Scratch Green Bean Casserole

Forgo the canned soup and processed fried onions in favor of this truly homemade version of a Thanksgiving classic.  Once you try Brigitte Nguyen’s (The Kentucky Proud Kitchen) easy-to-follow and delicious recipe, you’ll wonder why you ever relied on those canned and packaged ingredients in the first place!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup half-and-half

Salt and pepper to taste

4 cups cut green beans (canned, frozen or blanched fresh beans)

Fried onions

1 onion, very thinly sliced

½ cup seasoned flour

½ cup cornstarch

Canola oil, for frying

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, heat olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until browned and wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, allow to melt, and then add the flour and stir to form a roux.

2. Add the beef broth and half-and-half, and then bring to a simmer to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the green beans into this mixture.

3. For the fried onions, heat about 1 inch of canola oil in a high-sided pot. Combine the flour and cornstarch in a bowl and toss the onion slices in this mixture to lightly coat. Drop handfuls of the dusted onion slices into the hot oil and fry, in batches, until crisp and browned. Remove and drain on paper towels.

4. To assemble the casserole, stir about half the fried onions into the green beans and mushroom mixture and transfer to a baking dish. Top with the remaining onions and bake at 375 degrees until bubbly and hot.