Italian Green Bean Roasted Olive Potato Casserole

This is a very comforting and satisfying dish for any weeknight meal.  It is easy and has a lot of healthy attributes.  I created this recipe for a Delish main entree recipe contest that was sponsored by California Olives.  It intrigued me because my son loves black olives and I usually do nothing but open the can and put them in a bowl, on top on a pizza, or in a salad.  So creating a main dish that was built around a black olive was a challenge!  I think I have been watching too much Chopped and Iron Chef lately, so in my own mini-reality TV fantasy world, this seemed like a good idea to run with it!  It is based on a cold salad that we have made for a long time in my family.  I have never tried to roast black olives before and to my surprise they are delicious!  Far better than right out of the can, the taste and texture is transformed to a deep rich flavor.  I really thought this would be just okay but it is a fantastic dish that I will definitely make again, so even if nothing would come from entering it in the contest, I have have a great new recipe.

Italian Green Bean, Potato and Olive Casserole

Serves 4-6 main dishes

1.5 lb  Yukon gold potatoes, peeled in 1/4inch slices
1 can California Black Ripe olives, 2/3 cup whole, 1/3 cup diced, 1 cup reserved juice
3-4T extra virgin olive oil
1T white balsamic or red wine vinegar
2T orange juice
4-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme

1 lb green beans (fresh or frozen-thawed)
½ large onion, diced
2 cloves roasted garlic, chopped
1 piece of thick smoked bacon
4 T unsalted butter
3T flour
2 cups 2% milk
1/8t cayenne pepper

½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
6-8 oz shredded cooked chicken

salt and pepper to taste

1.  Preheat the oven to 400.  Lightly oil the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

2.  If using fresh green beans, blanch them in boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain, and place in cool water bath.
Toss the sliced potatoes and ½ cup whole olives in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar, 1/2 cup olive juice and orange juice.  Place in the baking dish and sprinkle with the fresh herbs, salt and pepper.  Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes or until slightly browned. 

While the potatoes and olives are roasting, prepare the rest of the recipe. 

3.  Bechamel sauce:  In a small sauce pan heat the milk over med low heat.  At the same time, melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over med low heat.  Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk until combined.  Turn off heat and add 1/4c of the warmed milk stirring to combine.  Gradually add the rest of the milk, 1/4t salt, and cayenne pepper.

4.  In a sauté pan, add the bacon and cook over medium heat until the fat is rendered.  Add the onion, garlic, 1/3 cup diced olives, and 1/2 cup olive juice to the bacon.

5.  Return the béchamel sauce to low heat.  Saute the onion mixture on medium heat.
Both sauce and onions will be ready after the 10 minutes.

6.  Once the potatoes and olives are roasted, drain the green beans and add to the dish.  Add the onion mixture and chicken.  Gently toss all the ingredients together and top with béchamel sauce and grated cheese.  Sprinkle cracked fresh pepper over the top.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Serve warm.