I like green beans with a holiday meal, but that “classic” way of dumping canned green beans and cream of mushroom soup into a casserole dish doesn’t cut it. This is what I came up with instead.

Fried Shallots

butter

flour

milk

sliced Crimini mushrooms

green beans

Fry up some shallots. This is a pain in the butt and a little messy. I typically get two batches of them out of one 2-cup thing of grapeseed oil if I keep the oil refrigerated in a glass jar. I find the best thickness on the mandoline is 1.3 mm. I think it’s not a sin to make the shallots in advance, though they may not be as crunchy if you do.

Make a bechamel sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and maybe a splash of vermouth.

Saute the ‘shrooms in some butter, and do it long enough that the mushrooms give off their liquid and become limp. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the green beans in boiling sated water, drain.

To assemble: put the beans in a dish. Sauce with the bechamel, then top with the mushrooms, then the shallots.