• Cooking Time: 45 minutes
• Servings: 6
• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
• 3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 12 ounces fresh button or other mushrooms (cremini, our gourmet), chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, halved, and blanched (Blanching = boil 5 minutes, place beans in ice water for a couple of minutes, drain)
• 1 can French fried onions or gluten free French fried onions
• Options: Try gourmet mushrooms, add whole or sliced garlic cloves, skip the onions or replace with crushed hazlenuts or almonds, use a sprinkle of coarse sea salt on the top)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Fry bacon over medium-high heat until crispy, add onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic, cook another 4-5 minutes until mushrooms are soft. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
3. Melt butter in the same skillet and whisk in flour for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture has slightly deepened in color. Add the half-and-half and chicken broth, constantly whisking until smooth. When slightly thickened, add cheese and whisk until melted and combined.
4. Add the mushroom/bacon mixture back to skillet, salt and pepper as desired, and simmer a couple of minutes, then add the green beans. Stir to combine.
5. Pour the bean mixture into a 9x13 casserole dish and top with French fried onions. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until bubbling and the onions are golden and crispy. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Great home-made, from scratch, classic green-bean casserole recipe.