Pizza Beans – if you love pizza, you are going to love this recipe! It is just like hitting the easy button. It tastes like pizza, is made with 7 simple ingredients in one pot, in about 15 minutes. Oh and kids (and picky adults) will love it. Whether you are looking for a simple dinner recipe or an easy afterschool snack, these cheesy marinara beans are the perfect solution.

If you are looking for more simple bean recipes, you should try my 3 Ingredient Black Bean Dip or Greek White Bean Salad next!

This site is all about helping you create simple, nourishing recipes in 20 minutes using 8 ingredients (or less). If you want to cook more at home but you’re short on time and overwhelmed by long lists of ingredients, you are in the right place! As a health and nutrition coach, I love helping you cook nourishing meals at home. If you are visiting Bites of Wellness for the first time, welcome! Find out more about me and the website.

What are pizza beans?

In case you are wondering, what the heck are pizza beans, essentially they are white beans with marinara and cheese that are eaten on crusty bread or crackers – everything you love about pizza, but with beans!

Ingredients

• Veggies (I used green bell pepper and red onion, as these are my favorite toppings for pizza) – Use whatever you love for pizza here
• Marinara – use your favorite sauce
• Cheese – I used vegan parmesan cheese. You could use regular parmesan or your favorite mozzarella cheese.
• Fresh basil – adds a fresh pop of flavor, you could also use fresh parsley or simply skip this.
• Bread or crackers – use your favorite crunchy bread or crackers for creating that pizza experience at home .

How to make pizza beans

Chop and cook the veggies: Add veggies to preheated skillet (over medium low heat) and cook 4-5 minutes until soft.

Make the pizza beans: Add marinara, spices and beans to the pan. Cook 5-6 minutes to slightly reduce the sauce and get the beans well flavored.  After 5-6 minutes stir in half the parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Add toppings and serve: Take off the heat and add the rest of the cheese and fresh basil. Serve on toasted crusty bread or your favorite flatbread crackers (or homemade crackers).

Top tips

• Rinse and drain the white beans well before adding to the sauce. Tip: I like to soak them in clean water for a few minutes, I find this really helps them become easier to digest.
• Use organic beans if possible, I find they are easier on your digestion.
• Be sure to use a marinara sauce that you love, it really is most of the flavor in this dish.
• Use whatever white beans you have on hand, I used great northern white beans, but you could also use cannellini beans or gigante beans or butter beans (fava beans).

Other additions

• Pepperoni, cooked sausage, etc – after stirring in the cheese on the stove, top with pepperoni and more parmesan and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. Top with the rest of the fresh basil and serve.
• Mushrooms , zucchini, red or yellow bell peppers – add these to cook with the green bell peppers and red onion. You may need to add 1-2 minutes of cooking time depending on how many veggies you add.
• Olives, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts – these can be added with the white beans
• Mozzarella cheese – if you prefer a true pizza experience, top the entire (oven safe) dish with mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
• Crushed red pepper flakes for some spice (add this with the salt and garlic powder).

What to serve with this pizza beans recipe

I like to serve the cheesy marinara beans with a simple salad, Greek Salad or a light soup (like this frozen veggie soup).

You can also serve these with air fryer roasted zucchini or sundried tomato broccoli.

Substitutions

If you can’t find a parmesan cheese you love, you can use your favorite mozzarella (regular or dairy free) or replace the parmesan cheese with cashew cream

• To make cashew cream: Soak 1/2 cup cashews in boiling water for 5 minutes, Drain the water. Add cashews and 1/2 cup water to a high speed blender along with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth. Pour this mixture in with the beans to create a thick, creamy sauce that will have the same flavors as adding cheese.

What to do with leftovers?

Keep the beans separate from any bread or crackers until you are ready to enjoy. Store the beans in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave, on the stove or in the oven until bubbly.

I love serving the leftovers on crusty bread with a fried egg on top the next morning for breakfast.

BBQ salmon tacos are sweet, salty, tangy, crunchy and the ultimate weeknight meal. Ready in 15 minutes, these salmon tacos with bbq sauce have just 8 ingredients (all pantry/fridge staples). This is the recipe for people who don’t love the taste of salmon but know they should eat more.

After you try these barbeque salmon tacos, you should also make honey chipotle salmon (it’s sweet and spicy) and this simple salmon with mango salsa recipe. Both of these recipes are ready in 15 minutes and incredibly simple to make.

BBQ salmon taco highlights

• Easy to make
• 15 minutes
• 8 ingredients
• Great summer recipe
• Easy weeknight dinner

Ingredients spotlight

• Salmon – use skin on or skin off salmon. If the salmon has the skin on, cook it that way, then the skin will slide off after cooking.
• BBQ Sauce – be sure to use your favorite bbq sauce, it’s what gives this recipe all the flavor. I personally love the Organicville BBQ Sauce, it’s so sweet and pairs perfectly with the salmon.
• Greek yogurt (or dairy free plain yogurt) – this makes for a tangy, creamy slaw dressing. If you don’t love the idea of using Greek yogurt, you could also use mayo.

How to make salmon bbq tacos

Preheat the oven to 425F. Place salmon (skin side down) on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Coat with salt, garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of bbq sauce. Bake at 425F for 12 minutes.

While salmon is cooking, make the slaw.  Start by making the dressing in a large bowl (simply whisk together the Greek yogurt, apple cider vinegar, salt and garlic powder). Thinly slice the cabbage and add it to the yogurt mixture. Toss well with tongs until fully coated.

When salmon is done cooking, take it out of the oven and pour ¼ cup of bbq over the salmon. Flake it with a fork.

Tip: To ensure your soft taco tortillas are pliable, warm them up for 1-2 minutes in the oven or on the stove top over medium low heat.

Assemble your tacos: Add slaw, bbq salmon, sliced avocado and any other toppings you enjoy. I recommend pouring just a little more bbq sauce over top and serving.

Don’t feel like turning on the oven?

Use the air fryer! You can cook the salmon in the air fryer, be sure to add the bbq sauce to the salmon before cooking. You could also make air fryer salmon bites, which cook in just 6 minutes if you are short on time!

Other additions

• Sliced jalapeno (add to tacos or add to the slaw)
• Pickled red onions
• Thinly sliced radish
• Sliced green onion
• Mango salsa
• Cilantro

Other ways to enjoy this recipe

• Serve as a taco bowl instead of tacos with some black beans and rice
• Use bbq salmon on salad instead of in tacos
• Serve bbq salmon and slaw with sweet potato fries for a whole new meal

Best way to store leftovers

Store the salmon and slaw separately in airtight containers. Reheat the salmon in the oven, in a toaster oven or in a skillet over medium low heat until warmed through. Assemble the tacos (don’t forget to add some extra bbq sauce) and enjoy!