Green bean casserole is as much a classic at the holidays as turkey, ham, or candied yams. Face it, the table just wouldn’t be the same without it. But alas, the traditional version is rife with allergens, and that’s just from the can of condensed soup that goes into the mix. Then there’s the problem of scheduling time and clearing space in your already over-worked oven. What to do? Well, fret not. We’ve got your back.
With the inspiration of Cook’s Illustrated’s streamlined “from scratch” approach, this recipe gives you all of the flavors and textures of the classic, but it contains fresh ingredients and you make it entirely on the stovetop, so no slide rules or mathematical formulas necessary to schedule oven time. In fact, you can throw this together while the bird is in the oven. Ta-dah!
Imagine, tender green beans, freshly made fried onion (or shallot) strings, creamy mushrooms, all steamy and gorgeous—vegetarian and gluten free—just waiting for a fork.
Unlike most other recipes that call for gluten free flour, make sure that you use a brand that doesn’t contain any xanthan gum. Your going for crispy pan-fried shallots, and the xanthan gum will make them, well, gummy, which is not good because “Ew.” Also, where the original recipe called for chicken stock, we used a good gluten free veggie stock instead. That one substitution made the whole dish vegetarian. See how simple that was?
So there you have it. A reimagined classic that’s better, healthier and less hassle in the kitchen. That’s a holiday trifecta.
Adapted from The Cook’s Illustrated Cookbook.
- 3 large shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons All-Purpose gluten-free flour (without xanthan gum)
- Salt and pepper
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, trimmed and sliced ¼-inch thick
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ green beans, trimmed
- ¼ tsp. dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup vegetable stock
- Line baking sheet with triple layer of paper towels. Toss shallots with 2 tablespoons flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper in small bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking; add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until golden and crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer shallots with oil to prepared baking sheet and set aside.
- Wipe out skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add remain 2 tablespoons oil, mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet alongside shallots and set aside.
- Wipe out skillet. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat, add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and remaining 1 tablespoon flour; toss in green beans, thyme and bay leaves. Add cream and stock, increase heat to medium-high, cover and cook until beans are partly tender but still crisp at center, about 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and continue to cook, until green beans are tender and sauce has thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Off heat, discard bay leaves; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with reserved shallots and serve.
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