Deconstructed Green Bean "Casserole"

No, this isn’t your Aunt Edna’s Green Bean Casserole…it is a modern (and slightly healthier version) of what has become a holiday tradition in many American households.  Now granted, I must admit that Green Bean Casserole has never been a traditional holiday dish in my family, however, after making this version, I think I’ve found a new favorite veggie side. 

Monica: I looked at the original recipe and I decided to use the main ingredients – green beans, mushrooms, and shallots (instead of onion).  I decided to sauté the mushrooms in a tad of butter and white wine, instead of making a cream based sauce.  I love sautéed mushrooms, and it really complimented the green beans and shallots perfectly. I also chose to use shallots instead of fried onions, and quickly deep-fried them to golden perfection.  This is not technically a “casserole”, however, I chose to keep the name because that recipe was my inspiration to create this new version.

Ingredient List

1 lb of fresh green beans, trimmed

1 lb white or crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced

4 shallots, sliced in thin rings

1 tbsp butter

1- 2 tbsp white wine
kosher salt to taste

Method
Peel and slice shallots as thinly as possible. Pour oil in small pot, about 1” in depth, heat over medium-high heat (until about 325 degrees, if you have a thermometer). Working in small batches, add shallots to oil and fry (about 1 – 1 ½ minutes). Remove from oil with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel to cool.


Once the shallots are cooling, cook green beans until tender in a separate pan.  As the green beans are cooking, add 1 tablespoon of butter to a sauté pan, and melt. Once the butter is nearly melted, add the sliced mushrooms to the butter to coat.  While constantly mixing the mushrooms, add 1 - 2 tablespoons of white wine to the mixture and salt to taste.  Continue stirring as mushrooms cook and become soft.

Add the mushroom mixture to the green beans.  When you serve your green beans, add the fried shallots as a topping & enjoy! 

Variations

Now if you want the sauce that traditionally flavors this casserole recipe, a great recommendation would be to refer to our Cream of Wild Mushroom soup post and cut the recipe in half. You could also add flour to thicken it into more of a sauce consistency. 

Playlist

Monica: I was making this side to compliment some tilapia that I grilled on a warm Fall afternoon.  I chose to listen to a random mix of songs that I could sing along to while cooking (or at least attempt to sing):
     1)  "Cracklin' Rosie"  Neil Diamond

2)      "Please Mr. Postman"  The Marvelettes

3)     "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg" The Ramones

4)      "Calico Skies" Paul McCartney

     5)    "El Noa Noa" Juan Gabriel (if you grew up in a Spanish speaking household,                                                                 I'm pretty sure you know this song)

Drink of Choice

Monica: It was a rather warm day, and I wanted to drink something with citrus, so I enjoyed a Black Tea Lemonade.

A Recipe to Remember?

I really loved the combination of flavors and it can be spruced up with a richer mushroom sauce if preferred.