green bean casserole with crispy onions
One of the best food books I read last year but rudely never got around to telling you about (in my defense, this time last year was a little ) was a 135-page, photo-free and straightforward guide called by the New York Times former restaurant critic and sometimes newsroom editor Sam Sifton. And although I realize there is barely a page on the internet or of printed matter near you right now not currently angling to be the one that gets to walk you through the biggest home cooking holiday of the year next week, I like this one more. Maybe it’s because one of the earliest lines in the book is “You can go your whole life and then wake up one morning and look in the refrigerator at this animal carcass the size of a toddler and think: . There is no need to worry. Thanksgiving does not have to be a drag,” and continues in that empathetic but not remotely patronizing tone for the remainder of the book, cheering you on through turkey purchases and homemade stock, classic sides and newer ones worthy of consideration, game plans and even tidbits on seating, such as whether it’s okay to separately seat the Republican, Marxist and factions of your extended family (in short: yes, yes).
Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
Counts 15 of 16 ingredients — the other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and contribute nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume — 15 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Peanut | 1 oz (28g) | 161 |
| Canola | 1 tbsp (14g) | 124 |
| Vegetable | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Safflower | not in our table | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- 2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons panko or plain breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Canola, safflower, peanut or other high-heat oil, for deep-frying
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 12 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced or coarsely chopped
- Few gratings fresh nutmeg (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved (see note about volume)