Can-less Green Bean Casserole
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe was born out of desperation one Thanksgiving afternoon when we realized (After the grocery stores had closed for the day) that no-one had thought about bringing this staple of the Thanksgiving table. So I raided my parents cupboards and refrigerator and made this up as I was going along. Yet one more thing on my list to be Thankful for, Not only did everyone love it, but I actually remembered to write it down this time so I can reproduce it again.
I got some dirty looks though around dessert time, for I had used the Heavy Cream that had been slated for the Squash pie...
Since then I have read the ingredient list on the infamous Cream of Mushroom soup, I find it extremely disturbing…
WATER, MUSHROOMS, WHEAT FLOUR, VEGETABLE OIL (CORN, COTTONSEED, CANOLA AND/OR PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN), CREAM, SALT, CORNSTARCH, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, DRIED WHEY, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, DRIED DAIRY BLEND (WHEY, CALCIUM CASEINATE), SPICE EXTRACT, YEAST EXTRACT, DEHYDRATED GARLIC..
Ingredients You'll Need
1 Shallot finely chopped
1 rib of celery finely diced
8 - 10 oz sliced button mushrooms
8 TB Butter
8 TB AP Flour
2 cups of Chicken or Vegetable Stock
1 cup of Heavy Cream
2 tsp Tarragon
1 tsp Marjoram
1 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Rosemary
3 TB freshly chopped Italian Parsley
1/4 tsp Fresh Grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp Fresh ground black pepper
A pinch or 2 of Kosher Salt
6 cups of Blanched Green Beans, cut to 1 1/2 - 2 inch
6 oz FRENCH Fried Onions
Directions
In a stock pot or sauté pan, blanch green beans in salted boiling water, just until they turn bright green.
Remove from water with a skimmer and transfer to ice cold water to stop the cooking.
In a large saucepan, over medium low heat, melt butter and sweat shallots and celery until translucent.
Increase heat to medium and add sliced mushrooms; sauté until they give up their moisture.
Sprinkle with AP flour and stir to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes to remove the raw flavor from the flour.
Slowly add the stock; stirring until smooth and mixture begins to thicken slightly.
Add heavy cream and stir until incorporated.
Add Tarragon, Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Nutmeg, a couple pinches of salt, and Black pepper.
Continue cooking while stirring occasionally, to prevent scorching of the cream, until thick.
Remove from heat and stir in Chopped Italian Parsley.
Drain green beans and add to the mushroom soup along with 3/4 cup of Fried Onions.
Stir ingredients together and pour into a 13x9 glass baking dish or 2 1/2 quart CorningWare (PyroCeram not stoneware)
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with remaining Fried Onions.
Questions, Comments & Reviews
Marsha
