Green Bean Casserole
Quick answer
Green bean casserole bakes blanched green beans in a mushroom cream sauce, then tops them with crispy fried onions for a contrast of textures that defines this American h...
What makes this special
- Quick blanching keeps green beans snappy under a mushroom cream sauce and onions.
- 3-minute blanch and ice bath keeps the beans bright green and snappy through baking
- Mushrooms sautéed into the butter roux infuse the cream sauce with umami
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Trim the 400 g green beans, then blanch them in boiling water for exactly 3 minutes.
- 2 Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan over medium heat, then saute the half onion first.
- 3 Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons flour and cook over medium-low heat for about 1 mi...
Green bean casserole bakes blanched green beans in a mushroom cream sauce, then tops them with crispy fried onions for a contrast of textures that defines this American holiday side dish. Blanching the beans for just three minutes and shocking them in ice water preserves their bright green color and a slight crunch that survives the oven. Sauteing onion and mushrooms in butter, stirring in flour to build a roux, and gradually adding milk produces a smooth cream sauce infused with earthy mushroom flavor. After twenty minutes in the oven, the casserole is pulled out and topped with fried onions, then returned for five more minutes so the onions crisp without burning. The finished dish layers the crunch of the topping against the creamy sauce and tender-crisp beans.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Heat
Trim the 400 g green beans, then blanch them in boiling water for exactly 3 minutes.
Transfer them straight to cold water, drain well, and keep them crisp so they do not turn soft during baking.
- 2Control
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a pan over medium heat, then saute the half onion first.
When it turns translucent, add 150 g mushrooms and cook until their moisture reduces and the mushroom flavor concentrates.
- 3Control
Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons flour and cook over medium-low heat for about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
Stir constantly so the roux coats the vegetables without sticking or browning too fast.
- 4Season
Pour in 250 ml milk gradually while stirring, letting each addition loosen the roux before adding more.
Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then turn off the heat when the sauce flows thickly and smoothly.
- 5Season
Add the drained green beans to the cream sauce and fold until every piece is lightly coated.
Transfer to a baking dish in an even layer, spreading the sauce to the edges for steady heating.
- 6Heat
Bake at 180C for 20 minutes, until the edges begin to bubble.
Remove the dish, scatter 1 cup fried onions over the top, and bake 5 minutes more so the topping crisps without burning.
After the steps
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