Green bean casserole is a holiday staple, so we set out to develop a version that could be assembled in advance to make our holiday cooking easier.
To ensure that the flavor of the casserole didn’t become dull in the freezer, we boosted flavor by using plenty of garlic, white wine and fragrant thyme. After testing a number of ways to par-cook the beans, we discovered that the easiest solution was also the best: simply add them raw.
Tossing the beans with a bit of cornstarch before putting them in the baking dish helped to thicken any liquid they exuded during cooking. We stuck with a classic crunchy topping of canned fried onions and bread crumbs.
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
Servings: 10-12
Start to finish: 3 hours, 20 minutes (Active time: 45 minutes)
Topping:
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups canned fried onions
Casserole:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup cornstarch
Nutrition information per serving: 278 calories; 186 calories from fat; 21 g fat (11 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 54 mg cholesterol; 354 mg sodium; 18 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 4 g protein.
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