Green bean casserole is a staple dish in American cuisine, especially during the holiday season. This classic recipe usually consists of canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and French-fried onions. While it is a comforting and nostalgic dish for many, it can also be a bit bland and predictable. However, Brenda Gantt, a renowned Southern chef, has created a version of green bean casserole that elevates the dish to a new level of flavor and sophistication.
Brenda Gantt’s green bean casserole recipe starts with fresh green beans instead of canned ones. The beans are blanched in salted water until they are tender but still crisp. This step ensures that the beans retain their bright green color and their fresh taste. The cream of mushroom soup is still an essential ingredient, but Gantt adds a few extra components to make it more flavorful. She adds sautéed onions and garlic to the soup, along with a dash of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. These ingredients give the soup a depth of flavor that is missing in the traditional recipe.
Brenda Gantt Green Bean Casserole
The crowning glory of Brenda Gantt’s green bean casserole is the topping. Instead of French-fried onions, she uses a mixture of buttery breadcrumbs and crispy bacon. The breadcrumbs are sautéed in butter until they are golden brown and then mixed with crumbled bacon. The result is a topping that is savory, crunchy, and irresistible. Gantt’s green bean casserole is baked until the topping is crispy and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
What makes Brenda Gantt’s green bean casserole so special is the attention to detail and the use of high-quality ingredients. Instead of relying on processed and canned foods, she uses fresh vegetables and homemade soup. The addition of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce gives the dish a umami flavor that is often missing in traditional recipes. The breadcrumbs and bacon topping add a layer of texture and richness that makes the dish even more satisfying.
Green bean casserole is often seen as a predictable and unimaginative dish, but Brenda Gantt’s version proves that it can be exciting and delicious. Her recipe takes a classic dish and adds a Southern twist that is sure to impress anyone who tries it. Whether you serve it at a holiday gathering or as a comforting weeknight meal, Brenda Gantt’s green bean casserole is a recipe that you will want to make again and again.
Brenda Gantt Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
To Prepare
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes until they are bright green and tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add the cream of mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Stir to combine and cook for a few minutes until the soup is heated through and slightly thickened.
- Add the blanched green beans to the skillet and stir until they are coated with the mushroom soup mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the green bean mixture to a large casserole dish.
- In a separate skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the panko breadcrumbs and cook, frequently stirring, until golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and stir in the crumbled bacon.
- Spread the breadcrumb and bacon mixture over the green bean mixture in the casserole dish.
- Bake the casserole for 25-30 minutes until the topping is crispy and the casserole is hot and bubbly.
Final Thoughts
Brenda Gantt’s green bean casserole is a terrific twist on the traditional American side dish, with a richer flavor profile and more complex texture than the standard version. The meal is taken to new heights of taste and enjoyment with the addition of fresh green beans, sautéed onions and garlic, and a savory breadcrumb and bacon topping as described in Gantt’s recipe. This dish works equally well for festive get-togethers as as a warm and fuzzy nightly staple. This recipe for green bean casserole is likely to be a hit with your loved ones because of the excellent quality ingredients and careful preparation it requires.
Feature Image: Pixabay
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