Triple Mushroom Green Bean Casserole

Traditional green bean casserole gets an update with three different types of mushrooms – including a porcini cream sauce – along with a baked crispy onion and truffle oil topping.

Thanksgiving is in less than two weeks and I’m trying out my recipes early! Green bean casserole has never been my favorite dish on the Thanksgiving table (personally I love stuffing and mashed potatoes the best) but I took that fact as an invitation to update that traditional recipe. And thats exactly what I did with three different types of savory mushrooms and home made “fried” onions. I will tell you right now that this triple mushrooms green bean casserole is not your typical green bean casserole – it takes green bean casserole to a whole new level.

Normally when we think of green bean casserole, we think of canned cream of mushroom soup, mushy (possibly canned as well) green beans, and French’s fried onions. My green bean casserole is a far cry from that not-so-impressive Thanksgiving side, and I promise you that while all the traditional elements of green bean casserole, you won’t be able to recognize it all dressed up in this version. My recipe may have a lot of steps, but I promise that they are all worth it.

Instead of using cream of mushroom soup, I make a porcini mushroom infused cream, and use two other types of fresh mushrooms – hence the “triple” mushroom green bean casserole – as well as caramelized onions to really boost the savory flavors. My topping is home-made “fried” onions, baked instead with a coating of crispy panko bread crumbs. And if you’re really feeling fancy, you can top it with a drizzle of truffle oil before throwing it in the oven to get nice a bubbly – just one more reminder that these are not your average green beans.

As Thanksgiving nears, I can’t help but think back over all the Thanksgivings I’ve had over the years. I love Thanksgiving because it’s all about family and food, which is exactly what I’m all about. But Thanksgiving in my family hasn’t always been what it is now. My grandpa, who was the head chef of my family, always did Thanksgiving. Right after he died, and when my grandma got sick, no one had the time or energy to cook a Thanksgiving meal. Sometimes my dad, brother, and I ended up tossed around, going to different family or friend’s houses for turkey day. And other times, we went the Boston Market route, where basically our whole Thanksgiving dinner came from a box, pre-cooked with instructions on how to heat it up. It may sound somewhat sad, but after all Thanksgiving is really about being with the people you love, and we still had each other. But I couldn’t help that little pang in my heart, longing for the days when homemade delicacies sat at our Thanksgiving table.

My brother and I (who do Thanksgiving now) were just kids at the time, but I remember thinking that as soon as I was old enough and had my own place, I was going to do Thanksgiving and I was going to do the whole thing from scratch. And that’s what we’ve been doing the past couple of years, and I honestly couldn’t be happier to do it. But cooking a whole Thanksgiving meal isn’t as easy as it may seem – and it’s certainly not as easy as I fool myself into believing it is every year in the weeks leading up to the big day. That’s part of what makes this green bean casserole recipe brilliant; I make the whole thing the day before, and then just pop it in the oven the next day to heat through.

Your friends and family should be thoroughly impressed by this updated version of green bean casserole, complete with three types of mushrooms, caramelized as well as crispy onions, and even a dash of truffle oil if so desired. Hopefully you will have a new star of your Thanksgiving table, as I hope to have on mine!

5.0 from 4 reviews

Triple Mushroom Green Bean Casserole

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions, sliced thinly
• 1 pound green beans
• 4 oz crimini mushrooms, diced
• 4 oz baby bella mushrooms, diced
• 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 pint half and half
• 1 cup mushroom or vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 tablespoons butter
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs
• Cooking spray
• truffle oil, optional

Instructions

1. For the topping: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Mix 2 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, and ½ tablespoon salt, and toss with half of the thinly sliced onions (1 onion) to coat. Liberally spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and spread onions on top. Spray onions with more cooking spray, and bake in oven for about 30 minutes, tossing onions every 10 minutes, until crispy. When they are done, lower the oven temperature to 400 and set the onions aside. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons melted butter with remaining panko breadcrumbs (2 tablespoons) and set aside.
2. Cook green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, and plunge directly into ice water to stop the cooking process. Set green beans aside.
3. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to large cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the rest of the sliced onion (1 onion), salt and pepper, and sauté in the butter until caramelized and reduced, about 20 minutes.
4. While the onions are cooking, heat half and half in a small pot over low heat. Add dried porcini mushrooms and steep in the warm half and half until they are re-hydrated, about 5 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and dice, then add back to the cream and remove from heat. Set aside.
5. When the onions are caramelized, remove them from the pan and set aside. Add the diced fresh mushrooms and sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms are browned and have released most of their liquid, 5-8 minutes.
6. Add the onions back to the skillet with the mushrooms, add minced garlic and sauté over medium heat, 2 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons flour and sauté another minute.
7. Add the cup of stock and half and half with steeped porcini mushrooms to the skillet. Stir constantly for the first two minutes, and then cook over medium-low heat until liquid is reduced by half to a creamy sauce, 5-8 minutes. Add green beans, toss to coat evenly in sauce, and remove from heat.
8. Top green beans in skillet with the crispy onions and the panko-butter mixture, and a drizzle of truffle oil (optional). If serving immediately, cook in 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until bubbling and golden on top. If making in advance, store in the fridge up to 1 day and cook in 400 degree oven until hot and bubbling, about 30 minutes, before serving.

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