Ingredients

4 slices bacon

1T olive oil

2lbs. green beans

4-5 Crimini mushrooms

4-5 shittake mushrooms (any variety will do, I used white mushrooms)

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

for the roux:

1/4C butter

1/4C flour

1t. salt

1t. pepper

2C milk

for the topping:

1/2 medium yellow onion sliced, then quartered

4 cups (or less) vegetable oil for frying

1C buttermilk

1C flour

1t. granulated garlic

1/2t. cayenne pepper

1/2t. black pepper

1t. salt

2C (approx) Panko bread crumbs

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350*

  1. In a pot of boiling water, add green beans and blanch until they turn a pretty bright green (maybe 2 min, don’t cook all the way). Remove to ice bath to stop cooking process. Drain and set aside.
  2. Fry the bacon to crispy and drain on paper towel. Chop into bits and set aside.
  3. Using the bacon drippings (I did not do this for Cait/Tin’s sake), add olive oil to pan. Saute onions until they begin to caramelize, add mushrooms and seasonings, saute for 2 min., set aside.
  4. Place green beans and onions/mushrooms into 13x9 in baking dish, set aside.
  5. Roux: melt butter in sauce pan, add flour and stir constantly until no clumps, add milk (1/2 cup at a time) and stir until thickened, add salt/pepper.
  6. Pour roux over green beans.
  7. Top with bacon 1.5C panko bread crumbs, then bacon, then 1/2c panko.
  8. Place in oven and set timer for 35 min. meanwhile…
  9. place sliced onion in a bowl with buttermilk, let soak for 10 min.
  10. in a bowl, combine flour, garlic, cayenne, pepper, salt. stir to evenly distribute spices.
  11. drain the onions (do not rinse), and toss in bowl of flour mixture.
  12. When oil is heated, drop onions in (do in batches 1/3 at a time) and fry until golden brown, remove to paper towel to drain.
  13. when the timer on the oven goes off, remove green beans and top with fried onions.
  14. Return to oven for 5-10 more minutes until hot and crispy. Remove and enjoy!