Our garden gives us green beans. We blanch and freeze them. Then, come Thanksgiving, we’ve got what we need for that holiday staple, Green Bean Casserole. But it seems a shame to slather our garden bounty with a can of condensed mushroom soup. So here’s what I make instead. It’s so flavorful, you’ll be sorry you haven’t been eating it since your very first Thanksgiving!
Makes 12 side-dish servings
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen green beans
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 4 shallots or 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 pound portabello or shiitake mushrooms, rinsed and coarsely chopped
- 4 Tbsp. flour
- 2 cups chicken broth (use homemade if you’ve got it)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 4 oz. crispy onions (such as French’s) for topping, if desired
Instructions
- If using fresh green beans, cut off ends and cut in half. Then add them to a large pot of salted, boiling water. Blanch until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain beans immediately and plunge into ice water. Pat dry and set aside.
- Over medium heat, melt butter in a large, cast-iron Dutch oven. Add shallots or onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add paprika, cayenne, ground pepper and salt. Stir until well-mixed.
- Stir in mushrooms. Cook uncovered for 5 about minutes, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are soft.
- Gradually stir flour into the mixture. Then add chicken stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until all stock has been added and mixture is smooth. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook for 5-8 more minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Stir in sour cream, lemon juice and beans. Cook on low heat until everything is heated through, about 8 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Transfer mixture to a 9 x 13 glass or ceramic dish. Top with crispy onions if you wish. Bake casserole for 20 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from oven. Serve hot.