Green Bean Casserole from Scratch (GF)

by Michelle

Romona and Maddie on Thanksgiving day 2018.

   I received a text from my daughter today on behalf of her dear friend, Romona who was inquiring after this recipe as a possible contender to bring to a company potluck. Our family had the great honor of hosting Romona last year for her first Thanksgiving dinner. I tend to forget how tasty an "old standard" can be for the uninitiated and that's why I haven't posted it until now. But the fact is that this casserole is a mandatory dish on many, if not most Thanksgiving tables.
   For Thanksgiving I have tweaked almost all our family's traditional side dishes to be vegetarian and gluten-free. The traditional green bean casserole is a dish that even a novice cook can throw together by simply opening a couple of cans of green beans, a couple of cans of Campbell's Condensed Mushroom Soup, and a can of French's Fried Onions. Easy peasy. This recipe isn't that. And while it's not difficult, it does take a little time and effort to make the Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup from scratch.
   This dish can be conveniently assembled twenty-four hours in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. Let sit at room temperature for about a half hour before baking. Leftovers reheat beautifully, too.

Foreground without toppings and background with toppings. 

Green Bean Casserole from Scratch


The homemade cream of mushroom soup can be made ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
pinch red chili flakes
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 Tbsps olive oil
7-ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1-1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces, or 6 cans green beans (drained)
3 cups homemade condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
1 cup grated cheddar (my family loves Tillamook)
1 can Gluten-Free French-Fried Onions
freshly ground black pepper

So delish!

Procedure:
1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. In the meantime, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and water; set aside. Add beans to boiling water and cook until bright green and just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain, and plunge the beans into the ice bath to stop cooking. When the beans have cooled, drain beans and set aside.

2. In a skillet warmed over medium heat, add the olive oil, then the diced onions and a pinch of red chili flakes. Saute for about 8 to 10 minutes until the onions have softened and are starting to turn golden. Add the garlic, saute for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant and then add sliced shiitake mushrooms. Continue to cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until the mushrooms soften. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

2. Combine beans with 3 cups homemade cream of mushroom soup, onion-mushroom mixture, 1/3 of the French-Fried Onions, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper.
Transfer mixture to a casserole dish sprayed well with olive oil.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake casserole 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Top casserole evenly with 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 1 cup shredded cheddar and the rest of the French-Fried onions. Bake five minutes or until onions are golden brown. Serve immediately. Leftovers reheat nicely the next day.

Yup, there's green bean casserole on that loaded plate.
This is why we eat pie for breakfast.