For Incredible Green Bean Casserole, I Swear by This Old-School French Technique

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Serious Eat's greenish legume casserole successful baking crockery pinch serving scooped out.

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman | Food Stylist: Jesse Szewczyk

I often for illustration to make my ain achromatic condiment alternatively of opening a tin of pick of mushroom crockery for my green legume casserole recipe. It’s easy to make, but it’s moreover much delicious, thanks to the classic French method of making a accepted bechamel.

A béchamel is simply a staple look successful cooking and is often nan guidelines to flavorful baked dishes, specified arsenic macaroni and cheese. To make a béchamel, you commencement by making a roux pinch melted food and flour, which will thief thicken nan condiment later.

Before stirring nan beverage into my roux, however, I infuse it pinch aromatics. It guarantees nan tastiest, creamiest condiment that tin beryllium utilized successful a multitude of recipes, whether it beryllium greenish legume casserole, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, aliases tuna noodle basking dish. This tin beryllium done either successful a saucepan connected nan stove aliases successful nan microwave.

How to Infuse Milk for Green Bean Casserole 

To make a flavorful béchamel, aliases achromatic sauce, for my greenish legume casserole, I ever for illustration to gently simmer aliases power caller herbs and spices successful nan milk, earlier combining it pinch nan greenish beans. This way, nan casserole comes retired bully and creamy, but besides incredibly flavorful. Here’s really to do it:

  • Combine 2 cups of full beverage pinch 1 ail clove, 1 bay leaf, 2 thyme sprigs, and 4 full achromatic peppercorns successful a ample microwave-safe measuring cup aliases bowl, aliases adhd to a mini saucepan. (You tin besides substitute pinch different herbs you like, specified arsenic sage aliases rosemary.)
  • Microwave nan substance for 2 minutes connected precocious aliases power complete mean power until steaming, but don’t let it to boil. If you’re preparing nan substance connected nan stove, watch it cautiously and operation occasionally.
  • Set speech for 10 minutes. Remove nan aromatics pinch a fork aliases strain done a sieve and discard.
  • Prepare a roux successful a abstracted saucepan connected nan stove (2 tablespoons each food and flour). Once nan roux has travel together, adhd nan lukewarm beverage substance to nan saucepan. Simmer connected mean heat, whisking often until thickened and bubbly. Season pinch salt, achromatic pepper, and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg.