This Creole Smothered Green Beans is the one you’ll always see on our holiday table. It’s simply green beans straight out of a can, but it’s uncanny how these green beans–sautéed up in smoky bacon grease, smothered down in spicy andouille, and spiked with Cajun seasonings–will bring “thanks” to your Thanksgiving table.
Green beans, smoky bacon, and spicy andouille sausage, this Creole Smothered Green Beans recipe is the perfect holiday side dish. (All photos credit: George Graham)
This Creole Smothered Green Beans side dish is down-home fare often seen on a meat-and-three plate most anywhere in Acadiana. In fact, it was a Creole cook at a steamtable lunchroom in rural Evangeline Parish that spilled the beans on the list of ingredients in this casserole combination. You might think that fresh green beans would enhance this recipe, but I promise you it won’t. Using canned green beans has both taste and texture that define this dish. But there is one essential step: you must drain off all the canning liquid.
So why agonize over Thanksgiving dinner and belabor what could be a simple process? The answer: green beans out of a can. It’s easy. It’s quick. It’s inexpensive. It’s Creole Smothered Green Beans.
- 8 strips smoked bacon, chopped
- 1 cup loosely packed sliced andouille sausage or smoked pork sausage
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ¼ cup diced celery
- 2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 1 (28-ounce) can cut Italian green beans, drained
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- In a heavy skillet over medium heat, add the bacon and fry until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon pieces and drain on paper towel.
- In the same skillet, add the andouille, onion, celery, and red bell pepper to the remaining grease, and cook until the sausage browns on both sides. Sprinkle the flour over the pan and stir it into the remaining grease to make a roux. Stir the flour until it begins to turn a beige color. Add the stock, stir until it thickens, and add the green beans. Stir to combine and season with white pepper, granulated garlic, black pepper, and salt. Stir in the heavy cream and combine. Lower the heat and let simmer and thicken for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and keep warm.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the top of the green beans with the crisp bacon pieces.
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I’ve been collecting my thanksgiving side dish recipes and will add this one! Wow! Can’t wait to share with my Texan family.
Hey Jillian – Bringing Creole flavor to the Texas Thanksgiving table will certainly be appreciated by your family. Thanks for the comment and have a very blessed Thanksgiving. Best, George
I was going to do the standard green bean casserole for Thanksgiving, but I will substitute the Creole Smothered Green Beans instead. Should be a big hit.
Judy- Go glad you’re going to try it. Have a tasty Thanksgiving Day. Best, George
Looks great George…. but where do you get the Margret Homes brand? I am not familiar. If I can find these, I’ll add to my Thanksgiving vegetables for a change… I usually do the unbundled green beans with brown sugar and bacon,.
Hey Johnette- Margaret Holmes is a widely distributed brand and I see it in most every mainstream supermarket in South Louisiana. I am sure Albertson’s or Super One has it. Outside of Louisiana, look for any brand of the flat-cut Italian green beans and it should work. Best, George
holy cow, george, this looks SO GOOD!!! i’m going to bring some cajun goodness to my thanksgiving table this year. thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!!!
Hey Kari- Great to hear from my friend from the other LA. Have a happy Thanksgiving at the bungalow. Best, George
Another good one, George. I’ll be taking this dish to Thanksgiving with my Alabama family. They’re gonna loose their minds!!!
Why do you use heavy whipping cream?
Rhesa- I like the velvety creaminess that a touch of heavy cream brings to the dish. If you like, leave it out and try it without the cream. Let us know how it turns out. Best, George
Wonderful recipes, sum r like my own, plus I use dbl.garlic sausage. These r good
Love recipe I must try thiis
this sounds wonderful for the holiday party, thanks
George, Saw this recipe. Saved it, forwarded it to my daughter and taking it to my sister for Thanksgiving. I can’t wait to dig in!! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Sherry, Have a tasty Thanksgiving! George
George, I absolutely hate the customary green bean casserole, will definitely use this one instead!
I have been following your site for the last couple years. Your selections, depth of content and articles are a perfect read. Thank you very much.
Jesse-
You made my day! Thanks for the heartfelt comments. Best to you, George
Hi George!
So glad you shared this recipe so I can incorporate this Thanksgiving! Looking forward to tasting!!
Hey Jennifer-
Have a Happy Thanksgiving and thanks for the comment. Best, George
Why only a 28oz can? It seems like you would need at least 2 cans or 1 and 1/2. Just asking, getting ready to prepare. Thank you for this recipe!!
Hey Magge-
Good question, and you are correct: For a larger group, you will need more beans. And the beauty of this recipe is that it is so easily scalable. Simply adding more green beans and sausage will extend the serving size, but you do not have to add more of the seasonings and stock. Have a happy Thanksgiving. George
George, I made this dish for the family today. Just ridiculous. That might be the best thing I’ve ever cooked.
Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving!
Henry
Hey Henry-
Great to hear from you and so glad your beans were a hit. All the best to you, George
The only thing that I’m puzzled about is the instructions to add the flour to the sausage, vegetables and grease to make a roux. I would make the roux using the the drippings and maybe the vegetables but reserving the sausage to be added back after the roux is made. Is that part of the recipe correct? You add the flour to the sausage, veggies, and drippings?
Chris- Good question. Let me clarify: a roux is simply a thickening technique of cooking flour and oil together until it incorporates. Once liquid (stock) is added, the result is thick and rich. In this recipe, the “roux” refers to adding body to the beans by cooking a couple of tablespoons of flour in the bacon grease (along with the sausage and vegetables) until it takes on enough color (beige) to cook out the flour taste. It will add a creamy texture to the dish. Give it a try. Best, George
I plan on making these tomorrow for Christmas dinner. What is the best way to reheat for serving?
Hey Ned-
Good question. If you are presenting the green beans in a cast-iron skillet as I like to do, I recommend reheating on the stovetop by adding 2 or 3 tablespoons chicken stock, covering and simmering until heated through, about 5 minutes. If you are transporting the beans in a covered non-metal container, I recommend microwaving covered on high for 2 minutes, stop and stir, and microwave another 2 minutes … repeat until hot. Also, this recipe can be made far in advance and frozen. Just thaw and finish as instructed above. Let us know how it turns out. Best, George
Made this the day before for Christmas dinner and it was a hit. Easily reheated. I used Andouille from Kelly’s Meat Block in Opelousas. My Texas in laws loved them. My sister in law brought flat green beans too, but nobody touched them. Not even her. She loved my beans. Or I should say your beans. Thanks for all you do for us displaced Cajuns looking for a taste of home.
Hey Ned-
That’s the great thing about Acadiana Table: We share ideas and inspiration for great Cajun and Creole dishes. Those green beans are now YOUR green beans and should most certainly become a holiday tradition in your family. Food memories are the key to who we are. Best, George
This is just like our grandmother used to fix on those long summer evenings. A plate of sliced tomatoes, green onions, and some musk melon and the meat in the beans was all we needed! What a great memory. Thanks!
Jacqueline- Food memories are the best; thanks for sharing yours.
I did this but added a little more chicken stock and finished in the Smoker for 1 hour. They were a great hit with a party.
Danny – Great idea adding smoke. I’ll be trying that next time. All the best.
Hey George,
Leroy here from Opelousas,La. Just wondering if you put the casserole in the oven to bake, like the original casserole, and if so for how long. I’ll be using pork sausage, should I take it out of the casing or leave it in to brown it?
Leroy- No oven needed. The beauty of this dish is its simplicity. Canned green beans are already cooked and the flat Italian-cut are soft and only need to soak up the flavors and heat through. Your choice on the sausage, but be sure to brown it to cook through and develop deep flavor. All the best.
George if i cant find the flat green beans, can i use the green beans in the can that aren’t Italian?
Maria-
Certainly you can use any kind of canned green beans, but I prefer the flat green beans that are most often labeled as “Italian” green beans. All the best.
This was the best green beans recipe I have ever tasted. No lie. I even tried it with turkey bacon and turkey sausage because a guest of mine doesn’t eat pork and it was superb. I can only imagine how good it would be with the regular ingredients and look forward to making it the original way. Us pork heads know the flavor pig gives to dishes. Excellent job as usual, Mr. George!
Hey Edgar- Thanks for the great review; that green bean casserole is always on my holiday table, and I am so glad you love it as well. All the best to you.
Awesome post.
That looks sooo good! I usually make green bean/artichoke casserole as a side, but I’m going to try this dish for Thanksgiving. Will quadruple the recipe!
Yum! Can’t wait to try these!
Glad to have found your site and newsletter. I’m a long way from home! Green beans for Thanksgiving!
Guy – This time of year, recipes like this one can transport you back to the kitchen table you grew up around. All the best.
Momma’s gone now. I never got her recipe. AND this looks just like it!!!
Thanks George. You can be sure this will be on the table for Thanksgiving.
Inspiring!
Thanks for sharing, Susan. Glad to bring back memories of you momma. Warmest Thanksgiving wishes to you and your family.
Just made it. Everyone up here in Chicago loves it. #flavorsavor. Will make this for Thanksgiving!
I made these for Christmas last year and everyone loved them. This Thanksgiving I’m taking the recipe to Texas and my son’s in-laws!
Thanks for sharing this, Christina. All the best for a Happy Thanksgiving.
These green beans are awesome. I made up a double batch for a little get together the other night, thinking I’d have plenty left for the coming week… nossir, nary a speck. My bride says “Definitely a do-over… over and over and over again. I’ll likely tweak it from time to time, just because that’s what I do, but it is truly awesome as is! Thank you!
This was a big hit this Thanksgiving. Even the hard to please kids came for seconds. Bye Bye boring Green Bean Casserole!
Thanks so much for the great review. This Creole Smothered Green Bean dish was on our Thanksgiving table this year as well. It is one of the most consistent (and easiest) of all my recipes. Best to you.