I love Thanksgiving! I have always been a “give me all of the sides and hold the turkey” kind of girl. My favorites being the sausage stuffing, green beans, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, anything (and everything) cranberry… I am sure you get the idea. Thanksgiving vegetables are always the best vegetables, buttery and without concern over caloric content. I am always trying new fun ways to enjoy my favorite vegetables, so this year I have decided to make green bean casserole with a homemade cream of mushroom soup.

I have always been a little hesitant by green bean casserole because of the canned soup and canned onions. I knew a lot of people who loved the Thanksgiving side dish, however, which made me want to see what it was about this combination. I decided to make this dish by using all fresh homemade components. And, it was delicious. The snap of the green beans, the nuttiness of the mushrooms, and the crunch of the onions. No wonder this is a Thanksgiving favorite!

Green Bean Casserole with Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Recipe
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 pound green beans, with the rough end removed
4 oz shiitake mushrooms, chopped finely
8 oz crimini mushrooms, chopped finely
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup half and half
1/2 onion, chopped

French Fried Onions
1 onion, sliced into thin rounds
whole milk
all-purpose flour (use gluten free all-purpose flour for gluten free version)
oil for frying (I use extra virgin olive oil)
salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Soak the onion rounds for the french fried onions in whole milk for around 20 minutes, this can be done while you prepare the other ingredients.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

In a large skillet, heat the oil and butter over medium heat until hot. Add the onions, stirring until translucent. Add in the mushrooms and stir once. Then, leave the mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add salt, pepper, thyme and stir. Then, add broth and stir for one minute. Next, add the half and half reducing the heat to a simmer. Let cook for about 8 minutes.

Once the pot is boiling, add the green beans and let them blanch for 5 minutes. Drain them immediately and put into an ice bath to keep them from cooking longer.

In a skillet, heat 1/4″ of oil. Dip the milk soaked onions in salted flour. They should be lightly covered. Test that the oil is the right temperature by sprinkling a drop of water in the oil. If the oil fizzles in that spot it is the right temperature. Add the onions piece by piece into the oil, flipping them after 3 minutes and then frying them for another 3 minutes. They should be a dark tan color. Once you remove the onions from the oil drain them on a plate covered with a few paper towels.

When the mushroom soup is lightly bubbling mix it with the green beans in a casserole dish. Cover the green bean mixture with the fried onions. Bake for 22 minutes until the casserole is bubbling.