Hungarian Layered Yellow Wax Bean Casserole – Rakott Zöldbab
Servings: 6
Rakott Zöldbab is one of those Hungarian dishes that feels like pure home cooking to me. 🇭🇺❤️ Tender yellow wax beans are layered with rice, paprika-seasoned ground beef and plenty of sour cream, then topped with cheese and baked until golden and bubbling.
This recipe is especially nostalgic for me because it was one of the first proper meals I remember making completely on my own many years ago. I originally shared it on my old Hungarian food blog, and now I'm bringing it back to life here on From My Hungarian Kitchen.
I make my version with yellow wax beans and ground beef, and while every Hungarian family seems to have their own way of making rakott zöldbab, that's exactly what I love about these traditional dishes. Simple ingredients, lots of memories, and somehow everyone is convinced their family's version is the correct one. 😂❤️
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1 kg (2.2 lb) yellow wax beans, trimmed
500 g (1.1 lb) ground beef
1½ large onions, finely chopped
2–3 cloves garlic, divided
1 cup uncooked rice
1–2 tbsp oil
2 bay leaves
Hungarian sweet paprika, to taste
Ground cumin, to taste
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
650–700 g sour cream
50 g butter, plus extra for greasing
Grated cheese, enough to cover the top
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the bay leaves. Cook the yellow wax beans until just tender, then drain well. Toss with a little butter and half of the crushed garlic.
Cook the rice according to package directions in salted water. Drain or fluff and set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Sauté the chopped onion until soft, then add the remaining garlic and ground beef. Cook until browned.
Season with Hungarian sweet paprika, salt, black pepper and a little ground cumin. Add a small splash of water if needed and simmer briefly.
Stir the sour cream with a little salt until smooth.
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F and grease a large baking dish.
Layer the casserole: yellow wax beans, rice, ground beef and sour cream. Repeat the layers, finishing with yellow wax beans.
Spread the remaining sour cream over the top and cover generously with grated cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, or until hot and golden on top.
Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes:
Ground pork is commonly used in traditional versions, but this recipe uses ground beef. Green beans can be used if yellow wax beans are unavailable, but yellow wax beans are the version used here. Rakott zöldbab is excellent reheated and often tastes even better the next day.