Stuffed Mushrooms “Green Bean Casserole Style”

green bean casserole makeover
Stuffed Mushrooms “Green Bean Casserole Style

Mushroom Duxelles, Olive Oil Bechamel, Haricots Verts
Panko Crusted Fanny Bay Oysters, Truffle Salt, Frizzled Leeks

My friends in the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group have made some major changes to the iconic green bean casserole this year. Major. For our monthly challenge we’ve taken the classic casserole recipe, originally made with green beans, mushroom soup, and fried onions and turned it ON ITS HEAD. There are soups, quiche, gnocchi, pancakes, and catfish ~ some have a Latin twist, another Asian, some are modern, some deconstructed, others retro. It’s a virtual cornucopia of casserole makeover creativity. And you can view all the incarnations of this most loved/hated Thanksgiving dish in the world over at Lazaro Cooks here.

Here I remake the casserole into a bite-sized morsel which conjures up of all the memories of mom’s holiday dish but with a fresh twist and pair it with another one of our holiday traditions ~ fresh oysters.

Original Recipe Ingredients:

  • cream of mushroom soup
  • milk
  • soy sauce
  • ground black pepper
  • green beans
  • canned french fried onions

green bean casserole makeover

In this makeover, mushrooms are stuffed with earthy mushroom duxelles and a rich olive oil bechamel flavored with tamari. Bright steamed haricots verts are sliced thin and sit atop the mushrooms. Panko crusted fresh Fanny Bay oysters are fried in canola oil until crisp, then seasoned with truffle salt. Finally, frizzled leeks add texture and are an update to those canned fried onions .

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Hangtown Fry

Eggs, Bacon, Oysters
According to legend, during the California Gold Rush in the mid-1800’s, one fortunate prospector struck gold near a settlement called Hangtown, now the thriving city of Placerville. He was RICH! After subsisting on nothing more than beans since he reached California, he requested that the innkeepers at the El Dorado Hotel prepare him the most extravagant meal available. It consisted of eggs, bacon, and fresh oysters. Exactly how they prepared it is anyone’s guess, but here, I present you with our version of the legendary Hangtown Fry.

Bacon is sliced and sautéed. The fat is reserved for cooking the oysters.

Imagine the process of getting fresh oysters to Hangtown (about 130 miles) from San Francisco Bay in 1849…
Pacific coast oysters are dusted in flour, dipped in egg, coated with panko breadcrumbs then sautéed in the bacon fat with vegetable oil.

Eggs are scrambled in a non-stick skillet, whisking constantly to create a small creamy curd. Bacon is added near the end of cooking.
Original California Cuisine – The Hangtown Fry
Other oyster recipes you might enjoy:

With what meal would you celebrate your good fortune?
Mine would definitely involve Champagne…