Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Fried Onions

Ingredients

• 2 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
• 1 small yellow onion, diced fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 6 oz canned crispy fried onions

Before you cook

• Trim the green beans and cut them into 2-inch lengths.
• Slice the mushrooms about 1/4 inch thick.
• Dice the onion fine and mince the garlic.
• Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a hard boil.
3. Add the green beans and boil them for 5 minutes, until they turn bright green and bend without snapping.
4. Drain the beans and run cold water over them until they are completely cool, then set them aside to dry.
5. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
6. Add the mushrooms and cook them for 6 minutes without stirring much, until the water they release has cooked away and the edges brown.
7. Add the diced onion and cook for 4 minutes, until it turns soft and translucent.
8. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, just until you can smell it.
9. Sprinkle the flour over the pan and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook off the raw taste.
10. Pour in the milk and broth in a slow stream, whisking the whole time so no lumps form.
11. Simmer the sauce for 4 minutes, whisking now and then, until it coats the back of a spoon.
12. Stir in the heavy cream, soy sauce, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
13. Take the skillet off the heat and fold in the drained green beans until every piece is coated.
14. Scrape the mixture into the buttered baking dish and spread it level.
15. Scatter half the fried onions over the top.
16. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, until the sauce bubbles around the edges.
17. Scatter the remaining fried onions over the casserole.
18. Return it to the oven for 5 minutes, until the onions are deep golden.
19. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.