The winter season may be proving to be cold, but you and your family can always warm up with a healthy and delicious meal that’s sure to put a flame in your hearts and warmth in your tummies.
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A simple meal can go a long way this season. If you’re too busy handling the kids during their Christmas vacation, or you just want a simple, but elegant meal that’s easy to prepare and easy on your budget, you can try cooking up this delicious green bean casserole.
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Here’s what you’ll need:
2 lb. fresh green beans
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. Black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1/2 cup PLANTERS Sliced Almonds
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
How to prepare:
Gather your fresh green beans and trim the parts that you don’t want to chew and cut them crosswise. Green beans have that rich color that gives us a boost of carotenoids that are helpful in maintaining our healthy bodies. Having fresh green beans straight from the local produce stand can give you more B vitamins and minerals than those frozen variants at the grocery.
After preparing the green beans, you need to cook the beans in boiling water for three minutes. Remember to set the timer as overcooking can cause the beans to be soggy and not crunchy. Leaving the beans too long in the boiling water can also reduce the rich nutrients that are found in these delicious veggies. To blanch the beans properly, you should also prepare a bowl of ice water.
After the three minute wait, drain the beans and quickly plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Doing this will result in a crunchy texture that even kids can’t resist!
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In a separate bowl, whisk cream cheese, milk, pepper, and half of the garlic. Drain the beans and toss them in the cream cheese mix that you prepared earlier. Prepare a 2 quart casserole by spraying the bottom with cooking spray. Add the green bean mixture into the casserole and add the remaining garlic on top.
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Sprinkle the panko crumbs on top of the casserole. Panko crumbs just like bread crumbs, but are much coarser than what we use to cover fried foods. The course texture of Panko crumbs produces a crunchy crust making it ideal for cooking a Japanese dish like the tempura.
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Bake the casserole at a 350ºF oven for 30 minutes or until the crumb topping is golden brown. Serve it immediately so your family can enjoy this tender winter warmer meal. One serving of this Fresh Green Bean Casserole has only 100 calories and 8 grams of fat. It’s also rich in calcium, iron, and vitamins A and C making it a healthy option for the entire family. With the creamy cheesy flavor and the crunchy crust on top, your family is sure to enjoy this casserole for the holidays.
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In just under an hour, you have a stunning, yet easy-to-make green bean casserole from Kraft for 16 servings that brings out the best in a batch of green beans.