Are you ready for the holidays? Boy Howdy - here we go! This recipe is for Fresh Green Bean Casserole instead of the kind you make with canned green beans. That one get a bit mushy, don't you think? It is pretty straight forward and I think you will love it - you can, like me, use those bagged green beans you find in the salad section of produce at the grocery stores nowadays. Let's get into it!
Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients:- 2 pounds fresh green beans, ends cut off
- Salt
- 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 whole large onion, chopped
- 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk, plus extra for thinning if needed
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (or use round buttery crackers all smushed up)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cut the green beans in half if you like the pieces to be a little smaller. Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow the green beans to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain the beans once they're cool and set aside.
Add the bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon for 2 minutes, and then add the peppers, garlic and onions, and continue cooking until the bacon is done (but not crisp) and the onions are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or 2, and then pour in the milk and half-and-half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, some black pepper and the cayenne, and then add the grated cheese. Stir while the cheese melts. Turn off the heat.
Add the bacon/onion mixture and stir to combine. Add the green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with the panko or the round buttery crackers that you have made into crumbs.
Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the panko is golden, about 30 minutes.
Fresh Green Bean Casserole
