I know, it’s the middle of summer and not a holiday, where you usually expect to see a green bean casserole, but the garden keeps giving and there are only so many things to do with green beans. We don’t care for sour green bean salads, so that doesn’t leave much else. Although we are both familiar with that casserole made with canned soup and canned fried onions, it was never a fetish at either of our parents’ homes on holidays, so I feel free to make it my own without violating any holiday rituals. If you have air conditioning during this hot summer, you might want to try this dish now when it’s not overshadowed by a holiday turkey.

I made one big change to the beloved casserole which might seem like heresy to you if it is a staple at your holiday—no French fried onions! Instead, I sautéed thinly sliced onions until brown before adding the mushrooms and beans to a white sauce. Another option would be to caramelize the onions for a richer addition. Still the dish needed a topping, so I used buttered fresh breadcrumbs—a nice choice.

Green beans can be Frenched in your food processor by stacking them in the chute and using the slicing blade. I don’t know where I learned this, but I’m sure it was some Internet tip that has saved us from slicing beans individually. The resulting beans are surprisingly well-sliced, if not perfect. Even if you don’t make the casserole, just making French style green beans is a nice change if you have been overwhelmed by your garden this summer. Another benefit is that the beans cook more quickly when sliced.

Stack beans lengthwise in food processor chute

Frenched in seconds

Saucy and crispy