Homemade Green Bean Casserole

A fresh take on the traditional side dish made with all natural fresh ingredients! No cans!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 15

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 139kcal

Author Chellie Schmitz

Ingredients

2 medium yellow onions halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper freshly ground, to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans ends trimmed and cut in half

for the sauce

3 tablespoons butter
12 ounces mushrooms thinly sliced or coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

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Instructions

Crispy Onions

Toss onion with flour, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
Heat a 1/2-inch or so of oil in a 12-inch skillet until a drop of water flicked into it will sizzle.
Add onions, working in batches, and fry until a light golden brown (they’ll get more color in the oven) Remove with a slotted spoon,lay onions on paper towels to drain.
Repeat with remaining onions.
Set aside.

Green Beans

Heat water to boil in a large pot, add green beans
Cook green beans for 5 minutes.
Drain beans and immediately put them in an ice water bath to stop cooking.
Preheat the oven to 400.

Mushroom Sauce

melt butter over medium-high heat in a 12-inch cast iron skillet.
Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute them until they start releasing their juices, 3-5 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute for one minute.
Add the flour and stir it until the mushrooms are fully coated.
Add the broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring constantly.
Simmer for 1 minute, then add cream and bring back to a simmer,
Add nutmeg and continue cooking until the sauce thickens, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the cooked green beans to the sauce and stir well.
Place the mixture in a 9x13 baking dish and top with the crispy onions.
Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Notes

When crisping the onions, the first batch don't cook quite as quickly. On the second or third batch, you may need to reduce the heat.
Fry the onions until just golden, they will brown up further in the oven.
I love making this in a cast iron skillet and then transferring it to the oven. You can easily make this in whatever skillet works for you. If you don't have an oven proof skillet, after mixing the beans and sauce, transfer it to a 9x13 casserole dish, top with the onions, and cook.
If you're needing to keep the casserole warm due to sharing oven space, cook it without the onions on top. Remove from the oven and cover it with foil. Just before serving, top with the onions and put it back in the oven for a few minutes to warm up the onions.

Make Ahead Instructions:

Up to three days ahead: Make the beans and the sauce. Store individually, not mixed, in the refrigerator.

One day ahead: make the onions. Store them at room temperature, loosely covered.

It is possible to combine the beans and sauce, transfer to a 9x13 dish, cover well, and freeze. Then you would thaw it in the refrigerator before baking it. I think it turns out best when done fresh, however, this is an option. The onions do not freeze well.

Follow these instructions for heating:

Mix the beans and sauce and stir well to coat.
Place in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes
Remove from the oven, and top with the crispy onions, return to the oven for another 15 minutes or so, until the sauce is bubbling. If the onions are added for the whole time, they will brown up too much.

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