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 bĂ©chamel 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.
