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Zesty Green Bean Casserole - Close up of a wooden spoon holding a serving of fried onion, bacon, and green bean casserole.

Zesty Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Bernice Hill
This irresistible Zesty Green Bean Casserole features fresh green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce made from scratch. Top it all off with a crispy layer of buttered panko crumbs and French fried onions.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cuisine North American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 611 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans
  • 12 large cremini mushrooms or baby bellas
  • 2-4 rashers of bacon

FOR THE CREAM SAUCE

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 cloves garlic; minced
  • 5 tbsp flour
  • 1 tbsp dried tarragon
  • 2 tbsp seedy mustard
  • 2 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups half and half or 18 % cream
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano

FOR THE TOPPING

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup Panko crumbs
  • 1 cup French fried onions

Instructions
 

  • Wash and trim the ends of the green beans. Trim into bite-sized pieces.
  • To Blanch the beans: Set a medium pot of water to boil. Add half of the bean pieces and boil for 4 minutes. Remove and immediately place in a bowl of ice water. Repeat with the second half of the beans.
  • Slice the bacon rashers into small bits and fry in a small frying pan. Remove from pan and set aside. Wipe the pan out.
  • Add cremini mushrooms to the bowl of a food processor and process until mushrooms are finely diced as they appear in the photo in the post. Fry the mushrooms in bacon pan until they no longer release moisture.
  • Place blanched beans, bacon, and mushrooms into a medium baking dish.
  • Preheat oven temperature to 350 F.
  • Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Add minced garlic and sauté for a few minutes on low. Add flour and stir into butter to make a roux.
  • Cook roux for a few minutes but do not allow it to turn color. Add cream and whisk until smooth. Add in the tarragon, mustard, Worchestershire, and salt.
  • Continue to whisk until thickened slightly. Add Parmesan Reggiano and whisk until cheese is incorporated into the sauce.
  • Pour sauce over casserole ingredients and mix well.
  • Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 F oven.
  • While the casserole is baking, melt the 2 tbsp butter in the frying pan. Add panko and fry until it becomes golden. Remove from heat.
  • When the casserole is hot and bubbling, remove it from the oven and top it with crispy panko crumbs and French fried onions.

Equipment

Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless Steel
AmazonBasics Enameled Cast Iron Covered Casserole Skillet, 3.3-Quart, Green
LiveFresh Stainless Steel Micro-perforated 5-Quart Colander - Professional Strainer with Heavy Duty Handles and Self-draining Solid Ring Base - Dishwasher Safe

Notes

MAKE AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS: Prepare the casserole as described and stop before the baking step. Place in refrigerator for a day or two. Remove and finish as directed.
*This recipe uses commercially available French fried onions.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 611kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 17gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 935mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10g
Nutrition calculation is an estimation only. If you need nutritional calculations for medical reasons, please use a source that you trust.
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