Green Bean Casserole with Smoked Gouda and Caramelized Onions

I promise, promise, PROMISE you that this will be your new favorite green bean casserole!!

My favorite part of green bean casserole is probably the crispy fried onions... let's be real, who doesn't love those? I wanted to dress up the traditional recipe keeping that in mind and I added fresh thyme, applewood smoked gouda and caramelized onions.

This recipe is just as easy as the traditional one and still keeps all those traditional flavors, but these little changes knock this recipe out of the park. It is so darn good that I may or may not have had an entire bowl for lunch haha

Ingredients:

• 2 bags of 16oz frozen green beans

• 1 can of 28oz condensed cream of mushroom soup

• 1 medium yellow or white onion

• 1 block of applewood smoked gouda cheese (8oz- Shredded and divided into 2 cups)

• 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter

• 1 tbsp of olive oil

• 2 tsp of fresh thyme

• 1 tsp of fresh garlic

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Fried onions (topping)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

2. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 a stick of unsalted butter to a pot and heat on low until melted.

3. Cut both ends of a medium onion off, remove the skin and outer layers, stand the onion up on its side and slice it down the center. Lay each half flat on a cutting board and cut from one end to the other, making slices.

4. Add the onion to the pot and heat on low, stirring often, until your onions are nice and caramelized. You'll want to cover the pot when you aren't stirring it.

5. One your onions are caramelized, add your cream of mushroom soup, fresh thyme, fresh garlic, salt, pepper and 1 cup of shredded smoked gouda cheese. Heat until combined and warm.

6. Empty your bags of frozen green beans into the mixture you just made and stir it until the green beans are evenly coated.

7. Transfer to a baking dish and back on 400 degrees until everything is hot and cooked through. (Be sure to taste your green beans to make sure they aren't still cold inside before moving on)

8. Turn your broiler on and cover the top of the casserole with the remaining smoked gouda cheese. Bake until melted.

9. Now, add the French fried onions to the top and put back under the broiler until the onions are toasted. (This does not take very long at all)