From-Scratch Creamy Sausage Green Bean Casserole is a Thanksgiving side dish that’s packed full of flavor!
This creamy sausage green bean casserole isn’t your everyday green bean casserole. There is no canned soup involved and no fried onions, which makes it the perfect twist on a classic. Johnsonville Ground Italian Sausage sends this dish into a whole new level of deliciousness and buttery bread crumbs adds the necessary crunch factor. It’s a side dish that’s a must-make this Thanksgiving, or really any time of year! morning, friends! I hope you guys had a fab weekend! I’m currently visiting family on the east coast, and it has been a whirlwind of adventure. I’m not usually used to all of this hustle and bustle, and I just don’t mean the hustle and bustle that is the make up of the NJ and NY states. I mean the hustle and bustle of my family’s everyday life! I mean I grew up in this neck of the woods. I know ALL about the hustle and bustle that is the east coast life. Although it is a whirlwind of fun activities, it makes me appreciate the slow pace of life Wyoming has to offer.
While on Thanksgiving day, I plan on indulging in all things food and family-related, this Saturday will be all about Friendsgiving.
That’s right, you guys. I will be partaking in TWO Thanksgivings this year, and this does NOT make me sad. I mean what can be bad about stuffing your face with turkey, pies, and ALL of the fixins. I’m not sad about this…so not sad about this. And this from-scratch extra creamy sausage green bean casserole will most DEFINITELY be on the menu.
When I think about what the best Friendsgiving day would look like, many things come to mine. I think about spending time with the ones I love most. I think about the appetizers, the bird, the dessert, and the side dishes. I think about planning ahead. I think about not having to spend hours in the kitchen. I want to be mingling! I mean that’s the joy in getting together. Am I right? It seems like we all get wrapped into the whirlwind that is preparing Thanksgiving/Friendsgiving dinner, that we forget about taking a step back, relaxing, and enjoying. This is always my biggest tip when it comes to Friendsgiving: take some time to enjoy it. It’s OK if dinner is on the table a couple of hours late. It’s OK if the bird is a little overdone. It’s OK if the rolls are doughy.
This is why I love this sausage green bean casserole for Friendsgiving. This recipe is so simple and so quick to make. It also can be made ahead of time by assembling it and refrigerating it right before the baking stage. Green bean casserole is a dish that is a staple in most American households, but I don’t know if you’ve ever seen green bean casserole like this. Sausage is the star of the show, and I think we forget how sausage can change a dish so dramatically and in such a great way. With all of the spices Italian sausage normally contains, you can skip the spice rack completely. It’s a natural flavor booster, and I just love that. Italian sausage adds so much flavor to this green bean casserole, you guys. In the future, you will never even think about making green bean casserole without it!
I hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as Zach and I do. Pair it with a porter. A porter is the perfect pairing for sausage and mushrooms. Have a wonderful Monday, friends! xo
From-Scratch Sausage Green Bean Casserole
Servings:
10Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- salt and black pepper
- 1 1/2 pound green beans trimmed and halved
- 1 pound loose Johnsonville Ground Italian Sausage
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 16 ounces sliced white button mushrooms
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup half and half
- dash of cayenne pepper optional
- 1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and spray a large baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Have a large bowl of ice water ready. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water, and add the green beans. Cook until they just have a bite, about 5 minutes and then drain. Transfer the green beans immediately to the bowl with the ice water to stop the cooking process, then drain for a second time. Set aside.
- Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the Johnsonville Ground Italian Sausage to the pan, and cook until just browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon. Discard all but about a tablespoon of the fat, and leave the pan over medium heat.
- Melt the 1/4 cup of butter. Add the mushrooms and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute. Whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and the flour has absorbed a lot of the liquid. Whisk in the vegetable broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the whole milk and half and half and season with a generous amount of salt and black pepper to taste. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper if desired, and continue simmering for about 15 minutes or until thickened. Stir the green beans and cooked sausage into the mixture and remove from heat.
- While your mushroom sauce is thickening, prepare your bread crumbs. In a small skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat. Add the panko bread crumbs. Stir them frequently until they start to turn a golden brown. This might take a few minutes, so be patient. Remove from heat.
- Pour the green bean/sausage mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake the sausage green bean casserole, for 15 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from heat and serve. Enjoy!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Johnsonville. The opinions and text are all mine.
