Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Green Bean Casserole is one of those Thanksgiving sides that you may feel obligated to make, but nobody really loves, and why should they? Most green bean casserole recipes are made with canned beans, cream of mushroom soup, and those canned crispy onions. But this green bean casserole recipe is made with FRESH green beans and a creamy mushroom sauce that doesn’t taste at all like the canned stuff. Trust me, it’ll be a holiday side dish your guests rave about!
Ingredients in Green Bean Casserole
No canned stuff here! From homemade French fried onions to the freshest beans, you’ll love how tasty this simple green bean casserole recipe is! Here’s all you need:
For the Fried Onions
Onion – one large yellow onion should be perfect for this recipe. Slice it nice and thin. You could also use a shallot which has a bit more of a sharp bite to it. Fried shallots are delicious!Buttermilk – you’ll soak the onion slices in buttermilk for ultra crispiness. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding a tablespoon of either lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk.All-purpose flour – dredge the milk-soaked onion slices in flour mixed with the following spices:Cayenne pepper -this super spicy pepper has a slightly sweet flavor that is so delicious with the onion.Paprika – also a sweeter spice, the red color is so pretty!Black pepper – about a teaspoon or so to taste.Oil – use vegetable oil or even olive oil for frying.
Green beans and sauce
Fresh green beans – about a pound for this recipe. Make sure to rinse and trim the ends off. You can halve them if you want.Bacon – about ten slices, or more if you have a husband like mine who snatches the bacon faster than I can cook it!Flour – this will be used to thicken the sauce.Chicken broth – there are low sodium and gluten-free options at the grocery store that are delicious!Half and half – don’t skimp on this. The creamy texture is what really makes the sauce good.Pepper – to taste.Cheddar cheese – this is optional, but my kids love it!
Tips and Tricks for this Recipe
If your holiday seems overwhelming and you need to cut some corners, you can. For instance, you can use onion straws from the grocery store if you don’t have time to make your own. You can also find pre-cooked and pre-chopped bacon (NOT bacon bits) in the meat area of the store.For extra flair and flavor, add sautéed mushrooms to the sauce. My husband doesn’t like mushrooms, so I usually leave them out. But this is a versatile dish so you can really make it to your liking.If you are worried about presentation and want your dish to look like the picture above, just combine the beans and sauce, put them on an oven-safe ceramic platter, then top with the bacon and onion straws.However, if you want to keep things simple, just do it all in a glass baking dish. I assure you that is what I will be doing on Thanksgiving! I made the gravy slightly thinner for the version depicted in the photo and didn’t add cheese so you could really see the vibrant color of the green beans. Normally I wouldn’t do that, but for picture’s sake, I wanted it to look pretty.
More Classic Thanksgiving Recipes
If you’re looking for a few more ways to dress up your dressing, or serve after the main meal, check out our Best Recipes for Thanksgiving Dinner.
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