Buffalo Chicken Green Bean Casserole
Crank up the spice in a classic green bean casserole with the flavors of a buffalo chicken dip! Green bean casserole might be the most controversial plate on the Thanksgiving table. I personally usually do not like it, unless it is a really great version! I decided to add some of my favorite flavors from creamy buffalo chicken dip to enhance the green bean casserole into something I like much more!
The inspiration for this recipe
I was on my weekly Wiener Wednesday Live Stream with The Vulgar Chef on Instagram and it was his turn to cook. He was making a spicy green bean casserole hot dog and we were debating between using buffalo or chipotle. It made me really want to do a buffalo chicken version of green bean casserole! I did some searches and couldn’t find one so I decided to go for it. I decided to use buffalo chicken dip as an inspiration for the sauce of the casserole.
Cook the chicken first
I like chicken thighs for almost everything, but in this dip they are great because they get so tender and don’t really overcook as much. Brown them on all sides and remove from the pan.
Start the veggies
Butter in the same pan you cooked the chicken in, then add onion and mushroom. Scrape the pan as you cook to get all that tasty brown stuff into the food and not stuck on the pan.
Garlic, salt and chicken stock start to build the sauce of the dish
Remove the pan from the heat, then add the green beans. Chop up the chicken before adding it back to the pan. Personally I like my green beans to still be crunchy. If you want them a little softer you can simmer them in the broth for a few minutes.
Build the buffalo chicken green bean casserole sauce
Add the cream cheese in next, and then some ranch and hot sauce. Stir it all to combine well, then stir in the cheese. I used pepperjack.
Top and bake the buffalo chicken green bean casserole
Pour it all into a baking dish and top with more hot sauce, some blue cheese, and a ton of crispy onions.
Serving the buffalo chicken green bean casserole
Cook until it is bubbling on all the edges and the onions are nice and brown looking. Allow to cool for 5 minutes at least before serving!
This buffalo chicken version was my favorite green bean casserole EVER! The sauce was like buffalo chicken dip and it matched so well with the green beans. So much better than cream of mushroom soup in my opinion!
Twists and tips on this recipe
You could always make your favorite classic green bean casserole and add some chicken and buffalo sauce to it. That way it would be more like your family version. Personally I was aiming for buffalo chicken dip so that is why I went with the cream cheese. I also thought it was easier to form a sauce with cream cheese than it would be to make your own cream of mushroom.
For more fun twists on Thanksgiving dishes, check out my tater tot stuffing, this Thanksgiving eggs benedict, or this amazing mac and cheese that tastes like Thanksgiving in every bite.
Buffalo Chicken Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- 4 ounces butter
- 1/2 a large yellow onion
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 24 ounces green beans
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/4 cup ranch
- 1/3 cup louisiana style hot sauce
- 4 ounces pepperjack cheese grated
- 4 ounces blue cheese crumbled
- 4 ounces crispy onion topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Add some olive oil to a pan on high heat and add in the chicken. Season with salt and pepper, and cook to lightly brown on all sides. Cover and turn down the heat. Cook another 15 minutes until cooked through, flipping and stirring a few times if needed during cooking to prevent burning. Remove from the pan to a cutting board and allow to cool
- Add the butter to the same pan and add in thee onions and mushrooms. Scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate all the goodness from the pan into the mix. Cook about 10 – 15 minutes until reduced and starting to brown.
- Add in the garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add in the broth and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from heat and stir in the green beans. Chop up the chicken and add it back into the pan. Add in the cream cheese and stir to combine.
- Stir in the ranch and hot sauce, as well as the cheese.
- Pour into a baking dish and top with more hot sauce. Top next with the blue cheese crumbles, and then the onion topping.
- Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until it is bubbling on the edges and the onions look nice and brown on top.