Recipe Background
Cajun Green Bean Casserole does Louisiana proud by staying authentic to its Creole roots! The holy trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper makes its appearance, as does the zesty and spicy seasoning blend that makes New Orleans cooking so memorable! The crisp-tender green beans still have their garden freshness, which pairs beautifully with the succulent bacon, the spicy cream sauce, and the crunchy fried onion topping. You'll never make traditional green bean casserole again after trying Cajun Green Bean Casserole, because the original just can't compare with something this original!
Cajun Green Bean Casserole does Louisiana proud by staying authentic to its Creole roots! The holy trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper makes its appearance, as does the zesty and spicy seasoning blend that makes New Orleans cooking so memorable! The crisp-tender green beans still have their garden freshness, which pairs beautifully with the succulent bacon, the spicy cream sauce, and the crunchy fried onion topping. You'll never make traditional green bean casserole again after trying Cajun Green Bean Casserole, because the original just can't compare with something this original!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste, for boiling
- 2 pounds green beans ends trimmed, halved crosswise
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil divided
- 4 strips bacon chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper chopped
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning divided
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
- 2 (2.8-ounce) cans crispy fried onions
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
- Add the green beans to the water and cook until bright green and crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Drain the green beans and rinse them under cold water. Pat the green beans with a towel to dry.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the bacon to the skillet and cook, stirring, until just crisp, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, the celery, the onion, and the bell pepper to the bacon and cook, stirring continuously, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Stir 1 tablespoon of the Cajun seasoning into the vegetable mixture. Remove the vegetable mixture from the heat.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the butter to the Dutch oven and allow it to melt.
- Sprinkle the flour into the butter and stir to make a paste.
- Whisk the milk and the half-and-half into the flour mixture.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk the hot sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt into the sauce.
- Add the vegetable mixture and the green beans to the sauce and mix well to coat the green beans.
- Transfer the vegetable mixture to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, toss the fried onions with the remaining olive oil.
- Sprinkle the fried onions with the remaining Cajun seasoning and toss to coat.
- Scatter the fried onions over the top of the casserole.
- Bake the casserole until the sauce is bubbly and the topping is browned, about 15 minutes.
- Serve.
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