Caesar Green Bean Casserole
You’ll love this delicious Caesar Green Bean Casserole! Quick and easy, the tangy homemade Caesar dressing gives ordinary green beans a zesty flavor with a delicious and crunchy Parmesan and garlic crouton topping!
Why this recipe works
This recipe is a spin-off on a cold green bean salad recipe I came across in Cook’s Country. Unfortunately, we didn’t care for the strong lemon flavor or cold green beans, so I improvised with a delicously warm version that has more Caesar flavor than the original.
- The tangy flavor pairs beautifully as the perfect side dish for steak, fish , ham or chicken
- Can be made in advance
- Simple ingredients – no gourmet ingredients, no condensed soups, no canned soups, additives or preservatives
- Different than the traditional Green Bean Casserole you have at Thanksgiving!
Ingredients
A few simple ingredients and about 30 minutes bring this green bean casserole to life! Here’s what you’ll need: See recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts.
- Green beans: I recommend fresh green beans or packaged green beans you find in the produce section
- Lemon juice: fresh squeezed lemon juice works best; if you use bottled lemon juice, use 1/2 of the amount called for in the recipe
- Garlic: I used jarred minced garlic; you can substitute with 3 cloves of fresh minced garlic if you like
- Worcestershire sauce: this classic sauce gives the Caesar dressing that umamai flavor
- Dijon mustard: offers a bit of acidity and tang to the Caesar green bean casserole and acts as a thickening agent for the Italian dressing
- Parmesan cheese: no Caesar salad or Caesar dressing is complete without freshly grated Parmesan cheese; you can use Parmesan Reggiano, or Asiago cheese as a substitute
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper: Fresh ground black pepper gives the Caesar dressing a tiny bit of heat and balances the acidity from the lemon juice and Dijon mustard
How to make Caesar Green Bean Casserole
This is an overview of the quick and easy process. For exact instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Boil the green beans
- Prep the baking dish, process croutons and parmesan cheese for the topping
- Mix the Caesar dressing and pour over green beans
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until topping is crispy
Storage, Make Ahead and Freezing
If you make this Caesar green bean casserole in advance, put aluminum foil or plastic wrap over the cooked and cooled casserole and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Freezing is possible, but not recommended. I found the reheated frozen version resulted in rubbery green beans.
Caesar Green Bean Casserole
Tangy and savory green bean casserole with a hint of Caesar dressing, garlic, parmesan and Caesar flavored croutons.
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Rate
Yield: 6
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Six-cup baking dish (about 1½ quarts) See Recipe Notes about Size of Baking Dish
- Large Dutch oven or boiling pot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds trimmed green beans
- 4 quarts boiling water
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided ½ for the dressing and ½ for the topping
- 2 cups Caesar croutons, pulsed in food processor, divided One 5-ounce bag of croutons = 2 cups when finely pulsed in food processor; ½ for the dressing and ½ for the topping
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter : 1 T not melted (for baking dish;) 4 T melted butter for crouton topping
- Grape tomatoes, halved, as garnish (optional)
Instructions
Prep
- Trim and rinse green beans2 pounds trimmed green beans
- Bring 4 quarts of water and 1½ teaspoons of salt to boil; add green beans and minced garlic to boiling water; allow to boil 4-7 minutes until the green beans are semi-tender; drain and set aside4 quarts boiling water, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- Lightly butter inside of a 1 ½ quart baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter
- Pulse croutons in food processor; set aside; divided2 cups Caesar croutons, pulsed in food processor, divided
- Grate Parmesan cheese; set aside; divided1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter; set aside5 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Preheat oven to 350℉
Caesar Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, ½ of the Parmesan cheese, ½ of the crushed croutons and black pepper; whisk together and set aside1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Assemble Casserole
- Pour cooked green beans into large mixing bowl; drizzle Caesar dressing over beans; gently combine until the beans are coated with the dressing; transfer mixture to prepared baking dish
- In a small mixing bowl, combine remaining crushed croutons, remaining grated parmesan cheese and melted butter; combine well and spread over the green bean mixture
- Bake uncovered at 350℉ for 20-22 minutes or until the top is golden brown; garnish with sliced grape tomatoes (optional) and serve immediately
Notes
Size of baking dish
If you use a 9 x 13 casserole dish, you may need to increase the topping ingredients by a half cup each to ensure the entire casserole is covered with the crunchy topping. (Instead of a ½ cup of crushed croutons, use 1 cup; instead of a ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese, use 1 cup; use 6 tablespoons of melted butter instead of 4 tablespoons.
Nutrition Estimate
Serving: 1cupCalories: 332kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 9gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 40mgSodium: 1050mgPotassium: 426mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1489IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 229mgIron: 2mg
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