Green Bean Ranch Potato Casserole

This Green Bean Ranch Potato casserole is so good. So, creamy, so cheesy and so comforting. In just about 30-minutes my casserole was ready served on a plate. You might also like my Green Bean Cheddar Casserole with Fall Spices or Garlic butter sauteed Green Beans with Parmesan or Dijon Maple-Glazed Green Beans which are also perfect for the season.

Ingredients used to make this casserole

And, this takes really just a few ingredients. In this recipe, I have used -

• 7oz of Green beans (Fresh)
• 1 cup Red Potatoes
• 1/2 cup Ranch dressing (you can also replace this with cream cheese)
• 2 medium-sized White Onion (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
• 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 1 cup Half-and-half (Haven't got Half-and-half? Make your own Half and Half substitute),
• Kosher salt & Pepper (as per taste)
• 2 tablespoon Butter
• Just 1 tablespoon of All-Purpose Flour.
• You can also add some bacon to make it much more appetizing. (I was making a vegetarian version, so I skipped it!)

If you are thinking about a vegetarian Thanksgiving side dish or some quirky ways to use up your green beans, then this is it. I know with the Thanksgiving season rolling in, we are all looking forward to a happy Thursday meal. And, in these times there is nothing more pleasing than casseroles.

I just love casserole recipes for dinner. They are so easy to make and are so comforting. If you are looking for a way to spice up your boring potato casserole (PS: This is really tasty though), then try making this green bean potato casserole.

Just some cheese along with salt and pepper is all that you need to make this awesome dinner recipe. And the best part about this is that this is a really cheap and budget-friendly weeknight meal.

Can We Use Canned or Frozen Green Beans?

SHORT ANSWER: (Canned - Please NO!, FROZEN - Umm! OKAY!)

LONG ANSWER: Thing is that there is nothing more optimal than fresh green beans. When you use frozen green beans they are still fine because they are not cooked. Although when you thaw them, they will lose their texture, still the color would be green.

But, when you use canned green beans then they are actually cooked and they are just awful. I mean canned green beans are not green at all. They are seriously the last thing you want to use. They are merely flaccid, dull, limp, and colorless pods.

How to choose Fresh Green Beans?

When choosing green beans, look for long and slender ones. You know that they are fresh, is by twisting the edges, if it snaps from the middle it means your green beans are absolutely fresh.

Why Should you use Red Potatoes instead of Russet Potatoes?

Russet potatoes are one of the most common kinds of potatoes which I generally use while I am baking. They make killer french fries and creamy mashed potato casserole.

But, while making this cheesy green bean potato casserole, always look for red potatoes. Red potatoes will not lose its shape. They make the excellent gratin, scalloped potatoes, and casseroles because they soak up all the creaminess and doesn't get mushy at all. Red Potatoes are often used in potato salads.

How to Make Green Bean Potato Casserole?

• First, boil potatoes and green beans for about 2-3 minutes in a pan with some water. Now, shock them by instantly transferring them to a pot with ice-cold water. This process of transferring hot green beans into a pot of ice-cold water is called shocking. This step is important to ensure that the green beans retain their color. After all, it's a green bean casserole. We really don't want it to go olive green or pale green in color.

• Second, In a pan add some butter. As soon as the butter melts, add chopped white onions and garlic powder. Cook until the onion gets caramelized. Take it out and keep it aside.

• Third, In the same pan, add some more butter and 1 tablespoon of All-Purpose Flour. Cook flour until gets fragrant and light brown. Then add half-and-half along with ranch dressing. If you don't have ranch dressing you can use cream cheese as well. Mix it well.
• Add green beans and potatoes and just half of the caramelized onions. Save some caramelized onions for later. Season with Salt and pepper.

• Take it out in a baking dish (which should be greased well with cooking spray) and then top with sharp yellow cheddar cheese.

• Top it with the remaining caramelized onions and bake it in a preheated oven at 350°F or 180°C for 20-minutes. Since the potatoes are par-boiled we don't need to put them in the oven for a longer time. As soon as the cheese bubbles on top, take it out and enjoy it.

What main dish goes well with cheesy potatoes?

• Baked Chicken Drumsticks
• Honey Garlic Chicken Breats
• Honey Lemon Basil Chicken
• No Yeast Dinner Rolls

What is the Best Way to Store Leftovers?

Refrigerate: Once the casserole is at room temperature, transfer it to a freezer-friendly bag or an air-tight container (Tupperware) and refrigerate. It will stay safe for 3 to 4 days. Keep in mind that cooked potato develops bacteria if it is kept at room temperature (40°F to 140°F) for more than 2 hours. So, immediately transfer it to the refrigerator.

Freeze: If you wish to freeze it, then transfer it to a plastic bag or a freezer-friendly bag and freeze it. Though, you should keep it in mind, that it will lose its moisture when kept in the freezer.

Reheat: To reheat just pop it in the Microwave or Oven until it's warm and bubbly.

If you liked this recipe, then please leave a rating and your reviews below. Also if you can, take a snap after you've cooked this and then share it on Instagram with #recipemagik, it would be great.