Green Bean Casserole

Name: Green Bean Casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1.5 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces; 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; 16 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick; 2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce; 4 garlic cloves, finely minced; 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves; 0.25 cup all-purpose flour; 3 cup whole milk or half-and-half; 1.5 tsp Dijon mustard; 0.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese; 0.25 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 1.5 cup French fried onions

Rich Mushroom Green Bean Casserole — Holiday Comfort Redefined

Skip the condensed soup and make this casserole from scratch — it's worth the extra effort. Fresh mushrooms become a velvety sauce that actually tastes like mushrooms, while blanched green beans stay bright and tender throughout the baking.

AmericanSide DishVegetarianComfort FoodHolidayBakingFallWinter

Prep20 min

Cook45 min

Total1 hr 5 min

Servings8

Difficultymedium

Ingredients

1½ lbfresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
16 ozcremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tbsptamari or soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 tbspfresh thyme leaves
¼ cupall-purpose flour
3 cupwhole milk or half-and-half
1½ tspDijon mustard
½ cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ tspfreshly ground black pepper
1½ cupFrench fried onions

Instructions

Get your oven heating to 400°F and give a 9x13-inch baking dish a light coating of butter or cooking spray.
Fill a large pot with salted water and bring it to a rolling boil. While that heats up, prepare a bowl of ice water. Drop the green beans into the boiling water and blanch for exactly 4 minutes — they should be bright green and just tender-crisp. Drain quickly and plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking, then drain again and pat dry with kitchen towels.
⏱ 4 min
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and let them cook undisturbed for 8-10 minutes until they release their moisture and develop golden edges. Stir in the tamari, minced garlic, and fresh thyme, cooking for another minute until fragrant.
⏱ 10 min
Dust the mushrooms with flour and stir everything together until the flour disappears. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking constantly, then add the Dijon mustard. Let this mixture simmer gently, whisking frequently, for 15-20 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. The consistency should be like a creamy soup.
⏱ 20 min
Remove the skillet from heat and fold in the grated Parmesan and black pepper, stirring until the cheese melts completely into the sauce.
Spread one-third of the mushroom sauce across the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Arrange the blanched green beans in an even layer, then pour the remaining sauce over top, making sure to cover all the beans. Scatter the French fried onions evenly across the surface.
Cover tightly with foil and bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 10 minutes until the sauce is bubbling vigorously around the edges and the onions have turned deep golden brown.
⏱ 20 min