Green Bean Casserole

Directions

• Before We Start

  Better Than Bouillon: This concentrated stock base adds depth that would take a lot of time and prep otherwise. If you don’t have it, you can substitute with 1 chicken bouillon cube, but you’ll need to adjust the salt.
  MSG: Don’t skip this ingredient! It’s what gives the soup that savory, “can’t-stop-eating-it” quality without the artificial taste of store-bought versions. MSG is perfectly safe to eat in spite of what some outdated news reports might say.
  Fresh vs Store Bought Stock: You can use unsalted store-bought stock as your base, we add lots to the pot and reduce it down to make it plenty flavorful. Homemade is obviously the best option, but you will get great results either way. If your homemade chicken stock has salt in it, you will need to salt to taste for this recipe.
  Crispy Fried Onions: We used French’s for this recipe. It is not overly processed and uses palm oil for their frying oil.

• Preheat the Oven

  Preheat the oven to 400 F.

• Prepare the Green Beans

  For the Green Beans
  527g | 3.5 cups fresh green beans, trimmed at both ends and cut to 2-3 inches in length
  9g | 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
  12g | 1 tbsp avocado oil
  2g | 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  2.5g | 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  0.75g | 1/2 tsp black pepper
  
  Trim the stem end of the green beans and cut them into 2-3 inch lengths. In a large mixing bowl, combine green beans, 1 tsp avocado oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well to coat everything evenly.

• Cook the Bacon and Green Beans

  For Baking the Bacon and Green Beans
  All the tossed green beans
  220g | 6 strips thick-cut bacon
  25g | 2 tbsp brown sugar
  2.5g | 1/2 tsp Sherry Vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  
  On one full size baking sheet or two half sheets, place six strips of thick-cut bacon along outermost part of the sheet. Place the green beans in the center and spread so they are not stacked on top of each other.
  
  Place on the middle-most rack(s) and let cook for 12 minutes.
  
  Then take the sheet out, toss the green beans, sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on both sides of the bacon. Ensure the bacon is flipped to the other side. Return to the oven for another 13-20 minutes until the bacon is nicely browned. The total cook time should be about 25-32 mins (ours cooked for 28 minutes).
  
  Remove the bacon and then toss the green beans in the rendered bacon fat on the sheet pan and return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes.
  
  Transfer the bacon on top of a wire rack with a sheet pan underneath it to catch the fat. This will allow the bacon to drain and crisp without the sugars sticking like it would with paper towels. You will have left over bacon; only reserve 3 strips for the casserole. The rest can be used on burgers, eggs, or just enjoyed as a chef’s snack.
  
  Once the green beans are done, add the sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar and lightly toss then set aside for later.
  
  NOTE: While these are roasting, it is a good time to start working on the next step. Just be sure to set timers so you don’t forget what’s going on in your oven!

• Prepare and Cook The Mushrooms

  For the Sautéed Mushrooms
  683g | 10 cups mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/8 inch thick
  24g | 2 tbsp avocado oil
  2.5g | 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  9g | 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed, divided
  2g | 2 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
  
  Clean mushrooms using a salad spinner or colander, then dry thoroughly with a towel. Slice the mushrooms into approximately 1/8-inch thick slices.
  
  Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Add half the mushrooms to the pan, spread them out for maximum surface contact, and add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Allow them to cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until moisture begins to release.
  
  Stir once, then spread the mushrooms flat again and continue cooking without stirring until moisture evaporates completely and mushrooms begin to brown, about 3-4 more minutes. At this point add the smashed garlic clove and 1 sprig of thyme. Flip or toss the mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Transfer to a bowl and repeat with remaining mushrooms.
  
  If doubling the recipe, we recommend roasting the mushrooms and garlic on a half sized sheet pan in an oven at 400 F for 20 mins or until browned instead of sautéing. Tossing them halfway through. Once roasted, transfer to a bowl and toss with the sprigs of thyme. It is much easier, and because of the high volume of mushrooms, they don’t suffer as much moisture loss as is typical with oven roasted mushrooms.
  
  NOTE: You may have heard people say not to get mushrooms wet. This is not true when you are sautéing or roasting them. You only get 1-2% extra moisture by weight, which gets cooked out pretty quickly. Washing instead of brushing saves a lot of time when using this many mushrooms.

• Deglaze

  For the Deglazing Liquid
  115g | 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock (for deglazing)
  
  Once all mushrooms are cooked, add 1/2 cup unsalted chicken stock to the hot pan and scrape the bottom to deglaze. Transfer this liquid to a saucepan for the stock.

• Make the Mushroom Stock

  For the Mushroom Stock
  115g | 1/2 cup deglazing liquid (from previous step)
  475g | 2 cups additional unsalted chicken stock
  150g | Half the cooked mushrooms
  45g | 1/4 onion
  75g | 2 sticks celery
  0.25g | 1 bay leaf
  2g | 1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
  120g | 2 medium carrots, cut into 2-inch chunks
  3g | 3 sprigs thyme
  8g | 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  1.8g | 3/8 tsp salt
  
  In a saucepan, combine the deglazed mushroom liquid, 1 1/2 cups additional chicken stock, half of the cooked mushrooms, 1/4 onion, 1 1/2 sticks of celery, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 2 medium carrots in chunks, 3 sprigs thyme, 2 smashed garlic cloves, and 3/8 teaspoon salt.
  
  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes to develop flavor. While this is simmering, start preparing the cream sauce base in the next step.

• Make the Cream Sauce Base

  For the Cream of Mushroom Soup Base
  55g | 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  36g | 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  60g | 4 tbsp hot water
  12g | 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon
  
  While the stock simmers, combine 4 tablespoons hot water with 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat for about 1 minute and whisk to fully incorporate.
  
  In a 3 or 4 quart pot, melt 55g unsalted butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, add 36g (1/4 cup) all-purpose flour and whisk continuously.
  
  Cook for 2-3 minutes until it bubbles slightly. Add the dissolved bouillon mixture and whisk until combined (it will clump initially – this is normal).

• Finish the Cream of Mushroom

  For the Cream of Mushroom Soup
  All the mushroom stock
  1.25g | 1/4 tsp MSG
  3/8 tsp salt
  175g | 3/4 cup heavy cream
  0.4g | 1/4 tsp black pepper
  
  Place a fine-mesh strainer over the pot with the roux (cream of mushroom base), pour all of the mushroom stock into it, pressing on the solids with a spatula to extract maximum flavor (it is not necessary to slowly do this, it will emulsify just fine as it heats up again).
  
  Whisk continuously over medium-low heat until the mixture is smooth.
  
  Add ~20 slices of the reserved cooked mushrooms from the stock and blend with an immersion blender until incorporated for additional texture and color. Add 106g (1/2 cup) heavy cream and whisk to combine.
  
  Add 3/8 tsp salt, MSG, and 1/4 tsp black pepper after adding the stock. After adding cream. Heat to medium and cook another 2-3 minutes whisking constantly while it bubbles to thicken again.

• Assemble the Casserole

  Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  
  Chop 3 strips of the candied bacon into 1/4 in pieces. The rest is for you to enjoy, we use 6 strips to render enough fat to cook the green beans in.
  
  In a casserole dish, combine the green beans (garlic and thyme sprigs removed), the 3 strips of the candied bacon pieces, the cream of mushroom (all of what you made ~14-16 ounces), and the remaining sautéed mushrooms. Mix well and taste for seasoning, adding salt if needed (keeping in mind it will come out slightly saltier after it has baked). We typically don’t need extra salt.
  
  Important: If you don’t have enough of the cream of mushroom, add additional heavy cream until you reach 14-16 oz.
  
  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes until bubbling.

• Add the Topping and Finish

  For the Topping
  41g | 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  127g | 1.5 cups crispy fried onions (about 3/4 a 6oz container)
  
  While the casserole bakes, melt 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (either on medium heat on the stovetop or in a medium bowl in the microwave for ~45 seconds). Mix the melted butter with crispy fried onions.
  
  After the the casserole has baked for 25 mins, remove the casserole from the oven. Top with the buttered crispy onions and return to the oven, uncovered, for another 5-7 minutes until the topping is crisp and golden brown and the casserole is bubbling underneath.
  
  Let rest for 2-3 minutes before serving to cool slightly and enjoy.