Green Bean Casserole

Happy Nom Nom Monday!  Today I'm sharing what I made for my family's Thanksgiving feast, Green Bean Casserole.  It's a dish that's been part of our yearly get-together since I can remember, but this year I added some extra ingredients to raise the flavor bar from mediocre to amazing.

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons of butter

- 1 large white onion

- 1 lbs of mushrooms

- 2 to 3 cloves of garlic

- 2 sixteen oz. bags of french cut frozen green beans

- 1 can mushroom soup

- 2/3 can of milk

- 2 cups shredded cheese 

- 2 tablespoons of sour cream

- 1 can of french fried onions

Directions:

Dice the onion and mushrooms, and mince the garlic.  Melt the butter in a large frying pan.  When the butter is melted add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms.  Half of my family doesn't think they like mushrooms, so I cut the mushrooms up really small so they wouldn't know they were eating them.  I know.  I'm tricky, but hey it works!  

While they are sautéing boil water in a giant sauce pan, and preheat the oven to 350ºF.  When the water is boiling add the frozen green beans.  Let the water come back up to a boil, and then lower the heat, cover and let simmer for about 8 minutes.  Drain, and rinse with cold water.  Transfer the mushrooms, onion, and garlic to the giant sauce pan.  Pour in the mushroom soup, milk, and shredded cheese.  I used cheddar, and this fancy morel and leek jack cheese.  

Once the cheese has melted add the green beans and sour cream.  

Add half the french fried onions.  Mix everything together.

Then transfer to a casserole dish.  Pop in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, or until bubbly.  In the last five minutes add the rest of the french fried onions.  

I used my pretty thrifted pyrex dish, which matches oh so perfectly.

Everyone thought this was extra yummy.  Or so they told me. Maybe they were just being nice, but I thought it was better than prior years.  We used to cook this with just green beans, mushroom soup, milk, and french fried onions.  The fancy morel and leek jack cheese plus the fresh onion, garlic, and mushrooms just rocked the flavor out of this kitchen.  I'll definitely be cooking it this way from now on.  

Happy Nom Nom Monday, chris!