> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thefoodiekitchen.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Ghee Shallots - URL: https://thefoodiekitchen.net/green-bean-casserole-butter-shallots/ - Published: 2026-11-02T18:05:53.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-02T20:09:16.000Z - Description: Green bean casserole from scratch: beans in a butter mushroom and Parmesan sauce under shallots fried crisp in ghee. No tins, no seed oils. - Author: Savannah Ryan - Tags: MAHA Recipes Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving fixture, and most versions are built from a tin of condensed soup and a tub of fried onions cooked in vegetable oil. This one is made from scratch: crisp-tender beans in a mushroom and Parmesan sauce made with butter, under a thick layer of shallots fried in ghee until golden and shatteringly crisp. It takes a little longer than opening tins, and it tastes far better for it. ## Why ghee and butter? The shallots need a long, steady fry to turn crisp, and plain butter would burn before they got there, because its milk solids scorch. Ghee has had those solids removed, so it can fry for longer and still tastes of butter. The sauce, on the other hand, is all about flavour, so it gets proper butter, plus a spoonful of the shallot-scented ghee left in the pan. **Serves:** 8 as a side · **Prep:** 20 minutes · **Cook:** 1 hour ## Ingredients - 700g green beans, topped and cut into 4cm lengths - 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for the cooking water - **For the crispy shallots:** - 100g ghee - 4 large banana shallots (about 300g), peeled and very thinly sliced into rings - 3 tbsp plain flour - A pinch of fine sea salt - **For the mushroom sauce:** - 30g unsalted butter - 250g chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced - 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped - 3 tbsp plain flour - 240ml chicken stock - 240ml whole milk - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper - A few gratings of nutmeg - 50g Parmesan, finely grated ## Method 1. Heat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan, 375°F, gas 5). 2. Make the shallots first. Toss the shallot rings with the flour and a pinch of salt. Melt the ghee in a small, deep saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the shallots in two or three batches, stirring often, for 6–8 minutes a batch, until deep golden. Lift them out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper. They crisp further as they cool. Keep the ghee left in the pan. 3. Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil. Cook the beans for 4–5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green, then drain and plunge into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and pat dry. 4. For the sauce, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the shallot ghee in a large, ovenproof frying pan or sauté pan over a medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6–8 minutes, until their liquid has evaporated and they are browning. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute. 5. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the stock a little at a time, stirring, then the milk. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg, then stir in the Parmesan. 6. Fold the beans into the sauce. If your pan is not ovenproof, tip everything into a 20 x 30cm (8 x 12-inch) baking dish. Scatter over half the crispy shallots. 7. Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbling at the edges. Scatter over the rest of the shallots and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve hot. ## Tips - Slice the shallots as thinly and evenly as you can. Thin rings crisp evenly; thick ones stay chewy. - Pull the shallots out when they are deep golden, not brown. They keep cooking from their own heat and turn bitter if they go too far. - Dry the beans well after cooling them. Water on the beans thins the sauce. - New to ghee? Our [guide to ghee](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/what-is-ghee/) explains what it is and how to make your own. - Building the whole meal? It sits happily next to our [tallow roast turkey](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/tallow-roast-turkey/), [potato stuffing baked in butter](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/potato-stuffing-butter/) and [turkey gravy with a tallow roux](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/turkey-gravy-tallow-roux/), and the full [seed-oil-free Thanksgiving menu](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/seed-oil-free-thanksgiving/) has the rest. Curious where the dish came from? Wikipedia's [green bean casserole](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green%5Fbean%5Fcasserole) page covers its history. ## FAQ ### Why ghee for the shallots? Ghee is butter with the milk solids cooked out and removed. Those solids are what burn when you fry in plain butter, so ghee lets you fry the shallots long enough to go properly crisp while still tasting of butter. The shop-bought fried onions in a tin are usually fried in vegetable oil, which is exactly what we are avoiding. ### Why not use a can of condensed soup? You can make the sauce from scratch in about 15 minutes, and it tastes of browned mushrooms, butter and Parmesan rather than salt and starch. You also know exactly which fats went into it. ### Can I make it ahead? Yes. Fry the shallots up to two days ahead and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. Assemble the beans and sauce a day ahead, cover and refrigerate, then add 10 minutes to the first bake. Add the shallots only when baking, or they go soft. ### Can I use frozen green beans? Yes. Cook them from frozen for 2–3 minutes, drain, cool in cold water and dry them very well before folding them into the sauce, or the sauce will turn watery. ### Can I make it vegetarian? Swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock and use a vegetarian hard cheese in place of Parmesan, which is traditionally made with animal rennet. ### What can I do with the leftover ghee? Strain it through a fine sieve into a clean jar and keep it in the fridge. It has a light shallot flavour that is very good for frying eggs or roasting potatoes. More ideas: [butter mashed potatoes](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/butter-mashed-potatoes/) · [ghee-roasted sweet potatoes](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/roasted-sweet-potato-ghee-spices/) · [cast-iron lard cornbread](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/lard-cornbread-cast-iron/). **Cooking for Thanksgiving?** This recipe is part of our [seed-oil-free Thanksgiving menu](https://thefoodiekitchen.net/seed-oil-free-thanksgiving/), with every dish and a day-by-day cook-ahead plan.