Green Bean Casserole with Walnut Bacon Crumble

 In

Taken from Local Dirt by  Andrea Bemis.

Yields1 Serving
For the Topping
 4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
 1 medium onion, diced
 1/2 cup walnuts
 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
 
For the Beans and Sauce
 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
 2 T unsalted butter 12 oz chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped
 Hefty pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
 2 cloves of garlic, minced
 1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
 2 T all-purpose flour
 1 cup chicken broth
 1 cup heavy cream
1

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

2

Make the topping: In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is lightly crisp (it will cook a little more in the oven, so no need to get it extra crispy). With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Add the onion to the bacon drippings (there should be abut 1 T in the skillet' if there's way more than that, pour out some and save it for future use). Cook the onion until it is soft and tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl.

3

Add the walnuts to the same pan and cook, shaking the pan often, until they are lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the walnuts to the bowl with the onion and crumble in the bacon. Add the parsley and toss the whole mixture well. Set aside.

4

Wipe out the skillet (you'll be using it again).

5

Make the beans: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the beans and blanch them for 5 minutes. While they cook, prepare a large bowl of ice water. Drain the beans in a colander and immediately plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain them again and set them aside.

6

Make the sauce: Melt the butter in the cast-iron skillet set over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minutes. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the cream. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.

7

Remove the pan from the heat and add the green beans. Sprinkle them evenly with the bacon and onion mixture and bake until bubble, approximately 15 minutes.

8

Serve immediately.

Ingredients

For the Topping
 4 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
 1 medium onion, diced
 1/2 cup walnuts
 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
 
For the Beans and Sauce
 1 pound fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed
 2 T unsalted butter 12 oz chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped
 Hefty pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
 2 cloves of garlic, minced
 1/4 t freshly grated nutmeg
 2 T all-purpose flour
 1 cup chicken broth
 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.

2

Make the topping: In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it is lightly crisp (it will cook a little more in the oven, so no need to get it extra crispy). With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Add the onion to the bacon drippings (there should be abut 1 T in the skillet' if there's way more than that, pour out some and save it for future use). Cook the onion until it is soft and tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer it to a bowl.

3

Add the walnuts to the same pan and cook, shaking the pan often, until they are lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the walnuts to the bowl with the onion and crumble in the bacon. Add the parsley and toss the whole mixture well. Set aside.

4

Wipe out the skillet (you'll be using it again).

5

Make the beans: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the beans and blanch them for 5 minutes. While they cook, prepare a large bowl of ice water. Drain the beans in a colander and immediately plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain them again and set them aside.

6

Make the sauce: Melt the butter in the cast-iron skillet set over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms begin to give up some of their liquid, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and nutmeg and continue to cook for another 1 to2 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minutes. Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the cream. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes.

7

Remove the pan from the heat and add the green beans. Sprinkle them evenly with the bacon and onion mixture and bake until bubble, approximately 15 minutes.

8

Serve immediately.

Notes

Green Bean Casserole with Walnut Bacon Crumble