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Green Bean Casserole Bake Off
Does the ubiquitous can of Cream of Mushroom Soup belong in your kitchen? Grocery Guru Al Sicherman says "you betcha", but, Lynne Rossetto Kasper says - "think again"!
So, it's dueling recipes for Green Bean Casserole.
Stump master and Grocery Guru Al Sicherman has gussied up the Cream of Mushroom Soup based version of Green Bean Casserole and Lynne, in retaliation, has created a version from scratch. Which one will be the winner? It's up to you!
Uncle Al's Improved Green Bean Bake
- 2 (9-oz.) pkgs. frozen cut green beans
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms
- 1 (10 3/4-oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 c. milk
- 1 (2.8-oz.) can French fried onions, divided
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. vinegar
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce (or more, to taste)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 c. (2 oz.) chopped pecans (toasted if you like)
- Cook the green beans in a medium saucepan according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent.
- While the onions are sauteing, clean the mushrooms, halve the small ones and quarter the large ones. Add them to the translucent onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give up their liquid and most of it has cooked off.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Stir the soup and the milk into the onion mixture. Add about half the can of fried onions, then stir in the Worcestershire, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper and pecans.
- Stir in the green beans and adjust seasonings. Turn the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish and bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining half-can of onions over the top of the mixture and bake an additional 5 minutes.
Lynne's Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Mushrooms and a Bonus
copyright 1998, Lynne Rossetto Kasper
Fresh greens beans, juicy sauteed mushrooms and shreds of browned onion bake in a creamy sauce. Do the beans up to a day ahead, saute the mushrooms up to 3 hours ahead. Assemble everything and bake it off when you need it. Use organic ingredients if possible. Serves 6.
- 1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 quarts boiling salted water
- 3 tablespoons cold-pressed safflower or canola oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
- 1/2 cup dry sherry or white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 whole cloves
- 2 cups half and half
- pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Drop the green beans into the boiling water and boil, uncovered, 5 to 7 minutes, tasting for doneness. Beans should be just tender. Drain in a colander.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet (preferably not non-stick) over high heat. Drop the onions into the pan and stir, cooking 4 minutes, or until browned. Turn off the heat and quickly lift the onions out of the pan with, leaving the oil behind. Drain them on paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 375 and grease a shallow 1-1/2 quart casserole. Reheat the oil over high. Stir in the mushrooms, cooking until they are browned. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the wine, bay leaves, and cloves. Boil off most of the wine, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Stir in the half and half. Turn heat to medium and simmer a few minutes to thicken slightly.
Remove the bay and cloves. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Stir in the beans. Turn everything into casserole and lightly cover with foil. Bake about 20 minutes to bubbling, top with onions and bake another 3 minutes. Serve hot.
The Bonus - A Variation:
Here's a recipe for a delicious homemade cream of mushroom soup -- make it even 2 days ahead. Cook the beans and onions as directed above. Just blend together the beans with half the soup and bake. Serve the other half of the soup as a special treat on another evening.
Lynne's Cream of Mushroom Soup
This is a lush soup best eaten in small portions. The potato replaces some of the flour, thickening the soup with more flavor. Serves 8 to 10, or makes one casserole and 4 servings of soup.
- 3 tablespoons butter or oil
- 1-1/2 pounds fresh mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 4 large shallots, minced (optional)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup dry sherry or white wine
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow finn or red-skin potato, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup heavy cream, or half and half
In a 12-inch skillet heat the butter or oil over medium high heat. Quickly saute the mushrooms until golden, adding half the onion and shallot to the pan about halfway through cooking. Season with salt and pepper and add the wine. Boil off two-thirds of it, scraping up any brown bits in the pan. Set aside.
In a 4-quart sauce pan melt the second measure of butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour, cooking about 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in the broth until smooth. Add half the mushrooms and their liquid along with the potato. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook about 15 minutes, partially covered, or until rich in flavor with no raw flour taste. Puree in a blender, return to the pot and stir in the cream and remaining mushrooms with their liquid. Simmer uncovered 5 minutes, taste for seasoning and serve hot.
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