Recipe of the month: The Benevolent Bean!

Wednesday, June 12, 2024
by The Community Wellness Team
green beans

Green Bean Mac & Cheese

Adapted from the Eating Well Cookbook by Campus Wellness.

  • Prep time:10 mins
  • Cook time: 20 mins
  • Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups Whole wheat macaroni
  • 500 ml/2 cups Chopped fresh green or yellow beans
  • 425 ml/ 1 ¾ cup Milk of choice (divided)
  • 45 ml / 3 tbsp Flour
  • 2.5 ml / ½ tsp Garlic powder
  • 2.5 ml / ½ tsp Salt
  • Ground pepper Pinch to taste
  • 250 ml / 1 cup Extra-sharp cheddar cheese
  • 30 ml / tbsp Parmesan cheese
  • 5 ml / 1 Dijon mustard (optional)
  • 45 ml / 3 tbsp Sunflower seeds (raw or toasted) for crunch (optional)

It’s June, which means green and yellow bean season has begun. Beans have been cultivated in the Americas as far back as 7000 BC. In 2018, Ontario produced more than 68 million pounds of green and yellow beans. (That’s a lot).

Green and yellow beans are high in fiber and other nutrients. One cup of beans provides 12% of the daily fiber requirements, 27% of daily vitamin C requirements and 18% of daily vitamin K requirements. Beans also contain smaller amounts of potassium, iron, vitamin B6 and magnesium. Beans are also low in sugar, sodium, and are cholesterol free.

500 g (1 pound) of fresh yellow or green beans costs around $3.50.

Instructions:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, while waiting for water to boil, clean and chop beans
  2. Once water is boiling, add macaroni and cook for about 7-8 minutes, until almost tender.
  3. Add the green beans to the pot and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes (add earlier if you prefer beans more cooked)
  4. Once pasta and beans are desired tenderness, drain the entire mixture.
  5. Pour 375 ml of the milk in the pot and heat over medium heat, just until it simmers.
  6. Meanwhile, use a whisk to mix the rest of the milk with the flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  7. Add this to the hot milk, stirring constantly with the whisk until it thickens.
  8. Turn the burner to low heat and add the cheeses and Dijon mustard, stirring until the cheese melts.
  9. Add in the drained macaroni and green beans, heat through, about a minute. Top with sunflower seeds (optional)

Want more bean recipes?