Going green has never been so easy! Especially for your tastebuds! The Go-Green Bake takes the crunchy yet tender green beans, the emerald joys of the garden, and coats them in a lovely and rich cream sauce with tangy artichokes! Buttered bread cubes add some crunch and a rustic charm to each plateful of this Go-Green Bake! So verdant and so delicious, this is an amazing casserole anytime!
Ingredients
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, drained and squeezed dry, quartered lengthwise
- coarse salt, to taste
- ground pepper, to taste
- cayenne pepper, to taste
- 6 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed, coarsely chopped into cubes
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step 2 –In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the green beans until tender, about 4-6 minutes.
Step 3 –Drain the green beans.
Step 4 –In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Step 5 –Transfer 2 tablespoons of the melted butter to a medium bowl, reserving it for the breadcrumb topping.
Step 6 –To the remaining butter in the pan, add the flour and the garlic and cook, while whisking, until the raw flour smell cooks off but without letting the mixture brown, about 1 minute.
Step 7 –Gradually whisk in the milk and bring the mixture to a boil.
Step 8 –Reduce the heat to a simmer.
Step 9 –Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
Step 10 –Stir in the green beans and the artichoke hearts and season the mixture with the salt, the pepper, and the cayenne.
Step 11 –Transfer the mixture to a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
Step 12 –Toss the bread cubes with the reserved melted butter.
Step 13 –Sprinkle the bread cube mixture over the green bean mixture.
Step 14 –Bake until the bread cubes are golden-brown and the sauce is bubbling, about 10-15 minutes.
Step 15 –Serve.
