Homemade Green Bean Casserole

So over a year ago I bought a can of soup, cream of mushroom to be exact. I had ever intention of making green bean casserole, because well, it's the bomb for lack of a better term. Fast forward a year and that can of soup is still sitting in my pantry.

Yikes! Sodium overload :-/ One look at the label I had no interest in using that soup, but the craving never went away.

Yes that's right, I have had a craving for green bean casserole for a year. I finally got around to making it today.

And it was everything a green bean casserole should be. Rich, creamy and slightly cheesy.  The original recipe called for parmesan and your garden variety button mushrooms, but I shook things up a bit and used cheddar and portabellas instead. Who can't resist a good portabella?

 And of course those gosh darn addicting fried onions made the dish. I could have made my own onions, but give me a break I hand made everything else :D

Be careful leaving this out around roommates, boyfriends/girlfriends, random people off the street. My roommate came home and within minutes half the dish was gone. Not that I care. I love making good food for people.

I can't wait for Thanksgiving to try making this again. But then again my dad makes the best green bean casserole, so who am I to mess with a good thing.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Adapted from Martha Stewart

2 cups green beans, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 portabello cups, diced 
5 T. butter
0.25 cup AP flour
2 cups of milk (I used skim, worked just fine)
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne
1 cup of cheddar cheese (I used Welsh cheddar. Yum.)
1 small can of french fried onions
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350. Heat 1 T. of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened. Add green pepper and mushroom and cook until all vegetables are soft and liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat. Add desired amount of salt and pepper.
2. Prepare an ice bath. Bring a medium sauce pan of water to boil. Add green beans and cook for 4 minutes. Add to ice bath. Add green beans to vegetable mixture.
3. Melt the remaining 4 T. of butter in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat. Add flour and whisk until mixture is golden brown. Add milk and whisk continuously until mixture thickens, approximately 7-10 minutes. Add nutmeg and cayenne and salt to pepper.
4. Pour sauce over vegetables and spoon into a medium sized rectangle pan (smaller than 9x13). Sprinkle fried onions on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool and enjoy :D

What I'm Listening to Today

Closer to You: The Wallflowers
Say (All I Need): OneRepublic-->this song is wonderful. Could listen to it all day.
Live to Tell the Tale: Passion Pit