half the salt and the pepper. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring; the sauce should remain loose.
  2. Just before adding the dumplings, mix the flour, baking powder, remaining salt and cheddar in the bowl. Stir in the milk and remaining oil to make a soft dough. Do not knead.
  3. Check the sauce is gently simmering, adding 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water if it has reduced until thick and dry. Use two spoons to divide the dough into 8 roughly equal mounds on the sauce, leaving small gaps between them.
  4. Cover tightly, reduce to low and cook for 16–20 minutes without opening the lid during the first 16 minutes. Split a central dumpling: it must have no raw dough and should reach 165°F/74°C. If needed, cover and cook for another 3–5 minutes.
  5. Divide the beans, tomato and dumplings between two bowls and serve immediately.

A lid is essential equipment

Use a pan with a properly fitting lid. An uncovered skillet cannot supply the steady trapped steam this topping needs; save the recipe for when the right pan is available.

A useful detail

These are steamed dumplings. Pale tops are expected; adding more heat will not brown them under a lid and may burn the sauce.

Another way

  • Use a can of butter beans at the same drained weight for a larger, softer bean.
  • Replace cheddar with the same weight of grated hard cheese, checking salt and allergens on its label.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow portions within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days. Reheat covered with a splash of water until the sauce and dumpling centers reach 165°F/74°C. Dumplings soften in storage. Carry chilled with two cold sources and refrigerate at work.