Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Though it’s October, it’s never too early to get ahead of the Holidays and that’s why we whipped up this Homemade Green Bean Casserole! This isn’t your typical Green Bean Casserole, this is a fresh homemade offering that skips a lot of the processed food but doesn’t skip out on the classic flavors you love. One great addition to this recipe is the Crispy Fried Shallots. This gives you that crunch you’re used to but opens the door for bold new flavors that’ll have you coming back for seconds and thirds. It’s guaranteed that after your family tries this Homemade Green Bean Casserole, they’ll be begging you to make it every year!

Blanching, unrelated to A Streetcar Named Desire

Let’s talk about what it means to have Blanched Green Beans. Blanching vegetables is commonly used before freezing them to keep them high quality. Blanching stops enzyme actions that otherwise cause loss of flavor, texture, and color. All pretty important factors in the flavor department. There are some other benefits to blanching like moving microorganisms and keeping vitamin losses to a minimum.  We’re basically blanching the green beans for this Homemade Green Bean Casserole so that they stay crisp and bright green. 

There are three stages to Blanching: Preheating, Blanching, and Cooling.  Begin by filling a large pot with water within a few inches of the top, be generous so that the water retains heat when you add your green beans in. Don’t forget to salt the water!  Next, snap off the stems of the green beans. Now, grab a large bowl and fill it with Ice and water.  Once your water is boiling, add the green beans and boil until they’re bright green and tender-crisp. This takes about 3 – 5 minutes, so be mindful and watch the process. Instantly remove the green beans from the boiling water and plunge them into your ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Once they’re dry and cool, you can pat them dry and sit them aside.

Now that you’ve got the perfect Homemade Green Bean Casserole, check out some more Dantastic recipes to take your Holiday meals to the next level! Yum Yum Get Ya Sum!