Green Bean Recipes

– Posted in: Recipes, Vegetables
9 comments

We don’t have any green beans ready quite yet, though they’re getting close. And even when we do have green beans, we’re quite happy eating them boiled in water until crisp-tender, drained, and then tossed with garlic sauteed in olive oil, or maybe just butter, salt, and pepper. However, there comes a time in the life of every cook when she is called upon to produce A Dish to Pass. In my husband’s family, you are often specifically told to bring a green bean casserole. Before I married into the family, there was only one green bean casserole. You know the one, with the condensed cream of mushroom soup and store-bought French fried onions.

Either of the green bean casseroles below is a wonderful replacement to that tired standby. I’m sure each would be even better with fresh green beans, but I almost always use frozen whole beans. Store-bought frozen beans, because we always eat all our homegrown beans before they ever get near a freezer.

Tangy Green Bean Casserole

This came from Taste of Home June 1996, p. 17

2 pounds green beans — 1-1/2 inch long
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon melted butter

Cook beans till crisp-tender; drain. Add onion, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper; toss to coat. Transfer to ungreased 2 qt. baking dish. Toss crumbs, cheese, & butter; sprinkle over bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or till golden brown. Serves 6.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 97 Calories; 5g Fat (42.0% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 12g Carbohydrate; 5g Dietary Fiber; 6mg Cholesterol; 167mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 1 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Green Beans Au Gratin
I clipped this one out of the newspaper. Left out the lemon peel the first time I made it, and never felt the need to buy a lemon for subsequent repeats.

1 pound green beans
1 large Spanish onion — sliced and separated into rings
1 tablespoon parsley — minced
3/4 pound mushrooms — sliced
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon lemon peel — grated
1 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 tablespoons butter

Stem, wash and cut green beans diagonally into 1″ pieces (or leave them whole). Cook in boiling water till barely tender. Drain. Melt butter, add onions and parsley. Simmer over medium heat till onions are limp. Add mushrooms. Continue cooking. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and lemon peel. Mix well. Blend in sour cream. Arrange half beans in bottom of greased 2 quart casserole. Cover with half of sauce. Repeat. Sprinkle cheddar over top. Combine bread crumbs with melted butter. Sprinkle over cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 6.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 386 Calories; 28g Fat (64.4% calories from fat); 11g Protein; 24g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 73mg Cholesterol; 1034mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 5 Fat.

Green Beans and Cabbage with Coriander Butter
This is not a casserole, but a stove top saute that is both unusual and good.

4 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped cabbage
1 1/2 cups fresh cut green beans
1 teaspoon ground coriander

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until butter just begins to turn golden brown. Remove from heat and add cabbage and green beans; toss to coat with butter. Sprinkle in 1 teaspoon ground coriander and toss well. Return to stove and cook over low heat, covered, 10 to 15 minutes, until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Serves 6.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 85 Calories; 8g Fat (78.0% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 21mg Cholesterol; 86mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat.

About the Author

Kathy Purdy is a colchicum evangelist, converting unsuspecting gardeners into colchicophiles. She gardens in rural upstate NY, which used to be USDA Hardiness Zone 4 but is now Zone 5. Kathy’s been writing since 4th grade, gardening since high school, and blogging since 2002. Find her on Instagram as kopurdy.

In the end, this may be the most important thing about frost: Frost slows us down. In spring, it tempers our eagerness. In fall, it brings closure and rest. In our gotta-go world–where every nanosecond seems to count–slowness can be a great gift. So rather than see Jack Frost as an adversary, you could choose to greet him as a friend.

~Philip Harnden in A Gardener’s Guide to Frost: Outwit the Weather and Extend the Spring and Fall Seasons

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Cindy August 28, 2008, 12:24 pm

I made the Au Gratin casserole last night and it was delish! I used all the beans but I may have to find some more to try with the cabbage. That sounds so good too.

Thanks so much for some new recipes.

Dee/reddirtramblings August 10, 2008, 3:32 pm

They sound delish. I’m with you on the homegrown. They never see a casserole.~~Dee

commonweeder August 9, 2008, 10:19 am

I cannot believe that my daughters still make that old green bean casserole. They never learned that at MY knee, I’ll tell you. Your recipes look great and my green beans are Coming In! Thanks for the tips.

Karen August 7, 2008, 4:13 pm

I’m on my third batch of green beans this year and was looking for some different recipes…. thanks for sharing!!

Kathy Purdy August 7, 2008, 2:19 pm

Daisy, the trick to cabbage is to get it fresh and not overcook it. Slice it in shreds about the same width as the green beans. It should not be mushy when cooked, but still have a bit of a bite to it, just this side of crunchy.

Daisy August 7, 2008, 2:06 pm

Yum! Those look good. I’ve never grown my own green beans before (maybe next year!), but I always pick them up weekly at the farmer’s market. I’m suspicious of cabbage (an unfortunate, lingering childhood distaste), but those first two look fabulous!

Shibaguyz August 7, 2008, 2:06 am

Great alternatives to that mushy casserole… thanks for sharing!!