Christmas Green Bean Casserole
A holiday twist on a classic side with crisp-tender green beans bathed in a homemade mushroom sauce and topped with golden fried onions.
Ingredients
Blanched Beans
- 1 lb fresh green beans trimmed and blanched
Mushroom Sauce & Topping
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 small onion diced
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1.25 cups chicken broth
- 0.5 cup milk
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 1.5 cups French fried onions divided
Instructions
Green Beans
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch green beans for 5 minutes until bright green, then transfer to ice water. Drain and pat dry.
Mushroom Sauce & Topping
- Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C). In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add diced onion and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes until tender.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Sprinkle flour and cook 1 minute while stirring.
- Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk until smooth. Season with soy sauce and pepper; simmer 3–4 minutes until thickened.
- Fold blanched beans into sauce and transfer to a 2-quart baking dish. Top with 1 cup of fried onions.
- Bake for 15 minutes until bubbly around the edges. Sprinkle remaining onions and bake 5 minutes more until golden.
Notes
Through multiple tests, I learned that an ice bath is crucial to lock in bean color and texture.
Allow leftovers to rest uncovered for 10 minutes before reheating to maintain a crisp topping.
For long-term storage, freeze assembled casserole (without onions) for up to 2 months, then bake straight from frozen, adding extra time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 220kcalCarbohydrates: 12g
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