Tuesday, December 28, 2010

GREEN BEAN-MUSHROOM-BACON & CHEESE CASSEROLE

The traditional "green bean casserole" has always intrigued me. I see it mostly during the holidays and I want to enjoy it, although I'm not too fond of the mushroom soup sauce it usually has. This year, I set out to re-invent this holiday casserole and I absolutely love the final results.
.
I used fresh green beans, sauteed sweet onions, portobello mushrooms, crisp bacon, a little cheddar cheese and my own white sauce. The resulting "green bean casserole" was delicious and we ate a ton of it. 1 pound of fresh green beans cut into 2" pieces
½ cup chopped sweet onion
½ pound of baby portobello mushrooms sliced
½ pound of bacon fried crisp (drained well & crumbled)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (loosely packed)
1 clove garlic minced finely
3 tablespoons white flour
1 teaspoon salt
scant ½ teaspoon black pepper
2½ cups milk
2 tablespoons butter

In a large frying pan, melt the butter and saute the chopped onions until they smell sweet; add the garlic and saute until it barely turns golden. Add the green beans and mushrooms (mixing well) and saute for a few minutes until they start to wilt just a little (don't cook them all the way through). Remove pan from heat and set aside.
.
In a sauce pan, melt 3 tablespoons butter. When butter is hot, add (all at once) the flour, salt & pepper, stirring quickly. Cook on medium for about a minute (to remove any flour taste). Next, you are going to add the milk, a little at a time, whisking like a mad woman while you add the milk (this will eliminate lumps in the sauce). Once the milk and butter-flour mixture are mixed well, cook on medium heat (stirring every once in a while) until it gets nice and thick.

Remove from heat and stir in the cheese & crisp bacon. Add this mixture to the vegetables and stir well (but gently). Place in an lightly greased casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until very hot.
.
It was really tasty and the leftovers made a mouth watering lunch the next day.
SEE VIDEO TUTORIAL >>

Related Posts:

  • BACON & CHEESE DEVILED EGGS FOR EASTER BRUNCHIf you are looking for a deviled egg recipe that is just a little different, this is a good one. The filling has crisp bacon and cheddar cheese in it … Read More
  • BEEF TOMATO-BARLEY SOUP"It has finally stopped snowing", she said quietly as she knocked on wood. We actually saw the sun today and they are calling for more sun t… Read More
  • ROASTED BEEF & ZITI (serious comfort food)This is comfort food at its best!!! It is FULL of flavor, rings all of the right rich flavor bells and it reheats excellently. I make it with big piec… Read More
  • GREEN BEAN-MUSHROOM-BACON & CHEESE CASSEROLEThe traditional "green bean casserole" has always intrigued me. I see it mostly during the holidays and I want to enjoy it, although I'm not too fond … Read More
  • CLASSIC FRENCH TOASTToday is our 41st Anniversary; actually, we've been together 46 years (we were high school sweethearts). If you follow my recipe blog, you know that I… Read More
  • EASY ENCHILADA CASSEROLEThis is a great comfort food classic that I turned into an easy, quick fix casserole. You can easily double or triple the ingredients for a big crowd.… Read More
  • SPAGHETTIOn snowy winter days, when it is good to stay close to home, I enjoy making dinner in the slow cooker. One of our favorite's is spaghetti; our kids we… Read More
  • TOASTED ORZO with PARMESAN & BASILThis simple (and versatile) little side dish is just delightful. The orzo is toasted in butter before boiling, which adds an extra flavor, then it is … Read More
  • CRISP BACON and GUACAMOLE SANDWICHI first posted this idea a couple of years ago and then promptly forgot about it. However, summer is often too busy (or hot) to cook, so recently… Read More
  • COLEEN's RED RICEThis recipe is one of my original recipes; it is also one that I could probably "live on" if need be (I like it just that much!!) It is my "go to" rec… Read More
  • TACO SEASONINGMake your own taco seasoning!! It is simple, quick, cheap and useful for almost anything. I use it on steak fajitas, tacos, Spanish rice, chicken and … Read More
  • CROCKPOT LASAGNASERIOUS COMFORT FOOD I guess this isn't technically lasagna, since it is cooked in the crock pot and uses rigatoni noodles, but it qualifies as s… Read More
  • CROCKPOT CHICKEN CHILIThis is a new recipe experiment for us and I must tell you it was delightful. It is one of those rare meals that is not only … Read More
  • SWEET & SOUR PORK RECIPEThere are three reasons to try this great recipe. First, this recipe is made in the slow cooker, so it's super easy. Secondly, this recipe is very che… Read More
  • CHICKEN TETRAZZINI WITH HOME MADE PASTAOne of my favorite dinners is Chicken Tetrazzini with home made pasta. It is simple and inexpensive to make and (in my opinion) pure comfort food… Read More