Green Bean Casserole

Chef Chris Williams named his popular Museum District restaurant Lucille’s for his great-grandmother, Lucille Bishop Smith, an entrepreneur, educator, and culinary trailblazer. An accomplished cook, Smith created a recipe for green bean casserole that is a more honest route to the familiar canned-mushroom-soup bake. It’s even immortalized in Smith’s own cookbook.

Williams’ family loves the casserole. It brings Smith home every time it’s served. Loved ones may be gone, but family recipes from great home cooks live on: “It’s the way they keep themselves at the table forever,” Williams said.

2 bags (10 or 12 ounces)

frozen green beans

1 cup onion, finely chopped ¼ cup butter

4 tablespoons flour

1½ cups milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce ½ teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon salt

½ pound Velveeta, cut into

small chunks

1 6-ounce can of mushroom

pieces

Instructions: Thaw green beans.

In a saucepan set on medium-high heat, cook chopped onion in butter, stirring constantly until translucent, about 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add flour and blend well, cooking out the flour for 1 minute. Add milk and stir quickly. Add soy sauce, pepper and salt to taste. Cook mixture until thickened, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in Velveeta until cheese has melted. Add the can of mushrooms with juice; stir to incorporate.

Add green beans to a large, buttered casserole dish. Pour sauce over beans and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes.

Makes 6-8 servings