Cabot Cheddar Green Bean Casserole

Thanksgiving dinner is wonderful because it's one of the few nights of the year when I feel totally okay with indulging and overindulging. I love that the same classic comforting dishes resurface on the table every year-- sometimes with a few tweaks here and there-- but mostly the same, so that enjoying Thanksgiving dinner becomes very nostalgic. It's great.

One of the dishes that I always try to serve because I know it was always a part of my husband's Thanksgiving dinner growing up is a green bean casserole. However, we all know how the traditional casserole is made (hello, cream of fill-in-the-blank soups) even on this day of indulgence I have a really difficult time with serving dishes made entirely of canned and pre-packaged foods. That's just not how I roll in the kitchen. So, I was really excited when the folks at Cabot sent me this recipe for a Cheddar Green Bean Casserole using all fresh ingredients.

This casserole has a very similar flavor to the traditional one, but is made with crisp fresh green beans, flavorful fresh mushrooms, and a thick, rich, and tasty sauce made from a homemade roux with sharp Cabot cheddar cheese stirred in to pack a little more punch. This casserole was delicious and I felt great about putting it on my holiday table too. So, if you're considering a green bean casserole this holiday season, give this recipe a try-- it's a definite upgrade!


Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 6 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 4 1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 Tbs. Cabot Unsalted Butter
• 3 shallots, minced
• 8 oz. Cremini or white mushrooms, finely chopped *I went with Cremini
• 2 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/3 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup lowfat milk
• 8 oz. Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar, grated (about 2 cups), divided
• 3 Tbs. dry breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/4 tsp. onion powder

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Meanwhile, bring several inches of water to boil in large saucepan fitted with steamer. Add green beans and steam until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove steamer from saucepan to stop beans from cooking further.

In large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 4 teaspoons of oil and butter. Add shallots and cook until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms have released their juices and liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add sherry and cook, stirring occasionally until liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture and stir to coat. Add broth and milk and bring to simmer, stirring often, until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheddar. Add green beans and stir to combine. Transfer to prepared dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheddar.

In small bowl, stir together breadcrumbs and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Add paprika and onion powder and stir until breadcrumbs are evenly moist and bright orange. Sprinkle over casserole.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbling and golden brown on top. Let cool for about15 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Healthy Seasonal Recipes.


Editor's Note: Products were provided by Cabot Creamery at no cost, however all of the opinions expressed here are my own. Thanks again, Cabot!