Easy Fresh Green Bean Casserole Recipe : Despite full plates and tummies, no one seems to be able to resist the creamy, crispy, traditional Thanksgiving side dish of fresh green bean casserole topped with french fried onions!
Easy Fresh Green Bean Casserole Recipe
To be honest, Thanksgiving involves so much that even the most committed chefs are searching for methods to reduce tension and lessen the work of preparing the large meal. And I’m not going to bother french-frying onions when it comes to deliberating on where to spend my time in preparation for Thanksgiving Day. And that’s fine with me. However, these crispy fried onions are a family favorite if you have the energy!
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and ends trimmed, then chopped in half
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounces baby bella or white button mushrooms, chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 6 ounces french fried onions
INSTRUCTIONS
Start the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a big saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil. I normally simply eyeball it, but my goal is to use about 1 ½ tablespoons of salt in a gallon of water. To blanch the beans, set up an ice bath in a large bowl.
To blanch the beans, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook for five minutes. After draining in a sieve, drop the beans right into a big dish of ice water. This will halt the cooking process before the beans become overly soft. After draining, set away.
In a big skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onions begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, and mushrooms, if using, and simmer for an additional one to two minutes.
After the onions have softened, sprinkle in the flour and stir to mix. After two minutes of cooking, make sure there are no lumps by whisking in the chicken stock and half-and-half. After bringing the mixture to a simmer, cook it for about 6 minutes, stirring regularly, until it has thickened.
Transfer the beans to a sizable 9×13-inch casserole dish, top with the french fried onions and breadcrumbs, and pour the sauce over them. Stir to mix.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbling and heated. If the onions brown too rapidly, tent the dish with foil.
ALSO SEE
NOTES
Optional: Chop roughly 8 ounces of button mushrooms or 2 portobello mushrooms and add them to your green bean casserole after the onions and garlic have sautéed, but before you add the flour.
NUTRITION
- Calories: 260kcal
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Protein: 3g
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Cholesterol: 18mg
- Sodium: 647mg
- Potassium: 322mg
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 4g
- Vitamin A: 975IU
- Vitamin C: 17.1mg
- Calcium: 86mg
- Iron: 1.5mg
