Green Bean Casserole

I

I wish you could see the inside of it! 

Sadly I was too late with my camera to get that picture.

Growing up, I wasn't the biggest fan of Green Bean Casserole. I used to HATE mushrooms, so I would always have to pick them out. You see, a very popular green bean casserole uses cream of mushroom soup. Ick. You will notice that two of my recipes on Ice Cream & Wine use "cream of somethings," but that's it...just two. And to be honest, I'll probably be adjusting those recipes soon to swap those ingredients out. I'm just not a fan of that processed gooeyness.

So anyway, I knew that I had to have green bean casserole at my Easter dinner (yes, friends, I'm still talking about Easter!). What to do, what to do? After searching on All Recipes, I found a great one - one that did not include cream of mushroom soup. (This recipe does use canned green beans - just be sure to get the "no sodium added" kind!) I knew my mom was very hesitant about this, but in the end she LOVED it. This casserole is absolutely amazing - to be honest, I'm sad I only had one serving during Easter! My dad and husband finished it off! :)

Source: All Recipes - Grandma's Green Bean Casserole 

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup sour cream - I used low fat  
3 (14.5 oz.) cans of French style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese - I used about 1.5 cups
1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers (such as Ritz)
1 tablespoon butter, melted


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans and stir to coat. 

Transfer the mixture to a 2.5 quart baking dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss the crumbled crackers and butter. Sprinkle over the cheese. 

Bake for 30 minutes - or until top is golden and cheese is bubbly.