Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole is not your mother's recipe. This is a recipe by Kate Ramos taken from http://www.chow.com/

 

Green bean casserole has been a part of Thanksgiving meals for years now. I must admit my mother did not serve this dish. She did, however, serve homemade pasta, usually ravioli and meat balls. According to Wikipedia, this American Thanksgiving favorite originates in 1955 and is the creation of the Campbell Soup Company. You can find that recipe on the Internet at http://www.campbellkitchen.com/. My recipe comes from www.chow.com./

 

Anyone who knows me knows that the recipes must contain very fresh ingredients, no cans or boxes if they can be avoided. I am making an exception to this rule today and recommending frozen greens beans for this recipe. I have not had time to visit the farmers market to find great green beans. In fact the beans I bought at Ralphs were a disappointment.

 

This recipe is EASY, fast and yummy. It takes a bit of work to prepare, but after all this is the holidays and part of the fun of the holidays is the time we spend together in the kitchen preparing food. If you can get to the farmers market, buy fresh green beans, if not frozen works great.

 

If you do not know how to prepare a Béchamel Sauce, email me and I will post that recipe.

 

This casserole can be prepared the day before and popped in the oven to heat up before you serve your meal. If you prepare and refrigerate, remember to remove it from the fridge an hour before it goes into the oven so that the temperature of the dish is room temp before it goes in the oven.

 

1. Total Time: 1 hr 10 miniute
2. Active Time: 50 minutes
3. Makes: 6 servings
4. Baked in a 400 degree oven.

INGREDIENTS

 

1. 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2. 1/4 cup olive oil
3. 1/2 pound fresh brown mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
4. 2 garlic cloves, minced
5. Béchamel Sauce (warmed)
6. 2 teaspoons minced thyme leaves
7. 5 medium shallots, sliced (about 1 1/3 cups)
8. 3/4 cup flour, for dusting the shallots
9. 2 cups vegetable oil, for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut, trim and wash the green beans. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add kosher salt to the water. One tablespoon should be enough. Add green beans and cook until bright green and just tender, about 5 minutes; drain in a colander and plunge the beans into a bath of ice water. This will set the bright green color and stop the cooking. Over cooked vegetables are mushy and tasteless. You don’t want to go there. Set the green beans aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add mushrooms and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are brown on the edges, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Combine green beans, mushroom mixture, béchamel sauce, and thyme in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a 2-1/2-quart baking dish and set aside.
4. Dust sliced shallots in flour and shake off excess. Set aside.
5. Pour vegetable oil into a 10-inch frying pan (the oil should be 1 inch deep). Heat over medium-high heat to 350°F, about 4 minutes.
6. Fry shallots in batches, until light golden brown on the edges, about 2 minutes. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
7. Top casserole with fried shallots and bake until shallots are golden and crispy and casserole is bubbly and heated through, about 12 to 15 minutes.

This Thanksgiving, one of my invited dinner guests is bringing this dish. I will review it at that time.

 

Happy Holiday! Don’t forget to be thankful for all your blessings.