Southern Green Bean Casserole

8 cups of fresh green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
6 cups of chicken broth, reduced sodium
6 slices of bacon
2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 large white onion, diced small
1 cup of fresh button mushrooms, sliced thin
1 large can (family size) condensed cream of mushroom soup
Cracked black pepper
Kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup heavy cream

1 small red onion, sliced in thin rings
1 cup of flour
½ cup of canola oil
1 cup of fresh breadcrumbs from day old French bread, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook the bacon in a heavy skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, and crumble bacon. Remove bacon drippings, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the butter to the pan with the bacon oil, and melt. Sauté the onions and mushrooms in the bacon butter until soft. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 8 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, garlic powder, and cream, half of the crumbled bacon, and salt & pepper (to taste) to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased baking dish.

For topping:
Mix 1 cup of flour with salt & pepper. Toss red onion rings in flour mixture. Heat canola oil in a large skillet, fry onion rings in batches, and set aside to cool on paper towels. Combine onion rings, bread crumbs, & remaining half of crumbled bacon in a medium size bowl. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Bake casserole for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the topping and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot.

Casserole & topping may be made 1 day ahead and chilled separately in the refrigerator.