Ingredients
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
⅓ lb. bacon, cooked and chopped
For the Supreme or Creamy Cheese Sauce:
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or fat of choice
3 oz. onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 tablespoons dry white wine or dry vermouth
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
¾ cup unsalted chicken stock or broth
3 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
½–¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
For the topping:
⅓ cup pork rinds, crushed (or bread crumbs)
⅛ teaspoon granulated garlic
⅛ teaspoon salt
1–2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and position rack in the middle. Butter an oven proof casserole dish.
- Cook green beans to your liking. (I like to put them in a microwaveable bowl with 2 tablespoons of water, cover them, and steam them on high power for 4–5 minutes. Test for doneness, uncover, and drain.) Place green beans into a large bowl with the chopped bacon and mix.
- To prepare the Supreme or Creamy Cheese Sauce: Heat a large skillet (I use a nonstick) over medium-high heat. Add bacon drippings when the pan is hot. Next, add minced onion and sauté until translucent, about 2–3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until soft, about 1–2 minutes. Turn heat down to medium and add parsley, lemon zest, and wine. Sauté for about a minute, or until the smell of the alcohol has burned off. Add softened cream cheese, breaking it up in the pan so that it melts more easily. Add chicken broth little by little, whisking to combine until the cream cheese has melted. Turn heat to medium-low and let the sauce bubble a little to combine flavors and thicken slightly. Add the cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Whisk and adjust seasoning to taste.
- Stir sauce into the bowl with the green beans and bacon. Pour green bean mixture into the buttered baking dish.
- To prepare the topping: Crush pork rinds by putting them in a plastic Ziploc bag and hitting them with the flat end of a meat mallet or rolling pin. Pour crumbs into a small bowl and add granulated garlic and salt. Add olive oil and mix together with your fingers. Sprinkle over the casserole.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes or until bubbly around the sides. Serve.
Note: Make sure the beans are cooked to your liking before adding them to the cheese sauce. Or you could let the casserole cook longer in the oven. If the sauce is too thick for you, add ¼ cup more chicken broth next time. It will be solid when refrigerated. Reheating will make it loose again.
ShareOCT
2017
About the Author:
Alex & Ashley Poptodorov are owners of A+A Wellness in ATL, GA. They have over 30 years combined experience with 14 years of running their own fitness facility in Tampa & ATL. They relocated to ATL in 2013 and now offer Fitness, Nutrition, Lifestyle & Traditional Naturopathy programs including Online Coaching and their online Forum called the A+A Wellness 'Inner Circle'.