Sausage Green Bean Casserole

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This savory and comforting Sausage Green Bean Casserole is a recipe I make throughout the winter, not just for Thanksgiving! Try it today and I guarantee you’ll be going, “mmm” as it pops out of the oven.

What You’ll Need

• Two pounds of trimmed green beans
• One onion
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic (or more, just measure with your heart)
• 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 pound of ground sausage
• 2 Tbsp oil (I use olive oil)
• 3 Tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth (I use Better than Bouillion paste)
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

How to Make

This recipe is a little more intensive as far as cooking and transferring food multiple times. It only requires one skillet and one pan but you will be transferring food, using the stove top, and baking in the oven.

Step One:

Break the onions apart with your spatula and saute in the oil for five to ten minutes until browned/caramelized. Once done, transfer to a bowl and stir in parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.

Step Two:

Cook the ground sausage in a skillet over medium heat. While the meat is cooking, trim the green beans (cut the ends off), cut the onion in half and then in slices, chop the mushrooms roughly, and mince the garlic. As the meat continues to cook, add the mushrooms, garlic, and green beans. Allow to cook through, roughly five to seven minutes. Alternatively, you can boil the green beans on the stove top for about ten minutes and after draining them you add to the end mixture.

Step Three:

Pre-heat the oven to 375. In the skillet with the meat, mushrooms, garlic, and green beans pour in the vegetable broth and turn the heat up to high to bring it to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and whisk in the flour. It will start to thicken like a gravy and at this point add the milk. Gradually, turn up the heat to simmer the milk (be careful not to burn it!) and stir/whisk continuously. This will thicken to a gravy consistency after a few minutes. Stir in the ground black pepper, cayenne, and paprika. Cayenne can be left out but I think it’s really important for the end flavor.

Step Four:

If you chose to boil the green beans, add them to the skillet now and mix together. Turn off the heat and pour mixture into an 8×8 inch pan or casserole dish. Top with the onions and sprinkle on additional parmesan cheese if desired. Bake for 20-25 minutes uncovered.

Optional Variations

As stated above, the cayenne pepper really brings out great flavor (it doesn’t just add heat!) and I highly recommend it. However, it can be left out. Instead of meat, you could try cooking lentils and following the recipe with a cup of cooked lentils (1/2 cup raw) and see how it turns out!

Substitutions

Whole wheat flour can be substituted for all-purpose flour. I’ve read similar recipes that also use almond milk instead of Cow’s milk but have not tried them myself. Ground sausage is king in this recipe but of course you can try ground beef, turkey, or chicken if you wish.

Nutritional Add-in’s

Needing a few extra nutrients? Consider adding a tablespoon or two of liquid aminos while cooking the ground sausage. They’ll add a savory, salty flavor to the overall dish and of course boost your intake of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.

As many of my recipes note, you can always sprinkle in hemp hearts for added quality fats.

Storage

I recommend storing this in an air tight container with leftovers lasting roughly three to five days. It can be frozen in an air tight container for ten to twelve months. The quality and taste may change after it has been frozen for three months.

Reheating Tips

If preparing this for an upcoming holiday or later date, remove from the fridge for at least 30 minutes prior to reheating. This allows it to get to room temperature and heat more evenly whether you’re reheating in the oven (recommended) or microwave.

Serving Suggestions

Classic pairings with green bean casserole include roasted turkey of course! However, since this dish has an animal protein I recommend pairing it with a butternut or sweet potato casserole and roasted or air fried Brussel sprouts. This will give you tons of colors on the plate and a variety of textures as well.

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Turkey Tenderloin Stuffing
• Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup

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