Granny's Greenbean Casserole

★★★★★

Thanksgiving, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 45 min Total Time: 1 hour Difficulty: Easy Servings: 12 servings Source:

Ingredients

4 15-ounce cans blue lake green beans, drained, rinsed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1 onion, chopped 

8 ounces (2 jars) mushroom stems and pieces, drained 

2 tablespoons flour 

1 cup sour cream 

1/2 cup sliced (not slivered) almonds 

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

salt and pepper to taste 

1 pound (or more to preference) cheddar cheese, sharp, grated 

Description

This is not your average cream of mushroom soup and canned fried onions casserole...

While, true, the recipe is made with canned green beans and mushrooms, do not be tempted to use fresh or frozen beans - they simply won't work right (I know, I've tried). This recipe came out of Depression-era cookery and despite the my own general avoidance of canned vegetables, this is a recipe where they work really well. Use the best quality you can get, low- or no-sodium if you can get that, too.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt the butter in a 12" skillet over medium heat until it stops bubbling. Sauté the onion until soft and just browning at the edges, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute. 

4. Add the flour to onion and mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly. 

5. Add the sour cream and almonds to the onion and mushrooms. Heat thoroughly, stirring constantly. Stir in the nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. 

6. In a large/deep casserole dish, layer the green beans and onion sauce together, starting and ending with green beans. You should have three layers of green beans and two layers of sauce. Spread a generous layer of the cheese on top. 

You may refrigerate the casserole now for up to 24 hours. If you do, before continuing remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it stand to room temperature for 1 hour. 

7. Put the casserole in the over for 40-45 minutes, until bubbling and the cheese is well-melted and golden brown. Serve.

Notes

In 2023, I (finally) made a couple of modifications to my grandmother's tried-and-true recipe, added the cayenne and smoked paprika, which worked very well.