Beef and Green Bean Dinner is a low-carb meal full of green beans and ground beef in a delicious cream sauce. It’s hearty enough to fill you, but it keeps your carb count low.
Green Bean Casserole
This dish goes back to my college years. My roommates and I would pool our money and head off to the grocery. At some point, we had the idea to transform the green bean casserole from our childhoods, into a more hearty dish. We added ground beef and sour cream for more flavor.
Green Bean Casserole is traditionally made with green beans and cream of mushroom soup. Over the years I have adapted the recipe to add more flavor and ditch the soup for an easy-to-make bechamel sauce that is truly delicious.
Bechamel Sauce
Bechamel Sauce is a white sauce that is made with a white roux and milk. It used as the base of many different sauces.
Why use bechamel sauce instead of cream of mushroom soup?
For me, it’s the sodium and the carbs. My bechamel sauce has 1/3 the amount of sodium and 1/2 the carbs as the soup in a can.
Additionally, my family doesn’t love mushrooms. Will you miss the mushrooms? Go ahead and add some diced mushrooms if you like.
How to make Beef and Green Bean Dinner
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add ground beef and onion to a large skillet and cook until the meat is completely browned. Drain and set aside.
Melt butter in the same pan over medium heat.
Add flour and combine into a paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Add half and half and beef broth. Whisk together and simmer until sauce thickens for about 7 minutes.
Add the cooked ground beef , green beans and sour cream to the sauce. Stir to combine.
Transfer to an oven safe pan and top with cheese and onion straws. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
At this point, remove the cover and bake an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted and onion straws are browned.
Storing Leftovers
I absolutely love this dish as a leftover. Store any leftovers in an airtight container and rewarm in the microwave the next day.
Not Worried About Carbs
Sometimes this recipe calls for mashed potatoes. It’s really a great combination when you are craving some potatoes!
My son also loves this recipe with tator tots baked on the top. Instead of the onion straws, I top the entire dish with tator tots and bake with no cover. As soon as the tator tots are brown, remove the casserole from the oven and serve immediately.
Beef and Green Bean Dinner
Beef & Green Bean Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- 2 cans Cut Green Beans
- 1 c Beef Broth
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/4 c Flour
- 1 c Half & Half
- 1/2 c Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1/2 c Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/2 White Onion Diced
- 1/4 c Sour Cream
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 3/4 c Onion Straws Optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add ground beef and onion to a large skillet. Cook until beef is browned, no more pink. Drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in same pan over medium heat.
- Add flour and combine into a paste. Let cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
- Add half and half and beef broth. Whisk together and cook until sauce thickens. About 7 minutes.
- Add the cooked ground beef and green beans to the sauce and combine all ingredients.
- Transfer to oven and cook for 25 minutes covered.
- Top with cheese and onion straws and return to oven uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and onion straws have browned.