You don’t need to drown in despair because you can’t figure out how to repurpose your leftover green beans.
This seemingly boring vegetable, can be incorporated into soups, frittatas, pasta bakes, and salads.
You can even use it to make a revamped version of shepherd’s pie that’s topped off with crispy fried onions.
Or a green bean quiche that will make your loved ones envy your culinary skills.
Anyways, let’s hop on and check out some of the best ideas for leftover green bean recipes.
13 Leftover Green Bean Recipe Ideas
Fried Rice with Green Beans
You can never go wrong with a simple fried rice when you have a bunch of leftover ingredients.
And this fried rice recipe relies heavily on green beans as a source of flavor and nutrients.
It’s made with two parts rice and one part green beans which are seasoned with Thai basil, Thai chilies, garlic and scallions.
Don’t mind the fact that it’s made with fresh green beans. You can easily substitute them with leftover green beans.
Get The Recipe At: Serious Eats
Leftover Green Bean Pot Pie
Another easy way to turn over Thanksgiving’s leftovers into a brand new dish is by making a pot pie.
This Green Bean Pot Pie does just that by stuffing leftover turkey meat and green beans into a crunchy pie crust.
The best part is that you can use a pre-made crust and simply assemble all of the ingredients without breaking a sweat.
Get The Recipe At: McCormick
Green Bean Fritters
Green Bean Fritters or Tortitas de Ejotes is a Guatemalan dish that’s made from green beans, eggs, onion and flower.
It’s typically served as an appetizer along with some fresh salsa, but you can also have it as an afternoon or a post workout meal.
This recipe is made with fresh green beans, but I’ve also tested it with leftovers and it tastes equally well.
Get The Recipe At: A Taste For Travel
Green Bean Soup
One of the easiest ways to accommodate leftover green beans into your meal plan is by making a vegetable soup.
This colorful vegetable soup is perfect for such purposes as it’s loaded on green beans, potatoes, tomatoes and carrots.
The vegetables are simmered in vegetable stock and seasoned with some black pepper and dried basil for additional flavor.
Get The Recipe At: Cooking LSL
Easy Green Bean Pasta Bake
This Green Bean Pasta Bake is a vegan friendly dish that’s packed with a ton of flavor.
It’s made with wholemeal penne and fresh green beans which are partially boiled together and finished in the oven with some tomato sauce.
Naturally, you won’t need to parboil them since you’ll be using leftovers. If you’re not in the vegan camp, you can sprinkle some fresh parmesan over the green beans as well.
Get The Recipe At: A Veg Taste From Atoz
Green Bean Shepherd’s Pie
It turns out that mixing green bean casserole with ground beef and mashed potatoes results in an amazing shepherd’s pie.
This Green Bean Shepherd’s Pie courtesy of Mostly Homemade Mom is made of a layer of ground beef and green beans which is covered in mashed potatoes and crispy French fried onions.
As you might imagine, this pie is loaded with calories so there’s no need to serve it with any side dishes.
Get The Recipe At: Mostly Homemade Mom
Green Bean Quiche
If I had to pick a winner in terms of presentation it would probably be this Green Bean Quiche.
It has a crispy golden brown crust, perfectly fluffy texture and a plethora of vibrant colors.
This is achieved thanks to the perfect balance of ingredients and the addition of green beans and bacon.
Get The Recipe At: Snacking In Sneakers
Italian Chickpea and Vegetables Soup
This hearty Italian Chickpea Soup is a great way to warm yourself up on a cold winter day.
It’s made with green beans, chickpeas, onions, carrots and tomato sauce, and seasoned with dried oregano.
Naturally, you can use up any leftover green beans you might have instead of using fresh green beans.
Get The Recipe At: Flavorful Eats
Italian Green Bean Salad
If you’re looking for a low effort side dish made with green beans, then you’ll love this Italian Green Bean Salad. Italian green beans are also sometimes referred to as pole green beans and are flat and more meaty in texture. Pole green beans fit perfectly in recipes with other fleshy vegetables such as this salad.
All you need to prepare it is some green beans, roasted red peppers, almond slivers and fresh basil.
You can serve it as an appetizer at a BBQ, potluck or a large family gathering.
Get The Recipe At: Gather In My Kitchen
Green Bean Casserole Soup
There’s really no shortage of soup ideas when it comes to leftover green beans, but this one takes the cake.
That’s because you can use both your leftover casserole and turkey from Thanksgiving and turn them into a heartwarming soup.
The only other ingredients that you’ll need to add are carrots, orzo and some onions.
Get The Recipe At: Lady Behind The Curtain
Green Bean Potato Salad
Green bean side dishes don’t get any easier than this Green Bean Potato Salad.
Simply saute some new potatoes and red peppers and mix them with your leftover green beans and mustard vinaigrette.
Serve with a glass of crisp white wine and you got yourself a killer appetizer that’s perfect for a spring get together.
Get The Recipe At: A Virtual Vegan
Green Bean Frittata
If you have any leftover green beans from the holidays, you can easily turn them into a mouthwatering frittata.
All you have to do is mix your leftover green beans with whipped eggs and pan fry them along with feta cheese.
The entire recipe will take you no more than ten minutes to make which is another huge plus.
Get The Recipe At: Pepper Scraps
Creamy Orecchiette and Green Beans
The last entry on this list is a creamy orecchiette and green beans pasta.
This traditional Italian dish takes less than 20 minutes to come together and requires a low amount of effort.
All that’s required on your part is to cook the pasta and mix it with the green beans and some cream cheese.
Get The Recipe At: Savory Online
Wrap Up
Even though it may not seem like it, leftover green beans, whether they’re from a casserole or a salad, can be turned into exciting new dishes.
You simply need to be bold enough to experiment with new ideas until you find what’s right for you.
And hopefully, this list has managed to offer you at least one recipe that fits your tastes.