Southern Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• Fried Onions:
• 2 large onions sliced
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup flour
• canola oil for frying
• Green Beans and Sauce:
• 2 pounds green beans , ends trimmed, and halved
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 pound white button mushrooms , chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste (1/2-3/4 tsp)
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

1. Fried Onions:
2. Soak sliced onions in milk for 5 minutes, Heat canola oil in the pan about 1 inch deep.
3. Remove onions from the milk with a fork and coat with flour, shaking off excess.
4. Quick fry, coated onions in hot oil until browned, remove to paper towel to drain.
5. Casserole:
6. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
7. In a large stock pot bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt, Add green beans.
8. Cook beans until crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.
9. Drain beans in colander and plunge immediately into ice water to stop cooking.
10. Spread beans on paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain.
11. Add butter to large saute pan, melt.
12. Add mushrooms, garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook mushrooms until most liquid is gone and mushrooms are tender , about 6 minutes.
13. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
14. Stir in broth and bring to simmer, stirring constantly.
15. Add cream, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until sauce is thickened and reduced to 3 1/2 cups, about 12 minutes.
16. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
17. Once sauce is done add prepared green beans to sauce and stir until evenly coated.
18. Arrange in even layer in 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
19. Sprinkle with fried onion topping and bake until top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes.
20. Let stand 5 minutes before serving