Green Bean Casserole from Cooks Illustrated
photo by SharonChen
- Ready In:
- 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
10-12
ingredients
- 4 slices white bread, each slice torn into quarters
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1⁄4 teaspoon table salt
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups canned fried onions (about 6 oz.)
- 2 lbs green beans, ends trimmed and halved
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 lb white button mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean, and broken into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- fresh ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 1⁄2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
directions
- For the topping: Pulse bread, butter, salt, and pepper in food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 one-second pulses. Transfer to large bowl and toss with onions; set aside.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Fill large bowl with ice water. Bring 4 qts. of water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add two tbls. salt and the green beans. Cook beans until bright green and crisp-tender, about 6 minutes. Drain beans in colander and plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking. Spread beans on paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
- Add butter to now-empty Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add mushrooms, garlic, 3/4 teaspoons salt, and 1/8 teaspoons pepper; cook until mushrooms release moisture and liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth and bring to simmer, stirring constantly. Add cream, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add green beans to sauce and stir until evenly coated. Arrange in even layer in 3 quart (or 13 x 9") baking dish. Sprinkle with topping and bake until top is golden brown ans sauce is bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
- To prepare ahead: Store breadcrumb topping in an airtight container in the refrigerator and combine with the onion just before cooking. Combine the beans and cooled sauce in a baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. To serve, remove plastic wrap and heat casserole in a 425 degree oven for 10 minutes, then add the topping and bake as directed. This recipe can be halved and baked in a 2 quart (or 8" square) baking dish. Reduce cooking time of the sauce in Step 3 to about 6 minutes and the baking time in Step 4 to 10 minutes.
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Reviews
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Really awesome green bean casserole, however, extremely time consuming. If I was to ever make it again I would only slice the mushrooms to save time. If you have to only bring one dish this is a winner. I just had so many other things to make that were more important to do this one again along with the rest of T-day meal.<br/><br/>Update: I swore I wouldn't make this again this year. I was begged to do it again so here is what I did to help out with time. I made it the weekend before Thanksgiving minus the topping and wrapped it in saran wrap & foil and froze it. I also made the topping Thanksgiving eve. On T Day I just left the casserole on the counter to thaw it out and added the topping to cook. It turned out just as good and saved hours of valuable time during a busy day. Now with a baby on the way I swear it won't be making it again next year. :-)
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This green bean casserole is delicious and so much more flavorful than recipes using canned soup and beans. Some tips to save time: After pulsing and setting aside the bread, I throw quartered mushrooms into the food processor and pulse until they’re uniformly chopped into small chunks. This saves so much time compared to chopping by hand. Once I empty the food processor yet again, I throw 5 cloves of garlic in there and chop until finely minced. The extra garlic makes this dish even better! I also use half & half in lieu of heavy cream and the final dish is still rich and creamy.
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I'll never open a can of green beans again. The freshness of all the ingredients make this dish fit for a king! Once I brought it to a family gathering, it is requested over and over. I did use 8 ounces of baby portabella mushrooms instead of the white buttons, and LOVED it. It definitely takes more than 45 minutes to prepare, and much be watched carefully.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
KathyP53
Ozark, Missouri