The Cream Of Mushroom Soup Swap That Your Green Bean Casserole Needs

The traditional green bean casserole (one of the many casserole recipes guaranteed to make your life easier) has three main ingredients: green beans, fried onions, and a cream sauce. Some people substitute snack crackers for fried onions, but the rest of the ingredients do not change. Notice that cream of mushroom soup is not on the list. That's because the soup is just one option for creating a cream sauce for the casserole. In reality, there are a myriad of ways to make a cream sauce that will hold the green beans together. 

The cream sauce in green bean casserole is what gives the dish its flavor. Making the sauce out of cream of mushroom soup is as easy as opening a can and seasoning. However, this easy option is not the most flavorful one. Instead, make your own sauce and impress the family with a side dish that's often forgotten at the dinner table. An easy and flavorful sauce that will punch up your green bean casserole simply requires onions, flour, bacon, sour cream, and cheese.

This green bean casserole sauce is quick and easy to make. Melt a few pats of butter in a hot pan and use it to cook the onion (which should be diced). Sprinkle on the flour and stir in the sour cream. Add the cheese, green beans, and bacon before pouring the mixture into a casserole dish. While making the sauce, boil the green beans if they are fresh or thaw out frozen beans. Keep in mind that cooking fresh beans in the sauce could leach out too much moisture and cause it to dry out but frozen beans will thaw and release additional water into the casserole, making it a watery mess. 

Also, consider seasoning. The sour cream and cheddar cheese will add a nice bite or tang to the casserole that will go well with the ham and mashed potatoes. However, green bean casserole does need the flavor to stand on its own as a side. Think about adding some garlic powder and, of course, some salt and pepper to taste. A few recipes call for a pinch of sugar, and I usually add a little seasoned salt or flavor mix to taste.

Another cream sauce option would be an onion chive-flavored sauce. You can play with the cheeses by swapping cheddar for parmesan or gouda. Feel free to add mushrooms as well. Swap the onions with green onions or shallots for a more complex onion flavor. Changing the sauce in the green bean casserole is one way to turn this often-forgotten side dish into the star of the table. It may not be grandma's green bean casserole recipe, but that's what experimentation is all about.

Also, think about changes to the topping. Sprinkle some cheese over the top before adding the fried onion topping or swap the fried onions for buttery snack crackers to add a sweetness to the casserole that compliments the tanginess. There are several ways to punch up the green bean casserole, and those options begin with swapping out the canned mushroom soup cream for your own homemade sauce. Then, get creative with the other main ingredients. No matter which angle you go with, Dorcas Reilly, the creator of the green bean casserole, would be proud.