Easy Oven-Baked Savory Green Bean Casserole Recipe

 

If you are looking for a comforting and creamy side dish to serve alongside your tasty main dishes look no further. This creamy cheesy vegetable bake with green beans and potatoes makes the perfect side!  Not only is it delicious but it uses simple ingredients and is also very quick and easy to throw together!

Combining fresh green beans, hearty chunks of potato, rich cheddar cheese in a creamy and indulgent sauce, this tasty casserole is perfect for a weeknight or even a holiday side dish!  It's easy to prepare and full of comforting flavors.  

 

It is a small batch recipe that is ideal for small gatherings, but it can also be doubled for larger groups.  It would also make an excellent Vegetarian Main dish.

It is different than the regular green bean casserole. No cream soup required, and the addition of potatoes helps to create a dish that is not only delicious but also quite filling! Whether enjoyed as a main course or as a hearty side, this is a dish that is packed with lovely flavors and textures.

For myself, I served it as a main, simply with some buttered bread and a few pickles on the side. I was quite happy with it and can highly recommend it. Simple ingredients, put together easily, with rich and indulgent results.  As I was eating it I couldn't help but think that a tablespoon of creamy horseradish sauce would have also been very nice added to the sauce prior to baking, but then again, I love horseradish.

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

SAVORY GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Simple, fresh ingredients, put together in a simple and most delicious way.

• 1/2 pound (227g) green beans, washed, trimmed and halved
• 1/2 pound (227g) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
• 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (42g) grated strong cheddar cheese
• 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 TBS butter
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• salt to taste

Topping:

• 1/4 cup (30g) panko breadcrumbs
• 1 TBS butter, melted

 

I used fresh green beans. I washed them well under running water and then topped and tailed them with a sharp knife, cutting the beans in half afterwards.

I used russet potatoes. Yukon gold or red potatoes also work very well. 

Full fat sour cream and salted butter are my preference.  

Use a quality cheddar cheese and grate it yourself. They add things like cellulose to pre-grated cheeses to keep them from sticking together and this can mess with the integrity of the sauce. I also like to grate my own Parmesan if I can.

You can use any good quality dried breadcrumb.

 

HOW TO MAKE

SAVORY GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

This actually goes together really quickly. Have everything ready to go before you begin.

1. Prepare your vegetables. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and green beans. Boil for 8 minutes, then drain well and set aside. (I set them in the strainer over the saucepan and back over the heat of the burner to make sure all of the water has evaporated. I leave them there draining while I do the rest of the dish.)
2. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 3-cup baking dish. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter for the casserole in a small skillet. Add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, without browning. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Remove from the heat. (You can do this in the microwave. Add the onions and butter to a microwave safe dish. Cover with cling film. Microwave on high for two minutes. Remove from the microwave, stir in the garlic and leave to stand for 30 seconds.)
4. Whisk the sour cream, heavy cream, paprika, salt, pepper, both cheeses and the onion and garlic mixture together in a bowl. (Make sure your bowl is large enough to hold everything comfortably.)
5. Fold in the potatoes and green beans. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
6. Mix the melted butter and crumbs for the topping together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs evenly over top of the vegetable mixture in the baking dish. (I place the baking dish on a small baking tray for ease of putting the dish into the oven and for easy removal.)
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling and golden brown, and the potatoes test done when pierced with a knife.
8. Leave to rest for a few minutes prior to serving. (Ideally about 10 minutes.)

 

HINTS AND TIPS 

FOR

THE BEST RESULTS

• Read through the recipe several times to familiarize yourself with ingredients and method.
• Use fresh green beans for the best appearance, texture and flavor.
• Double the crumb topping for an extra crispy finish.
• Use a good sharp cheddar for the cheese required, along with the Parmesan.
• Bake in a glass or ceramic casserole dish for even heat distribution.
• Let stand for about 10 minutes prior to serving
• Turn into a simple main dish by adding cubed protein, such as baked ham.

    HOW TO STORE SAVORY GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Refrigerate any leftovers promptly. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator where they will keep for up to three days. To reheat, warm in the oven at 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4 until heated through or heat in the microwave on medium power for about 6 minutes, or until heated through.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

 Certainly. Just put it all together and then cover and refrigerate, unbaked, up to 24 hours prior to needing it. Take it out half an hour prior to baking. 

MUST I USE FRESH GREEN BEANS?

Feel free to use frozen (thawed) or canned green beans if you wish.  Simply drain well and pat dry before adding them to the rest of the ingredients.

DO I NEED TO USE CREAM?

If you don't have cream in the house feel free to use undiluted evaporated milk in its place. This can be a lower fat alternative to the cream. You can also use half and half if you wish.

CAN THIS BE FROZEN?

I do not recommend freezing this dish. There is a possibility of the creamy sauce splitting if frozen.

 

MORE FABULOUS SIDES TO ENJOY

I often think that the side dishes have more appeal than the main.  In fact, I could eat just those and nothing else!  Here are a few others that I enjoy!

ZUCCHINI CASSEROLE - I have been enjoying this delicious vegetable casserole since my sister shared the recipe with me back in the late 70's.  With tasty layers of zucchini, onions and carrots in a creamy sauce, topped with crispy stuffing crumbs, this always goes down a real treat!

CAULIFLOWER & BROCCOLI CHEESE -  I love cauliflower cheese, and I love broccoli cheese. It just makes sense to combine the two into one delicious dish. Double the pleasure. Crispy tender pieces of cauliflower and broccoli, bathed in a lush cheese sauce and baked until the whole thing is bubbling and golden brown. What could be bad about that! 

 

  

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Yield: 2 - 3 servings

Author: Marie Rayner

Savory Green Bean Casserole

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 55 Min

This simple casserole with green beans and potatoes is a real doddle to make and so delicious. It makes a fabulous side dish, but I could eat it as a main quite happily!

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (227g) green beans, washed, trimmed and halved
• 1/2 pound (227g) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
• 1/2 cup (120g) sour cream
• 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (42g) grated strong cheddar cheese
• 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 TBS butter
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• salt to taste

Topping:

• 1/4 cup (30g) panko bread crumbs
• 1 TBS butter, melted

Instructions

1. Prepare your vegetables. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and green beans. Boil for 8 minutes, then drain well and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Butter a 3-cup baking dish. Set aside.
3. Melt the butter for the casserole in a small skillet. Add the onions. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened, without browning. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer. Remove from the heat.
4. Whisk the sour cream, heavy cream, paprika, salt, pepper, both cheeses and the onion and garlic mixture together in a bowl.
5. Fold in the potatoes and green beans. Pour this mixture into the prepared baking dish.
6. Mix the melted butter and crumbs for the topping together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the buttered crumbs evenly over top of the vegetable mixture in the baking dish.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling and golden brown, and the potatoes test done when pierced with a knife.
8. Leave to rest for a few minutes prior to serving.

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