Green Bean Casserole

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

• Bring an 8-quart pot of water to a boil. Prepare a large bowl with ice and cold water to have on stand by. 

• While you wait for the water to reach boil, go through the string beans and make sure the stems are removed. You can also snap any extra-large string beans in half - or cut them all in half!  Add to the boiling water and cook until bright green and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately drain and add the string beans to the ice bath to shock and halt their cooking process. Allow to cool, drain from the ice water, and evenly spread in your casserole dish. Set aside until needed. 

  

• Prepare the vegetables. LEEKS: Remove the leafy tops and stem-ends from the leeks and discard. Slice the white-parts in half lengthwise and remove and discard the stiff outer layer.  Slice the leeks into small pieces, adding the pieces to a bowl of cold water. Swirl the leeks around with your hands to remove any loose pieces of dirt, then drain and set aside until needed. MUSHROOMS: Wipe off any visible dirt with a damp paper towel. Remove and discard the stems, then slice the mushroom tops into thin slices. Add to the bowl of leeks. GARLIC: Mince the garlic and set aside in a small bowl. HERBS: stack the sage leaves on top of each other, roll, then slice and chop into small pieces. Remove the thyme leaves from the stem and add to the sage. 

• Heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and olive oil. Once hot, add the mushrooms and leeks. Stir to combine in the butter, season with a few pinches of salt and pepper, and cook for 5-minutes until liquid releases from the mushrooms and the leeks become tender. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for an additional minute. 

  

• Add the flour to the mushroom mixture and stir to combine. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes to allow the raw flour to cook, then stir in the stock. Bring the stock to a simmer for 8-10 minutes until thickened, stirring often. If the mushrooms absorb too much of the stock, you can add an additional 1/2 cup of stock. 

• Add the heavy cream and pinch of nutmeg. Stir and simmer for 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. 

  

• Add just a sprinkle of sea salt to the green beans in the casserole dish, then pour over the mushroom sauce. Stir, then top with 3/4 cup of the crispy onions. Bake for 15 minutes or until the sauce becomes bubbly. 

• Remove from the oven, stir the casserole together to coat the onions in the cream sauce, then top with the remaining crispy onions. Serve and keep warm.