I am loving the food channel. It gives me the courage to branch out of my comfort zone and try new and improved dishes, one being this green bean casserole. I have never been a huge fan of the traditional one everyone eats at the Holidays, so this one was a recipe which sounded very interesting to me. I served it today to about 16 ladies and they all agreed it was wonderful. It was served with rice pilaf and rouladen, a German meat dish, and then Black Forest Cherry Cake for dessert. Let me know how you liked it.
1 1/2 lbs of fresh french green beans, ends trimmed
4 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tables finely chopped onion
small package (about 8 oz) of cleaned and chopped mushrooms
2 tables all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
black pepper
1/2 pound grated mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the beans and cook just until tender but still firm, about 5 to 7 mins. Remove the beans from the water to a large bowl of ice water to preserve color and stop the cooking process. Drain the beans and set aside.
Melt 2 tables of the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and saute until clear. Stir in the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper (I added some fresh garlic to mine) Saute about 3 to 5 min. Add the flour and stir for another minute to cook out the raw flour taste and then whisk in the sour cream. Simmer for just a couple of minutes to bring the flavors together and taste for seasoning. When mixture has cooled a bit, stir in the cheese.
Spray a casserole dish with Pam and put the green beans into the dish. Spoon the sour cream-cheese mixture over the beans to cover. Bake in oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered until it is bubbly. Serve hot.
Chocolate Castles 