Fresh mushrooms and wine give green bean casserole a stylish upgrade for Thanksgiving

Green bean casserole is a beloved dish that has graced Thanksgiving tables for decades.

Created back in 1955 by Campbell Soup Co. employee Dorcas Reilly, it's typically made with canned beans, canned soup, a little bit of seasoning and french-fried onions.

The dish was originally called Green Bean Bake, and it didn't become a Thanksgiving staple until the recipe appeared on the label of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup in the 1960s. It's now served at 20 million Thanksgiving dinners every year, according to the Green Bean Casserole history on the Campbell website. It's so popular during the holidays that half of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup sales take place from November through January.

This is my version of green bean casserole. Over the years, I've tweaked the dish, which can be made ahead and frozen. I like using frozen green beans over the canned ones. The topping, a mix of torn bread, onions and butter, is delicious.

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Make Ahead Green Bean Casserole

Serves: 12 / Preparation time: 15 minutes / Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (not all active time)TOPPING:

2 slices sandwich bread, torn into pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups french-fried onions

CASSEROLE:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, washed, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ teaspoon dried thyme, optional

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup white wine, optional

1 ½ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 ¼ cups half-and-half

2 pounds frozen cut green beans, partially thawed and patted dry

¼ cup cornstarch

To make the topping: In a food processor, pulse the bread pieces with butter and salt until coarsely ground. Transfer to a freezer bag, add the fried onions and freeze if making days ahead.

To make the casserole: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme (if using) and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the flour and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the wine (or substitute broth), broth and half-and-half and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, toss the green beans with the cornstarch and transfer to a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or 3-quart casserole dish. Pour the mushroom mixture evenly over the beans and stir to combine. If freezing, let cool completely. Wrap with plastic wrap and cover with foil. Freeze.

To bake and serve: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the casserole in the oven and bake until heated through, about 35 minutes. Add the topping mixture and bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes more.  (If cooking from frozen, remove the foil and plastic, then put the foil back on the baking dish. Bake until sauce is bubbling and beans are tender about 50 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the topping mixture over the beans.  Bake until golden brown, about 8 minutes.)

Adapted from Cook's Country magazine.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Recipe: Green bean casserole gets upgrade with fresh mushrooms, wine