Handcrafted Green Bean Casserole for the Holidays – How to Nail it

Green Bean Casserole is something you either love or hate. There is no middle road on this side dish.

At the same time though, it isn’t a recipe one should mess with overall. Fancy dishes of just steamed green beans topped with panko crumbs? Pffffttttt. No, lets keep it real but minus the can full of grey soup mix……make the soup base yourself in a few minutes time, full of fresh mushrooms and onions. And, bonus, you can have this dish vegan even…..

Handcrafted Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 8 ounces button mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups milk, dairy or unsweetened non-dairy
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon base
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• Ground black pepper
• 2 14.5-ounce cans green beans, drained
• 6 ounces french fried onions

Directions:

Heat oven to 350° and lightly oil a medium baking dish. Heat the milk in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes, until warm. Stir in bouillon base.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high, add mushrooms and onions, saute until tender. Sprinkle flour on top, cook for a minute.

Slowly whisk in milk, Italian seasoning blend, soy sauce and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper. Cook until thickened and bubbling, whisking often.

Reduce heat to medium, stir in green beans and heat through. Take off heat, stir in ¾ of the fried onions. Transfer to baking dish, top with remaining onions.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Bonus points if you serve it in vintage Pyrex or Fire King dishes….