Love green bean casserole? Then you should have the same feelings for my cheesy okra casserole to your holiday dinner table.

When you think of Thanksgiving (or other winter holiday) side dishes, I bet green bean casserole is the first that comes to mind for many people. Besides my general aversion to green food as a child, I also disliked the mushy consistency due to used canned beans. That stuck with me even after I started eating green vegetables in college.

But then I tried making them myself with fresh green beans, such as in green bean artichoke casserole, and it was a total game changer.

When I decided to add okra instead of green beans, to fit my themed Thanksgiving menu (thus far with sweet tea sangria, poblano bacon gravy, smoked mac & cheese, and smoked turkey), it should come as no surprise that I did not use canned.

That being said however, okra is a pretty tough guy and I bet using a can wouldn’t be nearly as offensively mushy. I just wasn’t willing to take that risk. But in case you cannot readily find fresh okra, frozen will work as well.

Don’t forget to check out the other awesome Holiday Side Dishes posted today:

• Balsamic Mustard Brussels Sprouts from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Broccoli Cheese Casserole from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Cheddar Green Bean Casserole from Kate’s Recipe Box
• Easy Southern Succatash from Blogghetti
• Herbed Hasselback Potatoes from Family Around the Table
• Honey Roasted Carrots with Thyme from Sweet Beginnings
• Hot Honey Skillet Corn from Our Good Life
• Okra Casserole from The Spiffy Cookie
• Par-Baked Dinner Rolls from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Pepper Bacon Mac N Cheese from Simply Inspired Meals
• Roasted Garlic and Herb Mushrooms from Cook with Renu
• Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon from Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
• Sauteed Chayote Squash with Onions and Bacon from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese from Palatable Pastime

Two years ago: Dark Chocolate Cookies and Cream Bars

Three years ago: Weekly Meal Plan #36

Four years ago: White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Cookie Bars

Five years ago: Chocolate Candy Corn & Creme Cookies

Six years ago: Halloween 7-Layer Bars

Seven years ago: Pumpkin Oreo Truffles

CHEESY OKRA CASSEROLE

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk

1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup

1 lb. fresh (or frozen) okra, steamed and chopped

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 (2.8 oz.) can French fried onions, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a medium baking dish ans set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and soup. Stir in the okra, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and 1/2 the can of fried onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Top with remaining cheese and fried onions, and bake 5 more minutes, or until melted and toasted.

Source: Adapted slightly from Allrecipes.

Traditional gumbo with chicken, andouille sausage, and okra in a richly seasoned brown broth. Serve over rice for a hearty meal!

Mardi Gras may actually be on March 5, but a group of bloggers and I got together to share some recipes to prepare you for next week! I’ve been meaning to try my hand at homemade gumbo since our honeymoon to New Orleans, so this was just the motivation I needed. Since I dislike seafood I made a chicken and sausage version an threw in some okra for good measure!

The most intimidating part was making the dark brown roux. I’ve made plenty of tan roux in my life just never one this dark, but it is how you will get that rich brown broth color. Totally worth the effort as the flavors were incredible!

The other tricky part was finding the gumbo file. I researched ahead of time for substitutes and turns out adding okra will do the trick flavor-wise (another reason I added it) but I was lucky enough to find some gumbo file after all so I had both (although I did consider making fried okra instead). It did add an extra layer of rich flavor but if you cannot find it, maybe just add more okra ;-).

Check out these other delicious Mardi Gras recipes:

Cajun Chicken Pasta from Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo from The Spiffy Cookie

Fastelaynsboller from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

King Bundt Cake from The Redhead Baker

King’s Cake Cinnamon Rolls from Kate’s Recipe Box

Mardi Gras Monkey Bread from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Muffaletta Salad from A Day in the Life on a Farm

Oven-Baked Mardi Gras Muffaletta Empanadas from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Shrimp and Grits from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Shrimp Creole from Caroline’s Cooking

Shrimp Dirty Rice from Palatable Pastime

Shrimp Etouffee from House of Nash Eats

One year ago: Pistachio Rice Crispy Treats

Two years ago: Coconut Pistachio Larabars

Three years ago: Strawberry M&M® Cheesecake Truffles

Four years ago: Black Bean & Chorizo Soup

Five years ago: Three Cheese Chicken and Artichoke Bake

Seven years ago: Almond Cherry Chip Blondies

Eight years ago: Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins

CHICKEN & SAUSAGE GUMBO

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 lb okra, stems removed and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1/2 cup water

12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1 bunch celery, diced, leaves and all

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 bunch green onion, finely chopped (save some greens for garnish)

2-3 cloves garlic

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

6-8 cups chicken broth

Meat from 1 Rotisserie Chicken, chopped

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 bunch fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped

2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning

1 Tbsp gumbo file (optional)

Cooked rice, for serving

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, add the okra and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and simmer for 8 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large, heavy bottom stock pot over medium-high heat place the sausage slices in one layer. Brown on both sides (2-3 minutes per side). Remove to a plate.\
3. Return pot containing grease over medium-high heat. Add celery, bell pepper, and onions to the pot, sauteeing until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a separate bowl and set aside.
4. Place pot back over medium-low heat. Add flour and oil and cook, whisking constantly for 30 minutes, or until thickened and chocolate colored (be careful not burn).
5. While whisking, slowly pour in 6 cups of the chicken broth. Add sausage, veggies and okra, chicken, tomatoes, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Add more broth if desired and season to taste.
6. Remove from heat and slowly stir in the in the gumbo file. Serve warm over rice and top with reserved green onion.

Source: Adapted from Tastes Better from Scratch.