Not Another Green Bean Casserole

The Thanksgiving table is flooded with mushy, rich, baked dishes—so we’re always looking for dishes that offer a new and exciting texture. Green bean casserole is a polarizing side dish, some love it, some despise the soft and overcooked beans. This dish has everything we love about green bean casserole: the luscious sauce; the savory mushroom flavor, the crispy fried onion topping—and none of the things we don’t like. These green beans are crisp and perfectly cooked, making for a beautiful splash of color on any holiday table spread. As an added bonus, they won’t take up valuable oven space before dinner and they can still be prepared mostly ahead of time.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 1 tablespoon high-heat oil like avocado or canola
• 1 cup french-fried onions

For the creamy mushroom sauce

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 12 ounces baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup whole milk, room temp
• 1 cup Bare Bones Organic Turkey Bone Broth
• ¼ cup salted butter
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon fresh thyme, minced, plus more for garnish
• Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Make the creamy mushroom sauce

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook until most of the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms and they’re dark and fragrant, about 8–10 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until golden and fragrant, about 1–2 minutes. Transfer mushroom and garlic mixture to a bowl and reserve. Wipe saucepan clean and return to heat. Add the butter. When the butter is melted, stir and then add the flour. Reduce heat to low. Stir to combine into a roux, but do not let the roux brown. Using a liquid measuring cup and a whisk, very slowly add the milk, stirring constantly. Once the milk is added, slowly add the broth, stirring constantly. Once all the liquid is added, remove from heat and add the nutmeg, thyme, and lemon juice. Season with salt, to taste. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon without running off. If needed, return over low heat until the sauce is the right consistency. Once done, return the mushroom and garlic mixture to the sauce and stir to combine. Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Blanch the green beans

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. At the same time, prepare a large bowl filled ¾ of the way with ice water. Once boiling, add the green beans to the water in small batches. Blanch for 2 minutes and then remove from the boiling water with a sieve or tongs and gently submerge them into the ice bath. Repeat this process until all of the green beans are blanched. Strain green beans from the ice bath and dry on paper or clean tea towels, then store in the fridge in airtight containers for up to 2 days before serving.

Sauté the green beans

When ready to serve, transfer creamy mushroom sauce to a saucepan and gradually heat over low heat—this will prevent the sauce from breaking or burning. Heat an extra-large frying pan over high heat. When very hot, add the tablespoon of high-heat oil and the green beans. Sauté until crispy and tender, stirring them as needed, about 4–5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the beans, we want to retain their crispness and color.

Assemble and serve

Take a large platter and, using a pair of tongs, arrange the sautéed green beans on it. Ladle the now heated creamy mushroom sauce over the top of the beans. Top with french-fried onions. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper and fresh thyme.