We are down to the home stretch now. It’s just a little over a week until Thanksgiving. To get your holiday table ready to go for the big day, we have another recipe you’re going to want to share with your family and friends. This one also just happens to be Michelle’s favorite so it’s a must for our celebration. It’s my recipe for the most Amazing Green Bean Casserole you’ve ever had.
“Green Bean Casserole? Boring!!”
Not this one my friend. You make this version, it could very well be the star of your Thanksgiving feast.
Let’s get started!
Our Ingredients
Take a look at the picture above. If you’ve made green bean casserole in the past, you may notice a couple components you’ve used aren’t pictured. Yep, there’s no can of cream of mushroom soup or box of fried onions. That’s because we’re making those ourselves.
“Doesn’t that add more work?”
Well, of course. It always takes a little more effort to do things from scratch than to just open a can. But the results are worth it!
Now, this may turn you off from this recipe right away. However, I think you should give this one a shot, at least once, because the extra work really comes across in the flavor. It’s also not as much work as you’d think.
So, why not give it a shot?
Our Homemade Fried Onions
Our first step is one that adds a lot of the to the flavor and style to our Amazing Green Bean Casserole. That’s our scratch made Fried Onions.
Begin by placing a couple inches of neutral oil, like canola, in a large pot on the stove. Heat the oil until it reaches 350ºF.
Next, slice your Yellow Onion into thin strips. Place the onion slices into a large bowl with the All-Purpose Flour and toss to coat. Working in batches, shake off any extra flour and carefully add the onions to the heated oil. Fry until golden brown, carefully remove, place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and sprinkle lightly with salt.
Continue working in batches until all the onions are fried to crispy goodness.
Our Green Beans
Next up is our Green Beans. For this, you’re going to need two different temperatures of water. First, you’ll need a large pot of salted water that you’ll place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Secondly, you’ll also need a large bowl of ice water.
Place the trimmed and halved Green Beans in the boiling water and blanch for about 5 minutes. Drain and immediately place the beans in the ice water to keep them from overcooking. Once they cool, you can drain them again and reserve for later use.
Soup’s On
On to the other item that for our Awesome Green Bean Casserole that often comes pre-packaged. That’s the cream of mushroom soup. So, obviously, we’ll start with the mushrooms. Place the butter in a 12″ pan over medium-high heat.
- I like to use a cast iron skillet for this dish. I do this, mostly, because it really works well for it’s presentation when it’s completed. It also makes it easy to do this recipe in one pan. However, if you don’t have a cast iron skillet or you’d prefer to serve in a standard casserole dish, that’s just fine. They all work well.
Once the butter has melted, add the Mushrooms and cook them until they’ve browned slightly and have released most of their moisture; about 5 minutes. Season with Salt & Pepper.
Next, add the Garlic and Freshly Ground Nutmeg and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes; until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add the Flour to the mushrooms and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
Yep, we’re making a roux!
Add the Chicken Broth and let simmer and thicken for another 3 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the Half & Half. Continue to simmer until the mixture thickens. That should be somewhere between 6 to 8 minutes.
- Obviously, this soup is just a component for our Awesome Green Bean Casserole. However, if you ever have the urge for Cream of Mushroom Soup, all you’d need to do is follow this recipe to this point and season it. It will be delicious just like this.
Since this is the part of the dish that adds the most flavor, you’ll now want to be sure it is seasoned appropriately. Taste your soup and adjust the salt, pepper and fresh ground nutmeg, as needed.
Casserole Time!
Now, it’s time to put all of our components together. Add all of the blanched Green Beans and about ¼ of the Fried Onions to the pan and stir until combined with the Mushroom Soup.
- If you are planning out the timing of your Thanksgiving cooking, this is the point that you can make ahead and finish just before service. Just wait to top with the rest of the Fried Onions until you are ready to put finish the dish in the oven.
Once you’re ready to finish this dish, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Evenly add the remainder of the Fried Onions across the top of the pan. Place the pan in the oven and cook at 400ºF until heated through and bubbly; approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.
Final Conclusion
There’s a reason why this Disney Dish is titled Awesome Green Bean Casserole. It’s nothing less than the perfect description of it.
The scratch made cream of mushroom soup add a wonderful richness and earthiness complimented with the spice from the freshly ground nutmeg. Meanwhile the green beans are bright with just a light snap to them. Then there’s the fried onions that add a beautiful crispy texture change and that pop of sweetness that makes this dish soar.
It’s absolutely lovely!
I know Michelle loves this recipe enough that she’d be happy with just a double serving of it as an entree. I can’t argue with that thinking. It’s just that good.
Be sure to make this dish this Thanksgiving. One taste and I think it will become a staple of your Holiday Celebrations.
If you have any questions about this or any of our recipes, just hit us up below in the comments. You can also reach us through our Contact Us page or through email.
Awesome Green Bean Casserole
Makes approximately 8 servings
For the Fried Onion Topping
- 1 – Large Onion – Sliced
- 1 cup – All Purpose Flour
- Kosher or Sea Salt – To Taste
- Neutral Cooking Oil – For Frying
For the Green Beans & Sauce
- 1 lb – Fresh Green Beans – Trimmed and Halved
- 2 tbls – Unsalted Butter
- 12 oz – Mushrooms – Trimmed and Sliced into ½ pieces
- 2 – Garlic Cloves – Minced
- 1 tsp – Kosher or Sea Salt
- ½ tsp – Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tsp – Freshly Ground Nutmeg
- 2 tbls – All-Purpose Flour
- 1 cup – Chicken Broth
- 1 cup – Half & Half
For the Fried Onions
- Add a couple of inches of the Neutral Oil to a large pan and heat to 350º F
- Toss the Sliced Onion in the All-Purpose Flour, shaking off any extra
- Working in batches, add the Onions to the heated oil and fry until golden brown
- Remove to a pan lined with paper towels and immediately sprinkle with Salt
- Reserve for later use
For the Green Beans & Sauce
- Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan
- Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside
- Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat
- Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned and have given up most of their moisture; approximately 5 minutes
- Season with Salt & Pepper
- Add the Minced Garlic and Freshly Ground Nutmeg and cook for an additional 2 minutes
- Sprinkle the All-Purpose Flour over the mixture, stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes
- Add the Chicken Broth and let simmer and thicken for another 3 minutes
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the Half & Half. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened; approximately 6 to 8 minutes
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with addition Salt, Pepper and/or Freshly Ground Nutmeg
For the Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF
- Add the Green Beans and about ¼ of the Fried Onions to the sauce and stir to thoroughly combine
- Top evenly with the remaining Fried Onions
- Place in the oven and cook at 400ºF until heated through and bubbling; approximately 15 minutes
- Remove and serve immediately
Be sure to check out our other Disney Dishes
Apple-Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce
Pumpkin Mickey Waffles with Oven “Fried” Chicken and Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Jolly Holiday Bakery Café’s Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Soup from Sunshine Seasons
The Pumpkin Cheesecake from Disney Cruise Line
Pumpkin Beignets from Café Orleans
Cousin Megan’s Traditional Meatloaf
Croissant Doughnuts from Epcot
Avocado Margarita from La Cava del Tequila
Enchanted Cauli-Flower Sandwich from Red Rose Taverne
Wild Mushroom Risotto from Palo
Cheeseburger Pods from Satu’li Canteen
Lobster Nachos from Lamplight Lounge
Cocoa Brownies with Browned Butter
S.E.A. Shu Mai from Jungle Navigation Company LTD Skipper Canteen
Hoisin Sticky Spare Ribs from Morimoto Asia
Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb from Blue Bayou Restaurant
Peanut Butter Blondies from Sweet On You