Green bean casserole is one of those things that you either love or loathe.  It inspires strong feelings.  Personally I love it, but I can understand why people loathe it.  It's often made with canned green beans, which can turn to mush in the hands of an unskilled cook.  The crunchy onion topping can go soggy if the casserole is too wet.  And the casserole goo itself can be awfully… gooey.

I'm alone in my family, in liking green bean casserole.  I usually end up fixing it for myself at the holidays.  (And occasionally throughout the year, when I feel the need for some casserole-y goodness.)  Whenever I attend another family's Thanksgiving, I always keep an eye out for the possibility of green bean casserole.  

The best way to make a green bean casserole is to use fresh ingredients.  It takes only a little more work to make green bean casserole from scratch, and it is well worth the trouble.  There are three elements to green bean casserole:

1. Beans

Fresh green beans are usually available year round, although you may have to scour the produce section to find them.  At one grocery store I found them tucked in baskets in the refrigerated case alongside the other "weird produce" like kumquats and Serrano chilies.  At another grocery store they were only available pre-bagged, and the bags were stacked beside the cabbage (instead of with the other pre-bagged salads and vegetables up in front).  Think of it as a challenge.

If your beans have stems, chop them off.  Then chop the beans into lengths about two or three inches long.  Next, bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and simmer the beans for a few minutes.  Your goal is just to soften them a little, not to cook them all the way through.  Once they are a little fork tender, dump them into a colander, and run some cold water over them to stop the cooking.

2. Onions

I still like to use those crunchy onions from the can.  The cans go on sale during the holidays, and I buy extra to stockpile for the rest of the year.  

If you want to try something new, I recently tried Alton Brown's green bean casserole recipe, and it was fantastic!  He has you thin slice onions, bread them, then caramelize them in the oven.  My breading didn't stick well to the onions, but they were still delicious.

3. Sauce

The traditional green bean casserole calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup.  Try making your own sauce!  It's easy, and really delicious.  You will be making a basic roux, then adding chopped mushrooms.  (Alton Brown's recipe has you add a bit of nutmeg, too - I liked it!)

If you don't know how to make a roux, this is an excellent place to start.  A good roux is the key to unlocking so many recipes, including delicious casseroles!  To make a roux, you basically melt butter in a pan, then whisk in flour until it thickens and browns.  To make it a cream sauce, next add cream (half and half or heavy cream, your choice) and let it simmer for 5 or 6 minutes.  So easy, and surprisingly delicious!

Assemble your ingredients in a casserole dish, then bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until it bubbles.  Mm, I want to make another one tonight!