Classic Green Bean Casserole

Women‍‍`s Corner
October 3, 2022

Green bean casserole is the quintessential Thanksgiving side. Bizarrely, I never had it on my Thanksgiving table growing up, but I've become obsessed as an adult. For this recipe, I ditched the canned cream of mushroom soup and opted for a super-simple cream sauce with some fresh sautéed mushrooms instead.

Looking to make this creamy casserole with tons of rich, savory flavor? Read on for some of our top tips on whipping up our favorite version of the classic side:

Fresh, frozen, or canned green beans work.

Green beans aren't in season during November, so if you're more into using frozen, do it! Frozen green beans have been preserved at their peak, so they taste very comparable to fresh. You can blanch frozen or fresh ones to get them tender; if you're using canned green beans, it's not our first choice, but no need to blanch them.

Sauté onions and mushrooms.

The biggest reason I didn't love the idea of canned cream of mushroom soup in this recipe is because of its lack of a strong mushroom taste. By sautéing mushrooms (you can choose whichever variety you like most!) with thinly sliced onion in butter, you're building a base with some serious depth of flavor. Cook them until they get a little caramelized for that strong, rich mushroom flavor to really come through.

Read More: Corn and Herb-Stuffed Zucchini

Make your own cream sauce.

This sounds fancy, but it's seriously just melting butter, whisking in a little flour, and pouring over milk. DONE. Let that mixture simmer and thicken on your stovetop to have that creamy element of green bean casserole you know and love — no gloppy texture allowed.

Add cheese.

Although it's not super traditional, some recipes call for mixing shredded cheddar into the green bean mixture. As a big time cheese lover, I can totally get behind this, though we don't include it in the recipe below. If you want to add cheese don't use more than a cup Gruyère, Parmesan, or Monterey Jack would all be delicious.

Never skip the fried onions.

The only ingredient as essential to green bean casserole as green beans is French's fried onions. They're salty, crunchy, and absolutely mandatory.

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Make it ahead!

Save some time (and oven space) on the busy holiday by making this Thanksgiving side ahead of time. Simply assemble the casserole, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you're ready to bake! Just make sure to let it cool to room temp before baking, or add a couple minutes to your timer to adjust to the colder temp. Whatever you do, DON'T forget to add the fried onions until after the first round of baking! If they're added before refrigerating, they'll get soggy instead of having that signature crispy crunch.

Have any leftovers?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container (or cover your casserole dish with storage wrap) before refrigerating. This side will last up to three or four days refrigerated (look through our Thanksgiving leftovers ideas for some creative inspo), and leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or oven — your choice.

Ingredients:

- 1 lb. green beans, trimmed

- 6 tbsp. butter, divided

- 1 onion, sliced into half moons

- 8 oz. sliced mushrooms

- Kosher salt

- Freshly ground black pepper

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

- 3 c. whole milk

- 1 1/2 c. French's fried onions

Method: Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare an ice bath: In a large pot of boiling water, add green beans and cook until bright green, about 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon or tongs, quickly transfer green beans to ice bath to cool, then drain and transfer to a large bowl. In a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are golden, about 5 minutes more. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute, then transfer mixture to green bean bowl.

In same skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Whisk in flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, then add green bean mixture and toss until evenly combined. Bake until warmed through and bubbling, about 30 minutes. Top with fried onions and bake 5 minutes more.

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Nutrition per serving: 323 calories, 7 g protein, 24 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 10 g sugar, 14 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 431 mg sodium

This recipe is taken from https://www.delish.com/