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The traditional version of this casserole, made with cans of cream of mushroom soup and French-fried onions, is a celebration of American convenience foods and a standard offering on countless holiday menus. This updated recipe, made with fresh ingredients, is guaranteed to push that old formula aside.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs. green beans
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 10 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
- 3 large shallots, plus 3 Tbs. minced
- 1/3 cup plus 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup chicken stock or broth
- 1 tsp. soy sauce, preferably mushroom soy sauce
- Canola oil for deep-frying
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Trim the green beans and halve crosswise. Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and cook until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes.
Drain and rinse under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until they give off their juices and are browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in the 3 Tbs. minced shallots and cook until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the 3 Tbs. flour and stir well. Slowly stir in the half-and-half, stock and soy sauce and then bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the green beans, season with salt and pepper and transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. (The casserole can be prepared to this point up to 1 day ahead, covered and refrigerated.) Bake until the liquid is bubbling, about 20 minutes (30 minutes if it has been refrigerated).
While the casserole is baking, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches into a heavy saucepan and heat over high heat to 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place near the stove. Cut the remaining 3 shallots crosswise into slices 1/8 inch thick and separate into rings. Place the remaining 1/3 cup flour in a small bowl. Toss the shallot rings in the flour to coat evenly, shaking off the excess. In batches to avoid crowding, add the shallots to the hot oil and deep-fry until golden brown, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the paper towels to drain.
Remove the casserole from the oven, scatter the fried shallots on top and serve. Serves 6 to 8.
Variation: Substitute 1 head broccoli (about 1 1/2 lbs.) cut into florets, for the green beans. If you don’t feel like frying the shallots, sprinkle 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds over the casserole before serving.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food, by Rick Rodgers (Oxmoor House, 2009).
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Anonymous from
Surprisingly Delicious
I was tasked with making GBC at the 11th hour this Thanksgiving. Not being a fan of canned soup or green beans, I searched for recipes from scratch. WS has always provided excellent recipes, so I used this as a base to make my GBC. I did add 1/4 t. Nutmeg & 1 T. Dijon mustard to the sauce. Prepped this far the day before & refrigerated overnight. I added store bought Fried Onions - some things are fine as is. This was greatly received by my picky family wanting their ‘traditional’ Thanksgiving dishes.
Date published: 2021-11-30
Rated 5 out of
5
by
LindsayCHS from
Crowd Pleaser!
I've made this recipe for Thanksgiving for the past 5 years and it is delicious every time. It's a modern take on your grandmother's green bean casserole with the crispy onions on top (but taken up a few notches). The recipe is easy to follow, the hardest part being frying the shallots for the top. I always plan to do this prior to guests arriving, and just use a small sauce pan. Who doesn't love a homemade onion ring? I'm working on my menu for this year and this dish is going to make an appearance again! It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it. #tradition
Date published: 2019-11-10
Rated 2 out of
5
by
DoxieDeb2 from
Green Bean Casserole
To be fair, I really don't know why I made this considering I was never really a big fan of the soup version with the canned onions years ago. But after reading the reviews and thinking it would be so much better made from scratch, I gave it a go. Followed the recipe to the letter and used homemade chicken stock. I felt the sauce was too thick after it was baked and the time spent flouring and frying the shallots didn't make it any better than the canned fried onions. I gave it 2 stars because it wasn't hugely bad, but it wasn't really all that great. There were other great sides so all was not lost.
Date published: 2016-11-25
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Happytocook from
Made from scratch is best
This is much better than the canned soup version and is easy. I added a splash of Cognac after sauteeing the mushrooms for even better flavor. Be patient when sauteeing the mushrooms and let it brown.
Date published: 2015-12-03
Rated 5 out of
5
by
Consumer2 from
Delicious, add extra soy sauce
I make this every year because it's easy to prepare. I especially like the fact that it can be prepared the day before Thanksgiving, so it's ready to go on the holiday. I increase the soy sauce to about 3 teaspoons.
Date published: 2015-11-29
Rated 5 out of
5
by
HorseWhispererBeth from
Scrumptious to die for!
I've never really cared for the traditional American everything-from-a-can green bean casserole, choosing to bypass it as it is passed around the table. I just made this recipe for my family, and it is the best thing ever! It is not difficult, and is fresh, and is to die-for-yummy! If the rating could be a 10-star, I'd give it. I have shared this recipe on my FB page for everybody to see, and hopefully try.
Date published: 2014-11-24
Rated 4 out of
5
by
DrJenny1234 from
Holiday Side
Made this as a side dish that I brought to family's house on Christmas Day. I liked that I was able to assemble it and then cook it once I got there. We doubled the recipe. It was very rich and creamy. I received a lot of compliments.
Date published: 2014-01-08
Rated 4 out of
5
by
invaderzillm from
Solid GBC recipe
I was happy to find this recipe that required no condensed soup from a can. I found the green beans a bit too crisp for my family's taste and would probably go 6-7 min next go around. Delightful flavors and it was mostly a hit (just feedback about a softer bean next time).
Date published: 2013-12-26
