Joey's Real Deal Green Bean Casserole

 

   For years and years, I've enjoyed the classic Green Bean Casserole recipe, just like the rest of America, especially for Thanksgiving. It calls for canned green beans, canned cream of mushroom soup, and canned French fried onions. But then, a while back, I thought, "What if we don't use canned ingredients and use fresh ones instead? Wouldn't that be much better?"

 So I made a batch using fresh green beans. Great!  It was delicious, as always, and it absolutely elevated the recipe. I was definitely on the right track. Then I thought, "ok what if I make my own mushroom cream sauce instead of the canned soup?" Yes, I know the recipe was developed specifically so consumers would have another reason to buy Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, but I still thought we could do better. Again, absolutely delish, but there was still room to push it higher. And then came the game-changing moment. I decided to make my own French fried onions. 

What? Who even does that?? 

Well, clearly, now I do! And let me just tell you.. it made a huge difference! It was as big of a difference as going from canned to fresh green beans, and there was nothing to it! I made it for our Thanksgiving dinner and everyone absolutely raved about it! NOW it's elevated to where it should be!

 So here's the thing.. it does take a few extra steps to make each component. I know. I know. It's kind of a lot. Nothing too difficult, but it does take time. But then all you need to do is throw it all together and bake! It's seriously worth the extra effort. The good news is you can do all of the components in advance, easily a day or two before Thanksgiving, and then just bake it while the turkey is resting and or being carved. Boom.

Side note, when I asked my nieces, Casey and Carly, what the new version should be called, Casey suggested "real deal" because it's all the same things, but this is the REAL deal. So there we go!

 Give your loved ones a chance to taste this version, and I swear they'll request it every time. In our family, it's now definitely the new classic!

 

 

 

For the Green Beans:

Choose fresh bright green beans, about 3-4  lbs, depending on how many people you're serving, and how big your casserole dish is. Trim the stem end from each of the beans, then cut into 1-2 inch lengths. Place cut beans into a steamer, and steam until almost completely cooked through. Full disclosure, I like my green beans to be COOKED. None of that "crisp tender" hooey. I'm not saying I like them to be cooked to death, but I do like a tender bean. After steaming to your liking, remove to a mixing bowl.

 

 

For the Mushroom Sauce:

1 stick butter

1 lb baby bella mushrooms, sliced

1 medium onion, finely minced

1/2 cup flour

3 cups milk

1 cup half and half

salt and pepper to taste 

In a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions. Saute and cook for a good ten minutes, letting any moisture from the mushrooms evaporate. Add the flour, then whisk to blend with the butter. Continue to cook for a minute or two, then add the milk and half and half. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and a good amount of pepper.  Pour into the mixing bowl with the green beans. 

For the French Fried Onions:

2 medium onions (or one large)

Buttermilk

Flour

Salt and Pepper

Oil for frying

 

Peel and slice the onions VERY THINLY into half rings. Place them in a bowl, then pour buttermilk over to cover. Let them sit for at least a good 15 minutes. (I probably left them for more like a half hour).

In another large bowl, place a good amount of flour for dredging, plus salt and pepper. 

In a wide shallow pan, heat oil (enough to go about halfway up the side of the pan) to about 350º. Using tongs, grab a batch of onions, and let the buttermilk drain, then throw them into the seasoned flour and toss until well coated. Gently and carefully drop the dredged onions into the oil. Use a slotted spoon or spider strainer to stir them around so they don't clump together. Let them fry until they are golden brown. Remove to a paper towel or napkin to drain. Immediately sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Repeat until all onions are fried. 

Now it's time to assemble. 

Pour half the fried onions into the big bowl with the beans and sauce. Gently toss to coat everything. Pour all into casserole dish. Cover with foil, and bake at 350ºF for about 30-40 minutes. Remove foil, top with remaining fried onions. Bake for another 10 minutes, just to crisp up the onions. 

Tips:

To make it in advance, just assemble everything as directed, store your extra fried onions in a ziploc bag at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate your assembled casserole until your event. Take your casserole out of the fridge about an hour before baking. Bake as directed. 

To steam a large quantity of beans, I like to use my pasta pot. It has an insert for lifting and draining your cooked pasta, which also works great as a steamer. Just fill the pot with enough water in the bottom until it reaches the insert. Easy!