Crock Pot Recipes: Green Bean Casserole

Wednesday, 12 December 2012

Green Bean Casserole

Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil an 11 by 7-inch baking dish. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over moderately high heat. Add the mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. (The mushrooms will release a lot of liquid before reabsorbing it and browning; be patient.) While the mushrooms are cooking, stir together the broth (use cold or room temperature broth to keep the lumps away), milk, and cornstarch until no lumps remain. Once the mushrooms are golden, lower the heat to medium and stir in the garlic. Whisk in the broth mixture and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add the green beans to the sauce and stir to coat. Transfer the beans to the prepared baking dish. (Note: you can refrigerate the casserole, covered, for up to a day. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.) Bake the casserole, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the fried shallot (or crunchy rice cereal-see variation) topping. Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over moderately high heat. Toss the shallots with the rice flour. Discard any excess flour. Add the shallots to the pan, in batches if necessary, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain the shallots on paper towels. Toss with a pinch of salt. (Note: you can fry the shallots a day ahead. Keep them in a small bowl at room temperature.) After the casserole has baked for 15 minutes, remove it from the oven and scatter the fried shallots over the top. Return the baking dish to the oven and cook until the sauce is bubbling, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Serve hot. Variation: Instead of the fried shallots, top the casserole with a rice cereal topping. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup crushed rice cereal crumbs (such as Erewhon or gf Rice Krispies), 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Substitute the rice topping for the shallots.