Meals

Green Bean Casserole

Name: Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients: 1½ lb fresh green beans, trimmed; 4 tbsp butter; 1 medium sweet onion, finely diced; 12 oz cremini mushrooms; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 3 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1½ cups whole milk; ½ cup heavy cream; ¼ cup sour cream; 1 tsp soy sauce or vegetarian Worcestershire; ½ tsp smoked paprika; ½ tsp black pepper; ¾ tsp kosher salt; Pinch cayenne or white pepper, optional; 2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced; 1 cup buttermilk; 1 cup flour; ½ cup cornstarch; 1 tsp salt; ½ tsp paprika; ½ tsp garlic powder; Neutral oil for frying

A rich green bean casserole with creamy mushroom sauce and extra-crunchy onions.

Ingredients

Green Beans

1½ lb fresh green beans, trimmed

Creamy Southern Sauce

4 tbsp butter
1 medium sweet onion, finely diced
12 oz cremini mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sour cream
1 tsp soy sauce or vegetarian Worcestershire
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp black pepper
¾ tsp kosher salt
Pinch cayenne or white pepper, optional

Crunchy Onion Topping

2 large sweet onions, thinly sliced
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
1 tsp salt
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic powder
Neutral oil for frying

Instructions

Make extra-crunchy onions

Soak sliced onions in buttermilk for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight. Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, paprika, and garlic powder. Dredge onions thoroughly, shake off excess, and fry in batches in 350°F oil until deep golden and aggressively crispy, about 2–3 minutes. Drain on a rack and lightly salt while hot.

Prep green beans

Boil green beans in well-salted water 4–5 minutes until just tender. Shock in ice water, drain well, and pat dry.

Build sauce

Melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion and mushrooms slowly until soft and lightly golden. Add garlic for 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook 1–2 minutes. Slowly whisk in milk and cream until thick.

Season sauce

Remove sauce from heat. Stir in sour cream, soy sauce or Worcestershire, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Taste; it should be savory, rich, and slightly tangy.

Assemble

Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss green beans with sauce, fold in half the fried onions, and transfer to a buttered baking dish. Top with remaining onions, piling them high.

Bake

Bake uncovered 25–30 minutes, until sauce is bubbling underneath and onions stay crunchy.

Notes

Cornstarch helps the onions stay crunchy even after baking.
Optional upgrades: add sharp white cheddar or gruyère to the sauce, crushed butter crackers to the onion topping, or a light drizzle of hot sauce before serving.
Make-ahead: combine green beans and sauce with half the onions, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Store remaining onions loosely covered at room temperature. Bake cold at 375°F for 35–40 minutes and add remaining onions during the last 10 minutes.