Need another side dish for your holiday feast? Here’s one that may look familiar. You remember that old standby …the green bean casserole? Check this out. Green Beans With Cremini Mushroom Sauce is an updated, lighter version of the original. And soooo delicious. This recipe comes from our friend, Marcia Kiesel at Food & Wine. The sauce is not so overwhelming and so much tastier. The beans and mushrooms are fresh. And the crunchy onion topping is made on your stovetop with thinly sliced shallots.
The shallots can be prepared ahead of time. Then quickly reheated in the oven before using. If you have extra, serve them on the side for your family to enjoy on their mashed potatoes.
The beans are parboiled just to the point where they become tender. Be careful not to let them boil for more than five minutes …they will continue to cook in the oven. While the beans are busy on the stove, begin the mushroom sauce by sauteing the sliced onion. After a few minutes, the mushrooms are added to the skillet. Once the mushrooms are soft and browned, the rest of the ingredients are added to complete the sauce.
Once the beans and mushroom sauce are heated through, it all gets transferred to a baking dish. Unless you prefer to prepare it all in a cast iron skillet (or any ovenproof skillet). In that case, no transfer necessary. Cover the skillet and transfer the whole thing to the oven. Totally up to you. Either way, your finished creation will be tempting and delicious.
As you can see, the mushroom sauce is light and not overly creamy. Just enough to moisten and flavor each and every bean and slice of mushroom. When you add the crispy shallots on top, the perfect vegetable side dish has been created.
This recipe will make enough to feed 4 to 6 people as a side. For your larger gathering, simply double the recipe.
green beans with cremini mushroom sauce
Adapted from Food & Wine
Perfect side to serve with roast turkey, chicken, beef or pork.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces shallots, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 tablespoon (or regular all-purpose flour)
- vegetable oil, for frying
- coarse kosher salt
- 20 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, thinly vertically sliced (about 4 ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems discarded, caps thinly sliced (baby portabellas)
- 1 cup vegetable broth or stock (or chicken broth / stock)
- 1/4 cup crème fraîche
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
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On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the shallots with 1/4 cup of the flour; shake off any excess flour. In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the shallots in 2 batches and fry over moderate heat until very crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels, then sprinkle with salt.
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In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the beans until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold running water; drain and pat dry.
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Melt the butter in a large heavy-duty skillet. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened about 5 minutes. Add the paprika, cayenne (if using) and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the mushrooms, cover and cook over moderate heat until softened about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour and gradually stir in the stock until smooth.
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Preheat the oven to 400°F.
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Simmer the mushroom sauce over low heat, stirring, until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche, lemon juice, and beans. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large glass or ceramic baking dish.
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Cover the casserole with foil and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes. Uncover, scatter the crispy shallots on top and serve.
Recipe Notes
Make Ahead - The assembled casserole (without the fried shallot topping) can be refrigerated overnight. Let return to room temperature before baking. The fried shallots can be kept overnight in an airtight container. Recrisp in a 350° oven and let cool.
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