Modern green bean casserole for your holiday table
For the holidays, there are people who absolutely love a classic green bean casserole made with condensed soup, canned beans and packaged fried onions.
I get the nostalgia. And the thought is a winning one: tender green beans enveloped in a creamy sauce and topped with crispy crunchy oniony things.
But how about a fresher take on the concept?
Here, shallots are crisped in oil (which then can be used for sautéing other things, as it will be nicely infused with the flavor of the shallots). Those will go on top.
Haricot verts are thin, young green beans that are more tender than their sturdier, string bean cousins. They are also a bit pricier, but this is a holiday, after all, and you are reinventing a classic, so it's worth seeking them out.
And the sauce is a lovely medley of sautéed fresh mushrooms and a blend of broth and half-and-half that is just creamy and thick enough, but still on the delicate side, so the flavors of all those fresh ingredients can come right on through.
• Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, “Dinner Solved!” and “The Mom 100 Cookbook.” She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman. She can be reached at Katie@themom100.com.