Chicken and Green Bean Casserole
- Salt
- 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds
- 1 tablespoon EVOO Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 large shallots, chopped
- 3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- Pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups chicken stock or poaching liquid (if you poach your chicken)
- 1 cup cream or half-and-half
- 1 5.4-ounce wheel Boursin or other garlic-and-herb cheese
- 1 1/2 pounds cooked, pulled chicken, either poached or store-bought rotisserie
- 1 small to medium onion, very thinly sliced
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup flour aggressively seasoned with salt, pepper and paprika
- Frying oil
Bring a few inches of water to a low boil in a skillet. Add salt and beans, and cook 3-4 minutes to tender-crisp, drain.
Heat EVOO and butter in a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and lightly brown them, 7-8 minutes. Add shallots and garlic, and season with salt, pepper and thyme. Stir 2-3 minutes more, add flour, stir a minute then add wine. Stir in stock and thicken. Add cream and reduce heat to simmer. Add cheese, beans and chicken, and thicken a bit.
Transfer into a casserole dish and cool. Cover and refrigerate. To cook, bring back to room temp and bake at 375F until bubbly, about 50-60 minutes. Top with homemade* or store-bought fried onions.
For homemade fried onions, heat frying oil to 365F in countertop fryer or 2-3 inches of oil in a deep, medium pot over medium to medium-high heat. Separate onions into rings and soak in buttermilk. Toss a few rings at a time into flour and fry until crisp. Drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining onions.