Lima Bean Casserole
intro
Creamy, savory baked lima bean casserole with smoky bacon, melted cheddar, and crispy panko topping—cozy, satisfying comfort food perfect for shared family meals.
Ingredients
Steps
Pre-cook lima beans
Place rinsed, picked-over 450g dried large lima beans in a large stockpot, cover with 2L of cold water, and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes (20 minutes if beans were pre-soaked overnight) until beans are tender but hold their shape, not mushy. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Cook bacon and aromatics
Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add 120g chopped thick-cut bacon, and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crispy and all fat has rendered. Add 150g diced yellow onion, sauté for 4 minutes until soft and translucent, then add 10g minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Mix casserole filling
In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained cooked lima beans, cooked bacon-onion-garlic mixture, 500ml low-sodium chicken broth, 120ml heavy cream, 75g of the shredded sharp cheddar, 15ml Worcestershire sauce, 1g dried thyme, 5g kosher salt, and 1g ground black pepper. Stir gently with a silicone spatula until all ingredients are evenly combined, taking care not to mash the tender lima beans.
Prep baking dish
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Use a small pat of extra butter to lightly grease the interior of a 23cm x 33cm (9x13 inch) glass baking dish. Pour the mixed lima bean filling into the greased dish, and spread it into a smooth, even layer across the bottom with the spatula.
Add crumb topping
In a small mixing bowl, combine 60g panko breadcrumbs, 28g melted unsalted butter, and the remaining 25g shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Stir until all breadcrumbs are evenly coated with butter and cheese, then sprinkle the mixture in a uniform thin layer over the top of the casserole filling.
Bake and rest casserole
Place the assembled baking dish on the middle rack of the preheated oven, and bake uncovered for 35 minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges of the dish and the crumb topping is deep golden brown and crispy. Remove the casserole from the oven, and let it rest for 10 minutes at room temperature before serving to allow the creamy filling to set.
Tips
2.For a vegetarian version, omit the bacon, sauté 100g diced cremini mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil for 5 minutes to replace the smoky savoriness, and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
3.If your oven runs hot, tent the casserole with a sheet of aluminum foil for the first 20 minutes of baking to prevent the panko topping from burning before the filling is heated through.
OMG I was so skeptical about lima beans ever since my mom forced me to eat them boiled as a kid but this casserole is SO good? I used frozen lima beans because that’s all the grocery store had and it still slapped. Perfect cheap meal for my dorm meal prep this week, 10/10.
Added a diced jalapeño and a sprinkle of cayenne to give this a little kick, and wow—game changer. Brought this to my office potluck yesterday and the whole pan was gone in 15 minutes. People were asking for the recipe before I even left! So creamy and cozy.
Made this Sunday night for dinner and the leftovers taste even better on day 2 and 3? The flavors meld so much as it sits. Super easy too, I didn’t even have to chop a million ingredients which is perfect for my lazy weeknights.
My kids loved it! I’ve been trying to get them to eat more legumes forever and they went back for seconds, even my pickiest 7 year old who says all green food is ‘gross’. The cheesy top is the real secret weapon here, right?!
Wait, can I make this vegan? I want to bring it to my neighbor’s cookout next weekend and they’re fully plant based, would swapping the butter for olive oil and using nutritional yeast instead of cheese work?
This reminds me so much of the lima bean casserole my grandma used to make for Sunday suppers after church! I added a little extra bacon like she did and it tasted just like childhood. Total comfort food.
Wait the cook time says 1 hour 40 minutes—do y’all think I can cut that down by parboiling the beans first? I get home from work at 6 and don’t want to eat at almost 8 if I can help it.
How well does this freeze? I do big Sunday meal prep batches for my work lunches and I’m always looking for freezer-friendly recipes that don’t get mushy when you reheat them.
I made this for my grandkids when they visited last weekend and I used canned lima beans instead of dried because I forgot to soak them overnight. Turned out just as delicious! I don’t know why I always stress about soaking beans, canned works like a charm here.
Is there a way to make this gluten free? The creamy sauce sounds like it might have flour in it? I have celiac so I have to be super careful about cross contamination too, would love any tips!
Brought this to my neighborhood block party potluck last weekend and so many people came up to ask for the recipe! I added a crispy fried onion topping instead of breadcrumbs because that’s what I had in the pantry and it was chef’s kiss. 10/10 will make again for every potluck from now on.