Green Bean Casserole - No Canned Onions or Soup

appleydapply's Note:

If you're looking for an update to the classic green bean casserole, this is it. It's very fresh tasting. Adapted from a Penzey's spice catalog from several years ago. The cooking sherry is optional, but it really adds to the flavor.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• ½ cup onion , minced
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley , minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour
• ½ tablespoon minced lemon peel
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons cooking sherry
• 20 ounces frozen French-cut green beans
• ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese , grated
• ½ cup breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Cook green beans according to package directions.
2. In a medium saucepan over low heat saute onions, thyme and parsley in butter for 5 minutes.
3. Blend in salt, pepper, flour and lemon peel. Add sour cream and sherry, and cook on low for 3 minutes.
4. Grease a medium/large casserole dish with butter, add cooked and drained beans to the dish. Pour the sour cream and spice mix over the beans, stir gently to coat. Sprinkle grated cheese and bread crumbs over the top of the dish.
5. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes, until topping is lightly browned.

Reviews

[Jill Koelzer Kopek #1]

Wonderful! It smelled delicious while cooking and tasted better. Made it for 2010 Thanksgiving. Only omitted the sherry and it turned out just fine! Thanks so much for posting!

[danakscully64]

This was delicious! Next time I make it, I will not include the lemon peel, it was just too much and didn't work with the other ingredients. I used fresh green beans and had no idea how much I had, so I cut the recipe in half. Seemed like the perfect sauce to green bean ratio. I used cooking sherry (made BF go and get some) and the flavor was great, I couldn't imagine not using it. Thanks for sharing!

[Chef #1140724]

This was an excellent replacement for the canned casserole my mother has always served at Thanksgiving. I used fresh beans and definitely should have boiled them a minute longer, but the flavor was wonderful. I used a chardonnay in place of cooking sherry and attempted to zest the lemon with a serrated steak knife instead of using the whole peel.