Green beans are a rich source of many important nutrients, including fiber, protein, vitamins A, C, and K, and minerals such as calcium, iron, and potassium. They are also low in calories and fat, making them a healthy addition to any diet. In Hungary layered green bean casserole is a popular main dish, which combines green beans with ground pork, rice and sour cream.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg (~2 1/4 lbs) green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-3 cm / 1 inch pieces
• 500 g (~1 lb) ground pork
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp sweet ground paprika
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 2-3 tbsp lard
• 200 g (~7 oz) rice
• 400 g (~14 oz)sour cream
• 1/2 tsp sweet ground paprika

Cook green beans in a pot of salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.

Sauté finely chopped onions and garlic in a tablespoon of lard. Add ground pork and stir-fry until it turns white. Season with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of paprika and marjoram. Pour in 150-200 ml (~3/4 cup) of water and cook over medium-low heat until soft and tender (add more water if necessary).

For the braised rice preheat the oven to 200°C / 392°F, and in a saucepan bring 400 ml (~1 2/3 cups) of water to a boil. Meanwhile in a separate pot toast the rice in 1-2 tablespoon of lard, while stirring constantly, until golden brown. (Cookbooks recommend toasting rice until it turns matt white. But I prefer to toast it longer because golden brown toasted rice has a richer and more flavorful taste. It’s up to you how long you toast it.)

Once the rice has reached the preferred color, pour in the boiling water. Add some salt and pepper, give it a stir, cover the pot with a lid and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes check it: it’s done if the rice has soaked up all of the liquid. Remove from the oven.

Combine braised rice and cooked pork. Mix together sour cream, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of paprika.

Grease a casserole dish. Place half of the green beans in the bottom of the dish. Spread the rice-meat mixture on the green beans evenly. Cover with the rest of the beans. Finally, coat with the sour cream. Cook in the oven at 200°C / 392°F for 35-40 minutes.