Yield: Serves 10 to 12 | Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes
If I’m being honest, green beans aren’t my favorite vegetable. I never ate them growing up, sticking instead to corn (from our farm), potatoes, and frozen peas. So my casually ignoring green beans turned into a dislike of them. But they sure are good for you. How, I wondered, could I find a way to make them a part of my diet? Well, I will tell you that coating them in a creamy mushroom sauce and topping them with caramelized onions works. No longer will you need to trick the kiddos (or me) into eating a green bean!
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds green beans, trimmed
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup dried bread crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound white button mushrooms, sliced
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
½ cup vegetable broth
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the beans and place them in a 9 × 13-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat, add the onion, and sauté until golden. Add ½ cup of the Parmesan, the bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.
3. In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, add the mushrooms and garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Add the milk and broth and cook, stirring, until thickened.
4. Pour the mushroom sauce over the green beans. Top with the onion mixture and bake for 25 minutes, until warm and golden brown. Serve.