Tex-Mex Green Bean Casserole



Tex-Mex Green Bean Casserole

With green beans bursting from our garden, I’ve challenged myself to come up with 10 ways to use them—and this Tex-Mex Green Bean Casserole is definitely a winner! Loaded with melty cheese, zesty spices, and just the right kick of flavor, it’s a bold twist on the classic green bean Thanksgiving comfort dish, replacing the mushrooms with poblano slices, the French fried onions with crushed tortilla chips, and the cream of mushroom soup with a cheese sauce. I originally saw this on the food network and adapted it. This recipe is for 6-8 people. I cut it in half for my family as it is so rich.

2 pounds green beans cut in 1 inch pieces

3 poblano peppers, seeded and cut into 1.5 inch strips.

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 T butter

3 T flour

1.5 cups whole milk

1.5 cups chicken broth

2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

4 cups tortilla chips

1 tsp chile, ancho, or chipotle powder (or use flavored tortilla chips like Doritos)


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Boil beans for 3 minutes then plunge into ice water to blanch. When beans are cooled, drain and dry.

3. Melt butter in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add poblanos and onion and sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened (about 10 min). Add the garlic and salt and stir over the heat, cook for 1 minute.

4. Remove pot from heat and add the flour, stirring until the veggies are coated.

5. Return to heat and whisk in the milk and broth. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer while whisking until mixture is slightly thickened (about 5 min). Add more flour if needed to thicken.

6. Add the pepper jack cheese while gently stirring until melted. Mixture will now be thick. Add beans and stir to coat with the mixture.

7. Pour into a 3 quart casserole (you can refrigerate for 4 hours at this point if making this in advance).

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbling. Meanwhile pulse the tortilla chips with the spice powder in a food processor until coarsely ground. Sprinkle over the casserole and bake for 5 more minutes.


Comments