Description
If you’re like me and are having a smaller Thanksgiving dinner, you have got to try these casseroles! Rather than making the normally huge casseroles that feed the whole family, these casseroles are so easy to make and give six servings of both casseroles. What’s awesome… I only used 1 sauce pan, 1 pot, and 1 muffin pan. How easy is that?
What’s also great is that you can make this all the day before Thanksgiving, scoop them into your muffin pans, and pop it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it! Just add ten minutes on to your baking time.
So, how did I manage to not use all my pots and pans to make two casserole dishes? Let’s dig in. I started by making the au gratin casserole. I used the sauce pan to fry up the bacon and onions. Then, wiped out any burnt bits with a paper towel and used that pan to make the green bean casserole. I used a pot to make the au gratin sauce, which I added the chopped up bacon and onion to.
I used these baking cups to hold the casserole. They are taller than traditional muffin cups, so you can scoop a lot of casserole into them! Then bake them and plop a cup onto everyone’s plate. So easy!
Some TIPS…
First, I bought pre-sliced mushrooms and used a food processor to pulse the mushrooms to chop them. This saved A TON OF TIME. I also like to use the food processor to grate my cheddar. Gets it done in 5 seconds rather than 5 minutes! Then I use a mini food processor to mince or chop my onions, shallots, and garlic. Working this way, you seriously can prep everything within 5 minutes.
Second, make sure you have everything measured, prepped, and arranged. Separate them on either side of your stove to keep straight which ingredients go for which casserole. This helps so much to avoid confusion. And, it just makes getting these put together seamless.
Third, look where you can multitask. While the bacon is cooking, I make the cheese sauce, season it to taste, and then stir in the broccoli cauliflower. Then I just set it aside until the bacon is cooked, cooled, and chopped and the onions have cooked. Then I stir those into the cheese sauce. After that, the green bean casserole comes together in about 5 to 10 minutes.
You don’t have to wait for the casseroles to cool to scoop them into the cups. Once they’re full, you can either put them in the refrigerator overnight or pop them right in the oven for half an hour. Halfway through, sprinkle the remaining fried onions on top of the green bean casseroles. And, that’s it.
Seriously, it sounds crazy to make two casseroles and just throw them in your muffin pan. But it is SO EASY. And it’s the perfect amount for your quaran-team.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Broccoli Cauliflower Au Gratin Casseroles
1½ cups chopped broccoli and cauliflower
4 slices bacon
½ small onion, finely diced
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup cheddar, grated
1 TB butter
2 TB flour
¾ cup milk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 TB fresh thyme
salt and pepper
Green Bean Casseroles
1 – 15 or 16 oz bag of frozen green beans
3 TB butter
8 oz crimini or baby bellas mushrooms, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
3 TB flour
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup chicken stock
½ cup cheddar, grated
1 cup fried onions, divided
salt and pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 12-muffin pan with tall cupcake holders. Set aside.
Broccoli Cauliflower Au Gratin Casseroles
In a large sauce pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy ~ about 10 to 15 minutes (turning over halfway through). Remove and drain on a paper towel. Once cool, finely chop the bacon and set aside.
Drain off the bacon fat from the pan, leaving about ½ tablespoon of grease. Fry up the onions in the pan over medium heat until just softened ~ about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Microwave the milk for 30 seconds to take the cold out of it. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and let cook for a minute, whisking constantly. Slowly add the milk, whisking constantly until fully absorbed with the flour. Add both cheeses, whisking until fully melted. Add the Dijon mustard and thyme. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the broccoli, cauliflower, bacon and onions. Stir until well combined. Set the pot aside to let cool slightly.
Green Bean Casseroles
Using the same pan you used for the broccoli cauliflower au gratin casseroles, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned ~ about 2 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic, cooking for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the flour on top and stir to fully saturate it. Slowly add the heavy cream, stirring constantly. Once fully combined, add the chicken stock and cheddar, stirring until the cheese is melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the green beans and half a cup of the fried onions. Set aside.
Assemble the Casseroles
Scoop the broccoli cauliflower au gratin into six of the muffin cups, filling as high as desired. Repeat with the green bean casserole in the remaining six muffin cups.
Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining fried onions on top of the green bean casserole cups and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.
Serve!
Notes
NOTE: You can make this a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. Add 10 minutes onto the total bake time. So, bake 25 minutes, add the remaining fried onions, and continue to cook an additional 10 minutes.
Keywords: Green Bean Casserole, Green Bean Casserole From Scratch, Broccoli Cauliflower Au Gratin, Mini Casseroles, Cauliflower Au Gratin, Broccoli Au Gratin