Southern-Style Green Bean Casserole

Fresh green beans bake in a well-seasoned mushroom cream sauce under a crisp homemade fried-onion topping.

100 min

8 servings

Fresh green beans and browned mushrooms sit in cream sauce beneath a crisp golden onion topping.

Ingredients

2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into short lengths

1 tbsp kosher salt, for blanching water

4 tbsp unsalted butter

12 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 cups neutral oil, for frying

Equipment

Large pot · Ice bath · Heavy saucepan · Wide skillet · Wire rack · Casserole dish

Keep the beans snappy

Stop blanching while the beans still resist a bite, then dry them well to keep excess water out of the sauce.

Prepare ahead

Blanch and dry beans and make sauce a day ahead; refrigerate separately. Rewarm sauce gently before combining. Fry onions ahead and leave uncovered at room temperature.

Prepare the beans

01. Heat oven to 375 F with a rack in the center; set the casserole dish nearby.

02. Boil salted water, cook beans for 4 minutes, then chill, drain, and dry them well.

Fry the onions

03. Separate onion slices into rings and soak in buttermilk while you prepare the base.

04. Coat drained rings with 1/2 cup flour; fry at 350 F in small batches until crisp and golden.

Build the sauce

05. Brown mushrooms in butter until the pan is nearly dry; soften diced onion, then add garlic briefly.

06. Stir in 1/4 cup flour, whisk in milk and broth, simmer until spoon-coating, and season.

Bake and serve

07. Fold dry beans into sauce and bake uncovered at 375 F for 20 minutes, until bubbling.

08. Scatter fried onions on top and bake 5 minutes more, until crisp and fragrant.

09. Rest 10 minutes before scooping so the sauce settles around the beans.