Not Basic: Add This Smoked Meat To Green Bean Casserole For Extra Hearty Comfort

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Green bean casserole is the ultimate savory side dish for cold weather comfort. But with the addition of one unsung meat, it becomes hearty enough to serve as a standalone meal by itself. To spice up your next green bean casserole, add smoked turkey. The smoky meat marries the deep, tender greens for a satisfyingly toothy texture and deep, dimensional flavor. 

To incorporate smoked turkey into your green bean casserole, fold a few generous handfuls of the shredded meat into the casserole's wet ingredients and bake as normal. That's it. Bonus points if you finish the dish with a handful of sharp cheddar cheese grated on top. For more specific ingredients and measurements, take a cue from Tasting Table's classic green bean casserole recipe, which comes together with just 10 minutes of hands-on prep work. As a general jumping-off point, use 1 cup of chopped or shredded turkey meat per cup of green beans.

To create an even heartier casserole, top the smoked turkey green bean mixture with a layer of fluffy mashed potatoes, shepherd's-pie-style. Simply spread a layer of prepared mashed potatoes over the green bean base before popping the whole thing in the oven to bake to a bubbly, golden-brown crisp. For even quicker prep work, boxed dry mashed potatoes can totally get the job done.

This recipe upgrade makes for a thrifty way to use up leftover smoked turkey after Thanksgiving dinner or holiday parties. Turkey wings, legs, and neck all work here. Don't happen to have any leftover smoked turkey meat? You can smoke a turkey at home with a pellet grill, or a regular gas or charcoal grill and the help of the Grillaholics Stainless Steel Wood Chip Smoker Box. Tasting Table rounded up a few tips for smoking a whole turkey to help foodies nail it every time. Or, for the quickest prep, premade, ready-to-eat smoked turkey legs can be found vacuum-sealed at many grocery stores. Just shred the meat from the bone and fold it into your green bean casserole.

Serve smoked turkey green bean casserole with a side of tart cranberry sauce for bright counterbalance on the palate, or a fresh green salad to keep it light. An anchovy-dotted Caesar dressing would emphasize the umami flavor tones from the French-fried onions and mushroom soup. Or, to lean into a heartier comfort meal, you could serve that smoked turkey green bean casserole with a side of homemade mac and cheese and cornbread slathered with sweet honey-cinnamon butter. In an airtight container in the fridge, leftovers will retain their quality for three to five days.