As a true Southerner, I understand the sacred role of casseroles in our culture. They’re more than just food – they’re vessels of comfort, marking life’s most significant moments. From welcoming new babies to saying goodbye at post-funeral gatherings, casseroles are our culinary storytellers. 

My favorite casserole is green bean and mushroom. This is usually a conglomeration of greens beans drenched in canned cream of mushroom soup topped with canned friend onions. Due to the number of times “canned” was used in the last sentence, if you guessed that the amount of salt in this casserole is more than anyone should have in a day, then you would be correct. 

I wanted to make the casserole less salty, and to do that I had to first remove the canned items. To recreate the creamy, velvety mushroom soup flavor, I used a combination of roasted mushrooms and velouté. 

I love shallots, so this was an easy decision to substitute canned fried onions with homemade fried shallots for the topping. These homemade fried shallots are so good I often don’t have enough left for the casserole.

This casserole is not an easy dump-in-all-the-ingredients-and-bake type of casserole. It is a bit tedious and a labor of love to ensure that each layer of flavor in the casserole is cooked appropriately. I have tried cutting corners in the past by not blanching the haricort vert and cooking the haricort vert and mushrooms together in the oven with the sauce. The result was simply not the same. The vivid crunch and freshness of the haricort vert was all but lost in excessive oven time. Blanching the haricot vert and separately roasting the mushrooms allow each ingredient time to develop before combining them with the sauce.

This is not my mother’s green bean casserole, and it is not for the faint of heart. But, it will win you bragging rights at the Thanksgiving or Christmas table for years to come.

Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole with Fried Shallots

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• Author: Christina Marks
• Total Time: 2 hours

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Description

My favorite casserole is green bean and mushroom. As a true Southerner, I understand the sacred role of casseroles in our culture. They’re more than just food – they’re vessels of comfort, marking life’s most significant moments. From welcoming new babies to saying goodbye at post-funeral gatherings, casseroles are our culinary storytellers.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

The Roasted Mushrooms

• 40 ounces baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and de-stemmed
• 1/4 cup olive oii
• 2 Tbs red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

The Haricot Vert

• 2 lb haricot vert

The Sauce

• 6 Tbs butter
• 1 cup leeks, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs vermouth
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp chives
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and ground pepper, to taste

The Fried Shallots

• 3 cups slice shallots
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup tonic water
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups canola oil

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Instructions

The Roasted Mushrooms

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place mushrooms in a large baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper.
4. Roast for about 40 minutes.

The Haricot Vert

1. Fill a large pot with water.
2. Salt the water and bring it to a boil.
3. Add the haricot vert to the water and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Remove and place immediately in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.
5. Set aside.

The Sauce

1. In a large stock pot, melt the butter
2. Add the leaks and sauté for about 5 minutes.
3. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the vermouth and cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Whisk in the broth. Simmer for 15-20 minutes.
8. Add the heavy cream and simmer another 10 minutes.
9. Add the thyme, chives, parmesan cheese, and Worcestershire sauce.
10. Season with salt and pepper.
11. Pour over the beans and mushroom and mix to coat the vegetables. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit covered for 45 minutes.
12. Remove from oven and top with fried shallots immediately before serving.

 

The Fried Shallots

1. In a bowl, combine the buttermilk, tonic water, egg, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
3. In a pan, heat 3 cups canola oil.
4. Dip the shallots first into the buttermilk mixture and then into the flour mixture.
5. Fry in the oil until golden brown.
6. Remove from the oil and place on a few layers of paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
7. While hot, season with extra salt.

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: sides