Green Bean Casserole with Bacon and Fried Shallots

Chef's notes

I have been making this every Thanksgiving since I first tried it. One of my all time favorites. You can fry the shallots and refrigerate the night before to save time.

Recipe is credit of The Pioneer Woman -- Go show some love below ⬇️
https://www.thepioneerwoman.com/food-cooking/recipes/a80624/thanksgiving-dinner-green-bean-casserole/

Details

• ⏲️ Prep time: 35 min
• 🍳 Cook time: 1 hr 30 min
• 🍽️ Servings: 10

Ingredients

• FOR THE FRIED SHALLOTS
• 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced into rings
• frying oil
• FOR THE GREEN BEANS AND GRAVY
• 2 1/2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and halved (use a little less if you like gravy to beans ratio)
• 8 oz. bacon
• 6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
• 16 oz. sliced button mushrooms (for more mushroom flavor, use cremini variety)
• 1/3 c. finely chopped shallots
• 3 cloves (large) garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 c. low sodium chicken stock
• 2 c. half-and-half
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 2/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. FOR THE FRIED SHALLOTS
2. In a medium bowl that has a lid, whisk together flour, cayenne, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Add sliced shallots. Place lid tightly on bowl and shake the bowl a few times to evenly coat shallots with flour mixture.
3. Pour canola oil into a medium saucepan to a 1-inch depth and place over medium-high heat. Heat to 325°F, using a deep-frying thermometer. Fry shallots in batches until golden brown and lightly crispy. Take care to not let them get too dark, as they will also bake for a bit in the oven on top of the casserole. This should take about 3–5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with kosher salt and set aside.
4. FOR THE GREEN BEANS AND GRAVY
5. Preheat oven to 375° F.
6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add green beans. Cook beans for 2–3 minutes, until bright green in color and tender crisp. Drain beans and pour into a large bowl of ice water to stop from cooking. Drain again and set aside.
7. In an extra large skillet with tall sides, over medium to medium-high heat, fry bacon until chewy-crisp. Transfer bacon from skillet to a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool. Once bacon has cooled, roughly chop and set aside.
8. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet. Return skillet to stove top over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the skillet. Once butter is melted, add the mushrooms and stir to incorporate. Cook, stirring regularly, until mushrooms are softened. Add chopped shallots and garlic, stirring to incorporate. Cook for another 2–3 minutes, until garlic is fragrant.
9. Now slide everything in the skillet to one side. Add remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to other side of skillet. When the butter is melted, sprinkle the flour over the butter, whisking all the while. A flat whisk works awesome here. Draw in as much liquid as you can, into the flour. The mixture will be very thick. Let it cook for one minute, until slightly browned and fragrant. Slowly whisk in chicken stock until flour mixture is smooth. Then whisk in the half and half. Now bring the entire contents of the skillet together, scraping the bottom of the skillet, and folding to incorporate. Turn heat up to medium-high and cook until thickened and bubbly, about 4–5 minutes, stirring periodically.
10. Remove skillet from heat. Stir in soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Then sprinkle Parmesan, rosemary, and thyme over the top and stir to combine. Now is the time to taste test and add more salt and pepper, if desired. I usually add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper at this point. Fold in blanched green beans. Transfer mixture to a baking dish and place in oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove casserole from oven and arrange fried shallots and chopped bacon over the top, leaving green beans exposed around the perimeter of the dish. Place in oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until edges of casserole are bubbling and the top is golden. Remove from oven and let rest for a few minutes before serving.