from John Rivers
For the Sauce
1 C ground, canned fried onions, French’s
2 lbs French beans, ends trimmed
½ Sweet Vidalia onion, diced
8 oz White mushrooms, sliced
3 T butter
1 t kosher salt
1 t black pepper
½ T garlic, minced
½ T fresh thyme
¼ C AP Flour
1 ¼ C Chicken broth
1 ¼ C Heavy cream
½ C Parmesan cheese, graded
Preheat oven to 375
Blanch beans, transfer to ice water bath to hold.
Pulse canned fried onions in a food processor until finely ground. Combine with flour and set aside
Melt butter in a large skillet and sauté mushrooms and onions with S&P until onions are cooked thru. Add garlic & thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds
Add flour & onion mixture and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth and cream. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally until sauce is very thick, about 10 minutes.
Add green beans and Parmesan cheese, mix well to coat completely. Transfer to a casserole dish, cover and bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Remove lid, cover casserole with onion topping and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until top is brown and casserole is bubbling. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
For Topping
2 slices of hearty white bread (grilled cheese bread)
2 T unsalted butter, melted
2 C canned fried onions
Lightly toast bread, pulse in food processor until coarsely ground. Toss with melted butter to coat. Mix in fried onions.
