Holiday Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

I remember the very first time I had green bean casserole. The crunchy onions, the creamy mixture. I think I was somewhere around 25 years old before I had it. I’m not sure how I missed out on it my whole life prior to that. Last year I was assigned to bring green bean casserole the family thanksgiving. Even though I loved green bean casserole from the first time I had it, I have come to not love canned green beans. The mushiness just isn’t that appealing to me anymore. When I got to make this dish last year, I used freeze dried green beans and let me tell you… they were SO much better than canned mush.
Here’s a recipe for green casserole Thrive Style from Chef Todd. I’ll admit – I skip the mushrooms – but you don’t have to!

Green Bean Casserole

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
Source: Chef Todd Leonard

Ingredients
2 c thrive green beans
1 c thrive mushroom pieces
2 T thrive chopped onions
1 t garlic, chopped fresh
3 T butter
4 T white flour
1 c heavy cream
1 1⁄4 c thrive instant milk, reconstituted
1⁄2 t salt
1⁄4 t pepper
2 c french’s fried onions

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Place green beans in a small bowl and cover with warm water to reconstitute. Place mushrooms and onions in another bowl and cover with warm water to reconstitute; allow to sit for 2 minutes and then drain well, pushing excess water from mushrooms.

In a medium-size saucepan, sauté garlic in butter. Add mushrooms and onions and stir to blend. Sprinkle in flour to make a roux, stirring to incorporate. Add cream and then milk, stir well to distribute roux, and turn heat to medium low. Add seasonings and stir occasionally to keep from burning. Bring to a simmer and allow to thicken to a gravy-like consistency. Add green beans and mix well. Pour mixture into an 8×8 casserole dish. Top with onions and bake for 12 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes
Featured in the December 2012 THRIVE Live!