The holidays are just around the corner and every Thanksgiving this is a prerequisite dish in our house – classic Green Bean Casserole with a boost of flavor.
To begin, start a pot of water to blanch your green beans.
Meanwhile, dice 2/3 cup of onion and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Set those aside for a moment.
In a saucepan, sauté 1/4 pound diced Prosciutto in 2 tablespoons of butter.
Note: I have recently found a Prosciutto made from beef. It is called Bresaola. If you eat biblically clean, you can use that in this recipe.
When the Prosciutto is golden, scoop it out with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot.
Do your best to resist eating it…okay, maybe just one piece.
Toss in the onions & garlic and sauté until just tender.
Add in 2 additional tablespoons of butter and let it melt. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup of flour. Stir it together and let it cook for just a minute.
Pour in 3 cups of whole milk and whisk together.
Add in 3/4 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Stir this together and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil, stirring continually. Let it bubble for one minute and turn off the heat.
Add in a cup of grated extra sharp cheddar cheese. Stir until it is melted in. Set it aside for a moment.
Blanch 2 pounds of frozen or fresh green beans (trimmed & cut). If fresh, blanch for 3 minutes. If frozen, make it 4 minutes.
Immediately drain them and run under cold water, or plunge into a bowl of ice water.
Stir the beans, milk sauce, and Prosciutto together in a mixing bowl.
Pour the mixture into a casserole dish.
Sprinkle 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs over the top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until the top is golden and the sauce is bubbly.
Enjoy!
