Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

When my European mother came to the U.S. she did her best to understand American holidays and customs. The idea of Thanksgiving appealed to her but some of the traditional foods did not. So she gave them her own spin.

There were definitely some interesting (and tasty) substitutions in my mother's version of the Thanksgiving meal - like the time she decided to skip the turkey and instead made individual stuffed roasted game hens for 12. As for the green beans, they were definitely a vegetable she liked but the whole cream of mushroom soup aspect was alien to her. She just caramelized some onions and stirred them into green beans. So delicious!

As an adult, most years I make a combination of traditional foods as well as some of my mother's variations but I usually make the green beans in her version. This year, however, I decided to tackle the more customary recipe but in a scratch made style. Why open a can of cream of mushroom soup when I can brown mushrooms in a pan, releasing their amazing flavors, and then combine them with a creamy béchamel sauce?

And, no shade to the crunchy onions in a can but I think my quick fried onion strings taste way better. This is a green bean casserole that I will happily serve and eat. Enjoy!

Yield: 6 Servings

Author: Anita Schecter

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

Recipe for a green bean casserole made with mushrooms, caramelized onions and a creamy béchamel sauce, topped with homemade crispy onions.

Ingredients

For the Casserole:

• 1 lb. Green beans, trimmed
• 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 8 oz. White mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Onion, peeled and diced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Cups whole milk
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

For the Topping:

• 1 Onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon seasoned breadcrumbs
• Canola oil for frying

Instructions

1. Cook the green beans in boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Ad the sliced mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a large skillet. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned. In a separate skillet, add the olive oil and diced onions. Cook on medium heat, stirring often, until the onions soften and become lightly golden brown. Add the minced garlic, continue cooking for one more minute and remove from the heat.
3. When the mushrooms are done, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Stir in the all-purpose flour and cook on low heat for a couple of minutes. Slowly stir in the milk until the sauce begins to thicken. Add the onion and garlic mixture followed by the cooked green beans. Transfer to an oven safe casserole dish.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
5. To make the crunchy onion topping, toss the sliced onion in a bowl with the flour and seasoned breadcrumbs. Add about an inch of canola oil to a pan and heat. Add the onion slices to the oil and fry, stirring often, until they are a light golden brown. Remove with a strainer to a rack or paper towel. Top the casserole dish with the crispy onions and bake for about 15 minutes until bubbly and hot.