Food and Recipes Dish Casserole Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Leeks 5.0 (2) 1 Review You might have a go-to green bean casserole recipe, but you have to try this one. These thin, crispy fried leeks are an absolutely delicious casserole topper and look way more elegant than the canned fried onions. By Emily Nabors Hall Emily Nabors Hall Emily Nabors Hall is a food stylist and recipe developer who has contributed regularly to Real Simple since 2015 as a member of the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios team. She works with several Dotdash Meredith brands, including Southern Living, Food & Wine, Rachel Ray In Season, and Meredith Premium Publishing titles. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband and two children. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on October 11, 2018 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 1 hrs 15 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Yield: 10 serves Jump to recipe You might have a go-to green bean casserole recipe, but you have to try this one. These thin, crispy fried leeks are an absolutely delicious casserole topper and look way more elegant than the canned fried onions. The leeks fry up very quickly; keep a close watch on them as they cook. Linda Puglies; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox Ingredients 3 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved crosswise 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup chopped yellow onion (from 1 large onion) 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 garlic cloves) 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups whole milk 1/2 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 2 medium leeks (about 1 1⁄2 lb.) 1 cup canola oil Directions Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high. Add green beans; return to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Drain green beans, and rinse under cold running water to cool. Spread in a single layer on paper towels to drain. Let stand at room temperature until completely dry, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and wine, and cook until most of the wine evaporates, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onion mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add milk, and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in cream cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until smooth. Transfer green beans to a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Pour milk mixture evenly over green beans, and stir to coat. Spread in an even layer; cover with aluminum foil. Chill until ready to bake, up to 1 day ahead. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove casserole from refrigerator while oven preheats. Bake, covered, until hot and bubbly around the edges, about 1 hour. While beans bake, cut leeks in half lengthwise; cut each half into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Thinly slice into long strips (about 2 cups thin strips). Heat canola oil in a small saucepan over medium-high to 350°F. Fry leeks in hot oil, in 2 to 3 batches, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle fried leeks over hot casserole just before serving. Rate it Print