Katie's Smothered Green Beans

Bacon, smoked sausage, and a medium-brown roux turn a pot of green beans into a full meal. Katie's smothered green beans are great on their own or over rice with cornbread — and as she says, the roux is what gives them their signature rich, smothered flavor, so don't skip it.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
• 5–7 red potatoes, quartered
• 1 lb smoked sausage (any kind you like), sliced into ¼-inch rounds
• 8 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 container Guidry's (or chop your own trinity)
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3–4 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3–4 cups chicken broth
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Cajun seasoning
• Black pepper
• Cayenne pepper

Katie doesn't give exact measurements on the seasoning — she feels it's personal preference.

Directions

1. Cook the chopped bacon in a heavy pot until crispy. Remove and set aside.
2. In the bacon drippings, brown the sliced sausage. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
3. Reserve the drippings. Return about 3 tablespoons of the drippings to the pot and whisk in the flour. Cook about 5 minutes to make a medium-brown roux.
4. Add the Guidry's/trinity and cook until softened, about 5–10 minutes.
5. Stir in seasonings. Cook for 1 minute.
6. Slowly whisk in about ½ cup of the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
7. Add the green beans and the remaining broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
8. Add the potatoes, cover, and cook another 20–25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
9. Stir the bacon and sausage back into the pot and serve. Great on its own or over rice with cornbread.

Katie's Tips

• If you like your green beans to have a little more bite, wait to add the potatoes until later so the beans don't cook quite as long.
• The roux is what gives these green beans their signature rich, smothered flavor, so don't skip it.

Recipe submitted by Foodies of Lafayette member Katie Rice.