Classic Green Bean Casserole

This is a classic side dish for any holiday, that is easy to prepare.  Prepare this dish a day or two before. Store covered in your fridge until ready to bake. Add about 10 extra minutes of bake time because it will be cold when it goes in the oven.

3 (15-oz.) pkg. frozen French-cut green beans, thawed and well drained

½ cup salted butter, divided

1 (8-oz.) pkg. sliced fresh cremini mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 large shallot, chopped

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 cups whole milk

4 ounces Parmesan cheese, shredded (about 1 1⁄2 cups)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 (8-oz.) can diced water chestnuts, drained

1 cup crispy fried onions or shallots (about 2 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Squeeze green beans lightly in hands to remove water.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Add mushrooms and shallot, and cook, stirring often, until mixture is deeply browned and caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a plate, and without wiping out Dutch oven, add remaining 6 tablespoons butter to Dutch oven.

Melt butter over medium-high; whisk in flour, and cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking until smooth. Cook, whisking, until thickened and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, and whisk in Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, and black pepper until melted and smooth. Stir in green beans, mushroom mixture, and water chestnuts; spoon into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven until bubbly around edges, 15 minutes. Remove from oven; top with fried onions or shallots. Return to oven; bake until topping is golden brown, 15 minutes.

**Recipe adapted from Southern Living

This is the recipe I will try next year:

2 lb. green beans

Kosher salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced, divided

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided

4 large sprigs thyme

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1¼ cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 (8-oz.) can diced water chestnuts, drained

½ cup grated Parmesan

Freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup French’s fried onions

Preheat oven to 375°. Working in batches, cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and halfway to tenderness, about 3 minutes per batch. Drain and let cool; trim stem ends.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook half of mushrooms, without stirring, until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes more. Add 2 Tbsp. butter and 2 thyme sprigs to pan. Cook, tossing occasionally, until butter browns and mushrooms are dark brown and very tender, about 4 minutes longer. Season with salt and transfer to a plate. Repeat with 2 Tbsp. butter, salt, and remaining oil, mushrooms, and thyme.

Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in a large saucepan over medium-low. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until roux is golden brown and smells mildly nutty, about 4 minutes. Whisk in milk and cream. Increase heat and bring to a simmer, whisking often, and cook until béchamel sauce is thick and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in garlic, water chestnuts and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper.

Arrange green beans and mushrooms in a 2-qt. baking dish. Pour sauce over (it may not look like enough, but it will get saucier as it bakes). Cover tightly with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling, 25–30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until casserole is lightly browned on top and around the edges, 15–20 minutes longer. Top with fried onions and continue to bake just until onions are slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes to set before serving. 

**Recipe adapted from Bon Apetite