Green Bean Casserole

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A Thanksgiving staple in much of the Midwest, we challenge you to think outside of the can for this one and opt for fresh ingredients - it'll be a showstopper with a little extra time and care. You can make the condensed cream of mushroom (or celery) days in advance and refrigerate. Assemble the casserole the night before and make homemade french fried onions day-of.

Ingredients with an asterisk (*) are available seasonally right here in North Iowa! Click on select ingredients to find them nearby or stop by your local farmer’s market.

Total Time2

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Casserole, green beans, holiday, thanksgiving

Season: Fall

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 150kcal

Ingredients

Casserole

2 tbsp salt
1 lb green beans* rinsed, trimmed, and snapped in half
2 tbsp butter
1 recipe Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (see below) cream of celery works great, too

French Fried Onions

2 onions* thinly sliced
buttermilk
¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
1 tsp salt + pepper
cooking oil

Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

¼ cup butter
8 oz mushrooms* or celery, finely chopped
¼ cup onion* finely diced
1 clove garlic* minced
1 pinch ground nutmeg
salt + pepper to taste
½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
½ cup heavy cream or half and half
½ cup chicken* stock or vegetable stock

Instructions

Cream of Mushroom

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and onions and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add garlic and nutmeg and cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Quickly whisk in cream and chicken broth until smooth. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed–you want it to be saltier than normal, since this is a condensed soup.
Allow to cool before transferring to a jar or freezer-safe container. Once soup is completely cool, you can store it in the refrigerator or freezer.

French Fried Onions

Slice the onions and soak them in buttermilk at room temp for an hour or so.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and then transfer to a plate or shallow dish.
Dredge each onion slice in the flour mixture and then fry in a stockpot of 375 degree oil. Remove with slotted spoon to a paper towel and sprinkle with salt while still hot.

Casserole

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil and add the beans. Blanch for 5 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge them into an ice bath. Drain again and set aside.
When all elements are complete, mix together all green beans, your condensed soup (don't feel that you have to use ALL of it - add until you get your desired consistency), and half of the french fried onions all together.
Place into a casserole dish or cast iron pan and bake at 475. Bake for 10 minutes before adding the other half of the onions on top. Continue baking a few more minutes and serve warm.

Nutrition