Creamy Mushrooms & Green Beans with Crispy Onions

Preperation time
15 m
Skills level

Serving size
6-8
Country of origin

Preparation time: 15 m
Cooking time: 20+ m
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. trimmed green beans
  • 6 cups sliced creminis (baby bellas)
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups whole or reduced fat milk (avoid nonfat)
  • salt, black pepper, onion powder to taste
  • 1 container crispy fried onions (I like French's)
  • large pot for boiling green beans
  • stock to loosen
  • medium-sized oven safe dish
  • 12-inch non-stick frying pan with high sides
Recipe Type:
Course:

This is my delicious spin on the ever-popular green bean casserole made with creamed soup. This dish is a slightly crispier version. It is ever-present on everyone’s Thanksgiving table, and my version is delightful and undeniably tastes very similar. The green beans are slightly caramelized, not mushy, and taste so good with the creamy thick white sauce its paired with. The French term for this white sauce is béchamel. The foolproof way to achieve a velvety smooth sauce is to have the milk hot when added to the butter and flour. It uses an extra pot, but as you become more proficient, you can temper the milk. Tempering is to slowly bring up the temperature of an ingredient sensitive to heat, such as eggs or milk, to prevent it from curdling.

The cremini mushrooms give this dish a nice flavor along with the fresh herbs. Since this is a popular Thanksgiving side dish and the oven will be in use to roast the turkey, I am using a stovetop preparation for this recipe. With that said, you may absolutely reheat it in the oven for your dinner. Just don’t add the crunchy onions until right before serving.

Fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil. Be sure all the ends of the green beans are properly trimmed. Then add the green beans to the pot and cook about 8 minutes or until just crisp-tender, they will continue to cook in the frying pan. Drain in a colander.

In the meantime, start the roux in the frying pan. Add the butter (I use salted butter) to the pan and heat on low. Once it’s mostly melted, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until its creamy and no lumps remain. In a small pot, heat the milk. Next, stream the  milk into the pan and whisk to combine the roux with the milk to create the béchamel sauce. Keep heat on low, and cook about 5 minutes until thickened. The sauce should be silky smooth and no lumps should be present. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add about 1/2 teaspoon or more of onion powder and a few thyme sprigs. Taste it once it starts to thicken and be sure you have a balance of flavors, always an important part of cooking!

In the meantime, rinse and thoroughly clean the mushrooms as they retain a lot of dirt. Dry on a paper towel. Thinly slice them, a good chef’s knife is helpful here. Toss the mushrooms into the béchamel sauce and allow it to continue to cook until the mushrooms cook down, about 8 minutes or more. Keep heat on low.

Pour the sauce mixture into a bowl, and clean the frying pan to further cook the green beans. Add the green beans into the frying pan with a good drizzle of olive oil and a good sprinkle of onion powder and heat on medium-high heat to caramelize the beans, about 8 minutes or longer. Once they are browning they are ready. Now is a good time to taste the green beans and be sure they are just how you like them.

Add the mushroom sauce back into the pan and cook an additional 5 minutes to marry the flavors and fully coat the green beans. Use a drizzle of stock (beef, chicken or vegetable) to loosen. Pour the mixture into a serving dish. Top with crunchy onions upon serving.

Alternative Preparation:

If you prefer a slightly softer textured green bean, skip tossing them in the frying pan, just boil for the recommended time, strain them, and add them to the baking dish with the mushroom sauce.  Bake covered in an oven-safe dish at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then top with onions. Equally fabulous!

Enjoy!