Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole
By America's Test KitchenPublished on November 15, 2011
Time
3 hours
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Topping
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups canned fried onionsCasserole
3 tablespoons unsalted butter 10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 6 garlic cloves, minced½ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ cup all-purpose flour ½ cup white wine 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 ½ cups heavy cream 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces¼ cup cornstarchBefore You Begin
The topping and casserole can be frozen separately for up to 2 months.
Instructions
- Pulse bread, butter, and salt in food processor until coarsely ground. Combine bread mixture and onions in bowl, transfer to zipper-lock freezer bag, and freeze.
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in wine, broth, and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Toss green beans with cornstarch in large bowl and transfer to 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Pour warm mushroom mixture evenly over beans. Let cool completely, wrap with plastic, cover with foil, and freeze.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic from baking dish and replace foil. Bake until sauce is bubbling and beans are tender, about 80 minutes, stirring beans thoroughly after 50 minutes. Remove foil and spread topping mixture over beans. Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Serve.
for the topping
for the casserole
to serve
Time
3 hoursYield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Topping
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups canned fried onions
Casserole
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup white wine
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup cornstarch
Ingredients
Topping
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups canned fried onions
Casserole
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup white wine
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup cornstarch
Ingredients
Topping
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups canned fried onions
Casserole
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced thin
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup white wine
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup cornstarch
Why This Recipe Works
To boost the flavor of our Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole so it could stand up to freezing and baking, we doubled the amount of garlic in the recipe and added white wine and fragrant thyme to the sauce. Preparing the casserole with raw beans instead of canned produced a nice green color and surprisingly firm texture (not to mention brighter flavor). Tossing the beans with cornstarch thickened the liquid shed by the beans and produced a perfect, silky sauce. To finish off our recipe for Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole, we topped it with a combination of canned fried onions and buttery bread crumbs (canned onions were too greasy on their own)
Before You Begin
The topping and casserole can be frozen separately for up to 2 months.
Instructions
- Pulse bread, butter, and salt in food processor until coarsely ground. Combine bread mixture and onions in bowl, transfer to zipper-lock freezer bag, and freeze.
- Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in wine, broth, and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 10 minutes.
- Toss green beans with cornstarch in large bowl and transfer to 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Pour warm mushroom mixture evenly over beans. Let cool completely, wrap with plastic, cover with foil, and freeze.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove plastic from baking dish and replace foil. Bake until sauce is bubbling and beans are tender, about 80 minutes, stirring beans thoroughly after 50 minutes. Remove foil and spread topping mixture over beans. Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Serve.
for the topping
for the casserole
to serve
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