• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Balkan Lunch Box
  • Balkan Recipes
  • About BLB
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Balkan Lunch Box > Recipes > Bosnian Recipes > Balkan Baked Romano Beans Casserole

    Balkan Baked Romano Beans Casserole

    Published: Oct 26, 2017 · Modified: Mar 20, 2025 by Aida

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Baked Romano beans are a flavorful side showcasing buttery, soft, flat beans in a creamy, garlicky sauce. This 30-minute velvety side pairs well with just about anything. Shall we?

    Serving spoon holding bean casserole.
    Jump to:
    • Background
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Variations of the Dish
    • Handling
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Thoughts?
    • Baked Romano Beans Casserole
    • More Recipe 💙

    Background

    Romano beans (boranija or mahune), also known as Italian flat beans, are versatile and tasty vegetables often used in Mediterranean and Balkan cuisines. (Remember the delicious Romano bean stew?)

    These beans are lush, long, wide, velvety, and soft. They have a unique, tender texture, and mild, buttery flavor. And our baked Romano beans casserole brings these flavors out in the best way!

    This aromatic, savory side is perfectly balanced between luxurious and light. It pairs well with most main courses, from roasted meats to salads! The best part? It's 30 minutes from start to finish!

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    Indulgent, Restaurant-worthy Side! A quick, simple way to elevate a humble bean into a side you'd get at a high-scale restaurant.

    Simple and Fast! Perfectly easy to make, but packed with flavors using staples you have in your pantry.

    Beautiful Pairing! There is almost nothing that this baked Roman bean casserole doesn't go well with. We dare you to try and find something!

    Ingredients

    You’ll need these ingredients to make baked Romano beans.

    Overhead photo of garlic, sour cream, salt, heavy cream, butter and Romano beans on a white table.
    • Romano beans
    • Butter
    • Salt
    • Garlic
    • Sour Cream
    • Heavy Cream

    Instructions

    Let’s get cooking! Follow these simple steps to make baked Romano beans:

    Six photographs, two by three, of Romano beans being prepared.
    • Step 1. Boil Romano beans in salt water until tender. Strain. Heat oven.
    • Step 2. Combine garlic, heavy cream, and sour cream. Mix well.
    • Step 3. Grease pan with butter.
    • Step 4. Add beans. Top with cream mix. Mix well until integrated.
    • Step 5. (Not pictured) Bake for 20-25 minutes.

    Variations of the Dish

    • Flavors galore! For a dash of heat, add a sprinkle of hot paprika on top. Alternatively, grate some Parm or feta for a tangy feel.
    • Crispy! Let them stay in the oven a few minutes more for the extra crunch on top. You can even sprinkle a few breadcrumbs.
    • Lighter Fare! Substitute heavy cream with Greek yogurt for a lighter version.

    Handling

    Here's how to serve, and keep baked Romano beans.

    • Serve. Serve warm, as a side, with a slice of bread.
    • Store. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
    • Reheat. Reheat using your preferred method. Add a splash of water if needed.
    • Freeze. Freeze blanched Romano beans right after straining, but before adding any other ingredients. Place in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. When ready to use, thaw, and continue the steps.

    Recipe FAQs

    How do you cook fresh Romano beans?

    Romano beans taste best either in a stew, or when cooked in salted water, and then baked, like in today's recipe.

    How do you clean Romano beans?

    To clean Romano beans, first remove leaves, branches, and debris from your batch. Proceed to cut off about an inch from the ends, and discard. Finally, cut the remaining beans in half, or quarters.

    To wash, soak in a mix of water and baking soda for 10 minutes, then rinse with regular water.

    How do you eat Romano beans?

    Romano beans are extremely versatile. They taste great in almost any variation, except raw.

    Romano beans go great in stews or casseroles. You can grill, blanch, cook, or bake them alone or with other ingredients.

    Thoughts?

    If you make today's baked Romano beans casserole and like it, please consider leaving a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5-star) rating. This will help others find the recipe more easily!

    You can also leave a comment, I read EVERY one! Finally, if IG is more your thing, consider tagging us @balkanlunchbox.

    Prijatno, Dobar Tek, and Bon Appetit!

    Serving spoon holding bean casserole.

    Baked Romano Beans Casserole

    Aida
    Tender Romano beans baked in a rich, garlicky cream sauce for a comforting and flavorful side dish.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes mins
    Cook Time 25 minutes mins
    Total Time 45 minutes mins
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Bosnian, Croatian, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbian
    Servings 6
    Calories 353 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 9-inch (23cm) baking pan or glass bakeware

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 1 pound Romano beans cut ends off and discard, and then cut pods into 2-3 inch pieces; look for them early in the season, before thick strings develop
    • 3 teaspoons salt divided
    • 2 tablespoons butter diced
    • 2 garlic cloves peeled, minced
    • 1.3 cups sour cream
    • 1.3 cups heavy cream

    Instructions
     

    • In a large pot combine 4-5 cups (1 liter) of water, Romano beans, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring to a boil. Lower to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until Romano beans are fork-tender. Strain.
    • Heat oven to 485°F (250°C).
    • In a bowl, combine the remaining salt, garlic, sour cream, and heavy cream. Mix well until completely integrated.
    • In a baking pan (or glass bakeware), add butter, and top with Romano beans. Add the cream mixture and mix well until completely integrated.
    • Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Cover with foil if necessary.
    • Serve warm, as a side, with a slice of bread.
      Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
      Reheat using your preferred method. Add a splash of water if needed.
      Freeze blanched Romano beans right after straining, but before adding any other ingredients. Place in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. When ready to use, thaw, and continue the steps.

    Video

    Notes

    • Notes
    Baking time will greatly depend on the type of Romano beans you get. Older beans take a little longer to soften in water. 
    When looking for Romano beans, look for them earlier in the season. Older beans tend to take a longer time to cook, they can taste tough, and stringy. 
     

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1of 6Calories: 353kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 4.5gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 90mgSodium: 800mgPotassium: 250mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 2000IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 130mgIron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Recipe 💙

    • Bowl with soup, spoon, two cups of juice, bread and a kitchen towel on a dark background.
      Instant Pot Bean Soup with Sausage (Pasulj or Grah) [No Soak]
    • Quarter of a burek pie on a plate on gray background.
      Burek
    • Bajadera on a table.
      Bajadera: Balkan Nougat Pralines [No Bake, 40 Minutes, Dessert Bars]
    • Jam, spoon, and dough ball on gray background.
      Fried Dough Balls (Uštipci) [No Yeast]
    « Sarma: Best Traditional Balkan Stuffed Sour Cabbage Rolls
    Slanci: Balkan Breadsticks »


    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marwah says

      February 13, 2018 at 1:44 am

      Hi Aida! It's been a while I know! I have wanted to make this recipe since you first posted it but I was never able to find fresh or even frozen Romano beans down here in Southern California. Over the weekend, I happened to stop by an international food market that I would never otherwise have gone to as it was an entirely different part of town about 45 minutes away that I only happened to be in because I was taking my daughter to a birthday party. And I found fresh Romano beans! So I made this recipe and it was amazing. It was so easy and so delicious. And now that I have some more beans, I'm going to try Boranija. I just need to find some veal...

      Reply
      • Aida says

        February 14, 2018 at 11:15 am

        Marwah,
        Hi! Glad you are doing well, and that these turned out well for you. Our mom makes them quite a lot and we love it. And yes, it's definitely time for some boranija. 🙂
        Stay well,
        A.

        Reply
    2. Gourmet says

      July 09, 2021 at 5:55 pm

      Odlično.

      Reply
      • Aida says

        July 09, 2021 at 8:16 pm

        Hvala!

        Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Aida and Aleksandra of Balkan Lunch Box, standing together.

    Welcome! I'm Aida, creator of Balkan Lunch Box, food blog about traditional and contemporary Balkan cuisine. My sister Aleksandra helps me.

    Learn more about me →

    As seen on

    Popular

    • Three biscuits on a gray background, one being halved with a fork.
      Čupavci: Balkan Lamingtons [One Hour]
    • Closeup of four wafers.
      Balkan No Bake Wafer Cake (Oblatne, Oblande)
    • Old Fashioned Goulash with Beef and Mushrooms
    • Stewed apple in a clear bowl, on the table.
      Stewed Stuffed Apples in Syrup (Tufahije)
    • Soup in a silver bowl with a lid, a kitchen cloth, two slices of bread, a lemon wedge and a spoon.
      Okra Soup: Creamy Chicken Soup with Okra (Bosnian Bey's Soup, Begova Čorba)
    • ajvar, chutney, pepper chutney, eggplant chutney, balkan spread, balkan dip ajvar, red pepper and eggplant dip, pepper dip | balkanlunchbox.com
      Ajvar
    • Moussaka in a pan.
      EASY Serbian Ground Beef Potato Moussaka Casserole
    • Closeup of a stuffed pepper.
      Best Classic Baked Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice (Punjene Paprike)
    • Quarter of a burek pie on a plate on gray background.
      Burek
    • Rice and chicken in a sheet pan, overhead.
      Easy Baked Chicken Over Rice Casserole (Chicken Thighs and Drumsticks) [4 Ingredients, 1 Pan]

    Favorite Salads

    • Russian Salad or Salad Olivier
    • Bowl with carrots and apple, and carrot and apple and a spoon on a table.
      Grated Apple and Carrot Salad [Two Ingredients, Ten Minutes]
    • A bowl of carrot and beet salad, a beet, carrots and fork on the side.
      Grated Beet and Carrot Salad [Five Ingredients, Ten Minutes]
    • Shopska Salad

    Latest & Greatest

    • Four photographs of different stews in one pin.
      14+ Best Stew Recipes
    • 11 Favorite Winter Soups
    • White bowl with a blue border filled with a bean soup.
      11 Favorite Fall Soups
    • Closeup of a bowl of soup, and a spoon holding a handful. .
      15 Soups For The Soul





    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2014 - 2025 Balkan Lunch Box

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.