Green Beans Supreme

This is from my favorite community cookbook. It's a very nice way to 'dress up' green beans for a holiday meal. It's great with fresh beans if you have the time to prepare them, but the canned ones work fine. And if you only have one oven, it's a real help that this dish can be baked anywhere from 300 to 350 degrees. Since they were tiny, my children (who ordinarily eat anything) have shared some strange group phobia about "crunchy stuff" in casseroles. I humor the little weirdos by omitting the water chestnuts and almonds, but most people like them. :)

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 3 (14 ounce) cans French style green beans or 3 (14 ounce) cans  equivalent amount fresh green beans, cooked
• 1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine, plus extra for topping
• 1  medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 (8 ounce) package  fresh button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (discard stems or reserve for another use)
• 1⁄4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2  cups milk
• 1  cup  grated cheddar cheese
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1  teaspoon Accent seasoning
• 1  can water chestnut, drained well and finely sliced
•  breadcrumbs
•  chopped  almonds

Directions

1. Heat beans thoroughly; drain well and set aside.
2. Melt 1 stick butter in a large skillet; add sliced onion and mushroom caps, sauteeing until tender.
3. While vegetables cook, heat milk thoroughly but do not allow it to approach the boiling point.
4. (Note: If it gets too hot and a film forms over the top, skim that off before adding the milk to the sauce.) When vegetables are tender, add flour to skillet and stir until smooth.
5. Add warm milk to skillet in a slow stream, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens.
6. Add grated cheese and seasonings; simmer, stirring frequently, until cheese melts.
7. Add drained beans and sliced water chestnuts to the cheese sauce, stirring well to mix.
8. Pour mixture into a lightly-greased baking dish.
9. Top with breadcrumbs, and dot with thin slivers of butter.
10. Sprinkle chopped almonds over the casserole if desired.
11. Bake anywhere between 300 and 350 degrees until bubbly (approximately 20-35 minutes).