I just didn’t like the additives, preservatives, massive amount of salt, or the funny canned flavor. There has to be a way to make it better….. And there is.

What happens when you substitute fresh, organic ingredients? Magic, that’s what! The cream sauce infused with garlic and bacon, made with portabella mushrooms and half and half becomes succulent, sweet and rich, meaty with mushroom flavor.  The true flavor of the green beans shines and the texture is tender yet with some tooth.

Did I mention the portabellas?

These are the before pictures. There are no shots of the green bean casserole after baking because, quite frankly, I burnt everything I touched this year. Not badly but enough that the aftershots would not be very appetizing!

Don’t save this for Thanksgiving or Christmas. It is simple, delicious, and inexpensive.

Green Bean Casserole

• 2 lbs of fresh green beans, trimmed, washed, and cut
• 1 lbs baby portabella mushrooms, sliced thickly
• 1 onion (I used purple) peeled and chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 strips of bacon, applewood smoked or peppered
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 tbs sherry or vermouth
• 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup butter, cut in chunks
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups sliced onions sauted until golden OR 2 cups Durkee Onions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 13×9 inch casserole dish
2. Cook green beans until crisp – tender. They will cook more in the oven, so don’t get them too mushy
3. Drain green beans well and spoon into prepared pan
4. Chop bacon into a small dice, add with onions to the pan
5. Saute until the bacon is crisp and brown and the fat is rendered but the onion is not scorched
6. Add garlic and mushrooms
7. Saute mushrooms in the bacon fat until tender, remove the contents of the pan to casserole dish and mix into the green beans
8. Add the sherry ( or vermouth) and the balsamic
9. Add the cream and bring to a boil
10. Once it reaches a boil turn heat down and maintain a simmer until the cream is reduced and coats the back of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes
11. Whisk in the butter, small pieces at a time and whisk until the butter is melted and the sauce absorbs it
12. Taste and adjust seasonings
13. Pour over the green bean mixture, top with sauteed onions or Durkee and bake for 20 minutes

Serves 8

images: marye audet

Post from: Baking Delights

Couple that ambiance with a steaming casserole, a loaf of french bread, a crisp salad, and maybe a pear crisp …add an after dinner espresso with a perfect chocolate truffle on the side..Well couldn’t you at least imagine you were in the French countryside? I could!

Try this casserole in that menu and see what you think. You can assemble it ahead and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. You can also use it as a side dish to roast chicken or pork.

Artichoke, Portabella, and Potato Gratin
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large artichokes (or 2 cans of marinated artichoke hearts)
2 pounds Yukon Gold, red skinned, or other thin skinned potatoes, thinly sliced
4 large portabella mushroom caps, thinly sliced
8 ozs cream cheese or mascarpone cheese cut in small chunks
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup cream (or half and half..but I like cream better)
1 white onion, sliced in rings and sweated in butter until transparent.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Brush 13×9x2-inch glass baking dish. To trim artichoke, add the juice from half a lemon to a large bowl of cold water. Cut off the artichoke’s stem; rub cut surface with the other lemon half. Peel off all the leaves. Cut off top one inch of artichoke. Using a spoon with a serrated edge, scrape out the fibrous choke from the center. Rub the artichoke all over with lemon and drop it into lemon water. Drain before using.

Or….Use the canned marinated ones.

Slice artichoke hearts. Arrange half of potatoes in dish, covering bottom completely. Top with half of artichoke hearts and half of mushrooms. Sprinkle half of cream cheese over. Sprinkle with half of garlic, salt, and pepper, then 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Cover with remaining mushrooms, then artichokes, cream cheese, garlic, 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Top with remaining potatoes. Pour cream over; arrange onions over top. Cover dish with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400°F. Sprinkle top with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and top is brown, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly and serve.
Serves 6-8

Post from: Baking Delights