Green Bean Casserole Barefoot Contessa Food

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut the green beans in half if you like the pieces to be a little smaller. Blanch the green beans: drop them into lightly salted boiling water and allow the green beans to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain the beans once they're cool and set aside.
• Add the bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon for 2 minutes, and then add the peppers, garlic and onions, and continue cooking until the bacon is done (but not crisp) and the onions are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or 2, and then pour in the milk and half-and-half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, some black pepper and the cayenne, and then add the grated cheese. Stir while the cheese melts. Turn off the heat.
• Add the bacon/onion mixture and stir to combine. Add the green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with the panko. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the panko is golden, about 30 minutes.

GREEN BEANS GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the green beans and blanch them for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Drain the beans in a colander and immediately put them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking and preserve their bright green color.
• For the gremolata, toss the garlic, lemon zest, parsley, parmesan, and pine nuts in a small bowl and set aside.
• When ready to serve, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Drain the beans and pat them dry. Add the beans to the pan and saute, turning frequently, for 2 minutes, until coated with olive oil and heated through. Off the heat, add the gremolata and toss well. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and serve hot.

BEST EVER GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
• Combine the onions, flour, panko and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine. Coat a sheet pan with nonstick cooking spray and evenly spread the onions on the pan. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes. Toss the onions 2 to 3 times during cooking. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside until ready to use. Turn the oven down to 400 degrees F.
• While the onions are cooking, prepare the beans. Bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the half-and-half. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in 1/4 of the onions and all of the green beans. Top with the remaining onions. Place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 15 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cook the green beans: In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Salt the water generously; it should taste like sea water.
• Prepare an ice bath: Fill a large bowl halfway with ice and add some cold water. Place a colander squarely inside the ice bath; the colander will keep you from having to pick the beans out from amongst the ice cubes. Plunge the green beans into the water and cook 2 to 3 minutes. When the beans are cooked, remove them from the hot water with a strainer and transfer them to the colander inside the ice bath. Use a spoon to "swirl" the beans around in the ice bath so they cool quickly. Drain.
• Make the mushroom base: In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt the butter and add the mushrooms. Season with salt and add the mustard and cayenne. Cook until the mushrooms give off most of their liquid, 5 to 8 minutes. Whisk the garlic and flour into the mushrooms. Cook the flour 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn't stick or burn, and then add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and reduce 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the cream and sour cream and simmer gently. Continue cooking over low heat until the mixture thickens, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Fry the onions: Pour the oil into a medium frying pan. Heat to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour and cayenne. Toss the onion rounds in the flour and "shake" off excess by shaking the rounds in a strainer once they have been breaded. Test the oil by dropping in a few slices; they should rise to the surface and fry gradually.
• Prepare a baking sheet fitted with a kitchen towel. Drop a small batch of the onions into the oil and gently "swirl" with a slotted spoon in the oil as they fry; this will help them fry more evenly on all sides. Fry until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and spread on the baking sheet. Season immediately with salt.
• Bake and serve: When ready to serve, stir the green beans into the mushrooms. Simmer on the stove over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes so the beans and sauce meld together. Add more cream and a splash water if the sauce is too thick. Transfer the skillet to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes to finish heating it and to give the casserole that "baked" effect. Remove from the oven and top with the fried onions. Serve immediately.

STRING BEANS WITH SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes only. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water.
• Heat the butter and oil in a very large saute pan (12-inch diameter) or large pot and saute the shallots on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned. Drain the string beans and add to the shallots with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper, tossing well. Heat only until the beans are hot.
• If you're using regular string beans, blanch them for about 3 minutes, until they're crisp-tender.