About
What could go wrong with lots of cheese and lots of vegetables together in one place? Absolutely nothing. There's a lot to say about this Going-Green Casserole. It's renewable for every meal, which creates a sustainable way to include (or hide) all the fresh green veggies you love (or hate). There are green beans, green peas, green asparagus... and we threw in a few fresh mushrooms for balance and good measure. This dish is our way of renewing dinnertime expectations with a waste-not, want-always creamy vegetable béchamel sauce that covers crisp veggies to provide a tasty, saucy experience all over your dinner plate. We commend the brilliant and pivotal role the three different cheeses play in this oven-friendly dish! It's everything you've ever longed to change about your garden-to-table experience. Naturally, we wanted to share our Going-Green Casserole to create hope for a better dinner tomorrow (and any day thereafter). Going green never tasted so good!
Ingredients
- For the vegetables:
- water, to taste
- 2 ounces morel and chanterelle-mix mushrooms
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
- kosher salt, to taste
- For the béchamel:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup chicken stock or broth
- 1/2 cup condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese, coarsely grated
- 1/4 cup fresh goat cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan, coarsely grated
- For the topping:
- 2 tablespoons panko
- parmesan, coarsely grated, to taste
- crispy fried onions, to taste
Directions
Step 1 -Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Step 2 -In a medium bowl, soak the mushrooms in warm water, about 10 minutes.
Step 3 -While the mushrooms are soaking, in a large pot of salted boiling water, add the green beans and cook, about 2 minutes.
Step 4 -Use a slotted spoon to transfer the green beans from the boiling water into a large bowl.
Step 5 -In the same large pot over medium-high heat, bring the same water to a boil, add the asparagus, and cook until bright green, about 10 seconds.
Step 6 -Drain the asparagus and transfer it to the bowl with the green beans.
Step 7 -Drain the mushrooms and let them dry on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet.
Step 8 -In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil.
Step 9 -Add the garlic to the oil and cook until it is just starting to turn golden-brown.
Step 10 -Add the peas, the mushrooms, the green beans, the asparagus, and the salt to the garlic and cook, while stirring, about 2 minutes.
Step 11 -Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl to cool.
Step 12 -In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter.
Step 13 -Add the onions to the melted butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 3 minutes.
Step 14 -Add the remaining butter to the onion mixture and cook until it melts.
Step 15 -Add the flour to the onion mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 16 -Add the milk, the chicken stock, the cream of mushroom soup, and the soy sauce to the onion mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to simmer.
Step 17 -Fold the Gouda cheese, the goat cheese, and 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese into the sauce mixture and transfer the sauce away from the heat.
Step 18 -Evenly pour the vegetable mixture into the bottom of a deep, 6-inch cast-iron pan or 2-quart baking dish.
Step 19 -Pour the sauce mixture over the top of the vegetable mixture.
Step 20 -Evenly sprinkle the panko and the extra parmesan cheese on the top of the sauce mixture.
Step 21 -Bake the casserole, uncovered, until the filling is bubbling and the top is lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes.
Step 22 -Serve the casserole sprinkled with the crispy fried onions.
