Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Shallot Topping
Our fresh green bean casserole recipe with crispy shallots yields a flavorful but still-familiar take on a Thanksgiving classic.
Made from scratch, this fresh green bean casserole is sure to become a new family favorite.
Photo Credit : Amy TraversoMaking a fresh green bean casserole from scratch is a great way to add some pizzazz to your Thanksgiving table without disappointing friends and family who are looking for a lineup of familiar classics. After all, everyone loves crispy onion topping and creamy mushroom sauce — and making these elements from scratch improves their flavor tremendously. Not only is this dish easy to make, but it also can be prepared in advance, then baked and assembled just before serving. You may never go back to making green bean casserole from cans again!
Yield:
8For the shallot topping:
Ingredients
Vegetable oil for frying
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 large shallots, sliced crosswise about 1/4 inch thick
Instructions
First, make the shallot topping: Pour 3/4 inch of oil into a large skillet and set over medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and pepper. Add the shallots and toss with your hands, separating the shallots into individual rings with your fingers and making sure they are all coated with flour. Pour the shallots into a colander set over a sink and gently shake to remove excess flour.
When the oil is hot, cook the shallots in two batches until golden brown, 5 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels and set aside (you can complete this step up to one day before serving and store the shallots on paper towels in an airtight container). Rinse out the colander and set aside (you’ll need it for the beans).
For the green bean casserole:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 pounds fresh green beans
2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
12 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400° and set a rack to the middle position. Prepare the beans: Set up a large bowl of ice water near the stove. Set a large pot (6 to 8 quarts) of water over high heat and add 2 tablespoons salt; bring to a boil. Add the beans and cook until barely tender, just 5 minutes. Drain the beans in the colander and immediately submerge in ice water to stop cooking. Drain the beans in the colander once more.
In a large skillet over high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter, then add the mushrooms, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms give up some of their liquid and begin to brown at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the remaining tablespoon of butter, along with the flour. Stir to coat the mushrooms with the flour mixture and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the broth, then the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, until mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes.
Arrange the beans in an even layer in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Pour the mushroom-cream mixture over the beans. Bake until the sauce is bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the shallots just before serving. Serve immediately.
Amy Traverso
Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee magazine and co-host of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with WGBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.
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