Green Bean Glory Casserole

I love this one pot wonder. This is the recipe I pass on to friends when they ask for easy family recipes. This Green Bean Glory Casserole recipe is easy and nutritious.

This Green Bean Glory Casserole recipe is another family favourite modified from my mom’s recipe box. Even the family members who claim to not like green beans rave about this fave! It could be described as scalloped potatoes on steroids, with more nutrition and more flavour. Speaking of flavour, try out my secret ingredient!

Green Bean Glory Casserole Recipe Tips

This green bean glory casserole recipe is great for leftovers. I usually double the recipe in hopes of stretching it out to two meals, using my giant casserole dish. My four kids are now between 8-13 years old, and making enough for six people for two meals is becoming challenging!

This is a great recipe in which to use garden (or farmers market) produce, or just to make a delicious, economical family dinner.

Green Beans

I love growing fresh beans – they are good producers, and they are easy to harvest, especially if I plant yellow wax beans or burgundy beans, which are easily spotted on the plants. They don’t have to be shelled like peas (hours of work!), and are resistant to many pests and diseases. Except when those crazy flea beetles eat the growing point of my beans when the plants first poke out of the ground.

From there, I remove the stem, and snap or chop the beans into about two inch lengths. Then I stick them in freezer bags and into the freezer, with or without blanching. Blanching is the process of scalding the beans in boiling water for a couple of short minutes, until they are bright green (or yellow), to stop the growing and rotting process of enzymes. Then the veggies must be chilled quickly in ice water to stop the cooking process. When I have several pails of beans to put up, it’s a bit of a process. And freezing is supposed to perform the same function…so I often just freeze beans without blanching.

Potatoes

It may seem like a lot of beans compared to potatoes, but we all like it as is. If, however, you are more into scalloped potatoes with green beans rather than green beans with potatoes, the ratios can be adjusted.

I don’t peel potatoes, ever. Whether roasted, mashed, sliced or cubed, I leave the peel on. If fancy restaurants leave the skin on, so can I. Besides, that’s where most of the nutrition is in a potato. There you go – one less step.

Farmer sausage is a smoked sausage, traditionally spiced with salt, pepper and brown sugar. Ham can also be used. This does not have to be pre-cooked, just slice or dice and throw it in!

Don’t forget the onion!! Ask me how I know. The flavour it adds is ridiculous!

Use your favourite brand name mushroom soup, like Campbell’s mushroom soup. No name, store brand soup produces a thin, runny disappointment. Every once in a while I try it, and am reminded of why I don’t. So don’t bother.

I find that between the mushroom soup and the sausage or ham there is enough salt to go around. No additional salt is necessary.

For you purists, if you have a cow or a goat (like I did once upon a time), or if you find a deal on heavy cream like my friend did last week, you could make a thickened cream gravy in place of mushroom soup.

The topping provides a nice crunch, but it doesn’t add much nutritionally, and it’s not something I keep on hand, so I usually leave it out.

I tried cooking this casserole in a slow cooker once. The green beans came out a little rubbery, so I don’t recommend it.

On to the secret ingredient! Now, if you are a fan of Traditional Mennonite Green Bean Soup, (and if you haven’t tried it, you can find the recipe here), you can guess what this ingredient might be. Ready? Got your guess?

Summer Savory! Dill works equally well. When you want a bit of a heartier meal than soup, but crave that summer feeling, adding one of these herbs is sure to bring it back. Check out how to dry herbs in this article.