When I was a kid, I ate weird stuff. Granted, I didn’t think it was weird. I gobbled up radish sandwiches, sauerkraut and boiled potatoes, boiled dinner, and last but not least, sweet spaghetti (oh yes, we’ll revisit this one at a later date).

In my Thanksgiving post, I confessed that we forego traditional green bean casserole for cheesy beans. I have no idea where my mom got this recipe, or if she simply made it up, but it has been part of our Thanksgiving feast for as long as I can remember.

These saucy beans are rich, delicious, and probably not very good for you. Thus, we only indulge in them on the day calories don’t exist.  No one has ever written down the recipe and inevitably someone always needs it. So even though Thanksgiving is past, here it is for the world to enjoy anytime–you don’t have to wait for next Thanksgiving!

Oh, by the way….

This is typically what I make for gathering of 12 – 15. You can scale the recipe up or down depending on who you’re feeding. You can also use the extra cheese sauce for just about anything including some super tasty mac and cheese. IF there are any leftovers, there will be a fight for them.

One more FYI….

I like to get the beans and the sauce ready a day in advance and throw them together in the crock pot Thanksgiving morning to warm through. It’s one less thing cluttering up the stove.

Alyce’s Cheesy Beans

Get your beans ready

• 6 – 8 cans french-cut green beans

Drain your beans really well. You want them pretty dry, otherwise your cheesy beans will be a watery mess–Blah!

I open the cans up a day before and let them sit in a colander over night. (You’d be surprised at the amount of liquid those little babies can hold.) Then blot them with paper towels before adding them to the cheese sauce.

Cheese Sauce

• 1/4 C butter
• 1/4 C flour
• 2 1/2 C whole milk
• 1 LB Velveeta, cut into chunks
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch of crushed red pepper (I might use cayenne if I have it)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Over medium low heat, melt your butter and stir in your flour. Add a little salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in your milk and continue whisking until it starts to thicken.

Start stirring in your cheese chunks (do a couple at a time so they don’t get stuck in your whisk). If your sauce seems a little thick, whisk in a smidgen more milk until it’s the consistency you like.

Once your chunks are melted, and your sauce is a soft yellowy orange, whisk in your nutmeg, red pepper, and a little more salt and pepper to taste.

And that’s it, your sauce is ready for your beans!

If you’re getting things ready in advance, cool your sauce and put it in the fridge over night. Otherwise gently stir in your beans and warm through.

De-lici-ous!