Green Bean Casserole with Homemade French Fried Onions
When the dead of winter hits and it feels as if you become trapped in the cozy hole of your home, always makes me crave comfort food. What is comfort food to you? I feel that here in the Heartland it must always involve bread, cheese, or potatoes. It’s even better if it’s a combination of two or all three of those options. I’ve made this green bean casserole for years now at almost all of our major holiday meals, and my family is perfectly in love with it. Do you know what makes it even better? The addition of homemade french fried onions. Never again do you need to buy this super simple casserole topper!
I like to use my 2 quart dutch oven for this casserole. If you do not have a dutch oven, don’t fret! You can make this meal in a 9x13” casserole dish and simply cover the top with aluminum foil instead of a lid. In the recipe below, when it says dutch oven, just use a stockpot to cook as normal and move to a casserole dish instead.
Ingredients & Recipe:
1 lb crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 lbs fresh green beans or 3 15 oz canned beans
2 tbsp olive oil
6 tbsp butter
2 tsp thyme
4 tbsp flour
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
FRENCH FRIED ONIONS:
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
directions:
Preheat your oven to 375° F.
If using fresh green beans: In a large stockpot, bring enough water to a boil to cover the green beans. Blanch the beans in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and cool.
In a 2 quart dutch oven, heat the olive oil and 6 tbsp butter on the stovetop over medium heat. Toss in the mushrooms and saute until browned and releasing their juices. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Add in the thyme and stir until fragrant.
Stir in the 4 tbsp flour, constantly stirring, until lightly browned and gives off a nutty aroma.
Slowly pour in the whole milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly. It will begin to thicken quickly. Continue to whisk. Bring to a boil first and then add the heavy cream the same way.
Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and add the grated garlic, a large pinch of salt and pepper, and the grated parmesan cheese. Stir in until it melts.
Add in the green beans. Stir with a spatula until everything is evenly coated.
Cover and place in the oven for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the French fried onions.
In a small bowl, combine the 1 cup of flour, salt, and pepper. In a separate small bowl, combine the egg and milk.
In a skillet, heat 2-4 tbsp olive oil. Working in batches, dunk the shallots first into the egg and milk mixture and then into the flour mixture. Make sure they are heavily coated!
Fry in the olive oil until browned and crispy. You can fry all of them at the same time since they are so small! Place the onions on a plate with a paper towel and set aside.
When the 40 minutes on the casserole are up, remove the lid and bake uncovered for another 15-20 minutes.
Remove from oven and top with the French fried onion and maybe a handful more of parmesan cheese if you have it. Place back in the oven and bake for another 5-7 minutes or until the onions/cheese is golden. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
This has been the favorite casserole of winter that I have made thus far! I have a few more that I am planning to share throughout the month of January that I think you will love. But if you want a really delicious, creamy, comforting, somewhat green tasting dish than you want to try this. The homemade French fried onions really create a new depth to this meal. Do not buy the store bought version! Don’t do it! They are so easy to make and zero percent processed. Their flavor is incredible. You will not be disappointed, I promise!
What is your favorite winter casserole? Share it below!
xoxo Kayla
