Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
Creamy sauce smothering tender green beans and the crispy fried onion topping satisfy the soul. Serving up green bean casserole made from scratch for Thanksgiving is almost a requirement, right? But it’s so easy, you can enjoy making it year-round.
While many recipes call for canned mushroom soup, making the mushroom sauce is so fast and easy that I don’t mess with opening a can. Besides, the holidays are special and worth a little extra chopping. But this is a no-judgment zone, so do what you need for a happy holiday.
Why Make it From Scratch
Besides being more economical, green bean casserole tastes so much better from scratch. Plus, you can customize it to your family’s preferences. Would you like more heat? Add a dash of cayenne. Do you prefer a creamier sauce? Replace the milk with half-and-half. No fresh green beans in sight (or you don’t feel like blanching them)? Frozen and canned work great, too.
The list of personalizations keeps going. Trade out the cheddar cheese with Gruyère or Swiss. Replace the fried onions with potato sticks, panko breadcrumbs, or Ritz crackers. You’re the boss!
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
- Blanch the green beans, fry the bacon, sauté the aromatics, and add the chopped mushrooms.
- Finish the sauté and set it aside, make the roux, and add the liquids.
- Stir the grated cheese and bacon-mushroom mixture into the sauce. Then mix in the green beans.
- Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish, top with the fried onions, and bake.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- If, despite all precautions, your gravy has lumps, don’t despair. An immersion blender will take care of that. Or let it cool slightly, pour it into a regular blender, and blitz it for a minute. Carefully pour it back into the pan and keep going as if nothing happened.
- If you can’t get fresh green beans, frozen are the next best option. However, canned ones work fine as well.
- Don’t forget to save the bacon fat for later, or use it to replace the butter.
Making Ahead for Less Stress
To make this casserole in advance, follow the instructions up to adding the topping. Save the crispy fried onions for when you bake it. Cover the casserole with foil and refrigerate it for 1-2 days or freeze it 2-3 months ahead.
When ready to bake, let it come to room temperature for 30 minutes (thaw overnight in the fridge if frozen), add the topping, and bake as usual.
Thanksgiving Menu Ideas for All Year
For a cozier Thanksgiving celebration for smaller families, just the turkey breast or (my fav) thighs is more than enough. Gravy, cranberry sauce, dressing or mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie are sure crowd-pleasers.
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Explore
By Imma
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”Wrhwqbvi” upload-date=”2020-08-17T03:30:31.000Z” name=”Green Bean Casserole From Scratch” description=”Green Bean Casserole is a classic holiday side dish staple. Made from scratch with homemade cream of mushroom soup and tender-crisp green beans topped with more crispy fried onions. Watch it fly off the table!” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”]
This post was first published in October 2017 and has been updated with more tips, gorgeous new photos, and a video.
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds (680g) fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
- water as needed for blanching the beans
- ice bath (see notes)
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces (225g) mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons (42g) butter
- 3 tablespoons (24g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (236ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup (236ml) evaporated milk
- ½ cup (60g) shredded cheddar cheese
- ¾ teaspoon (3-4g) salt
- ¼ teaspoon (1g) freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5g) Creole seasoning
- 2 cups (160g) fried onions
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, add green beans, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and plunge them into an ice-water bath to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside. You can do this step in advance.
- Heat a saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat, then fry the bacon until crispy, 5-7 minutes. Drain off the excess fat, then add onions and garlic, and continue cooking until the onions are wilted.
- Toss in the mushrooms, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and cook for 5-6 more minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside. Wipe the pan clean.
- Add butter (or reserved bacon fat) to the skillet, and as soon as it melts, whisk in the flour. Whisk until the flour and butter are thoroughly combined, and continue cooking for about a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste.
- Add the chicken broth, a little at a time, followed by the milk. Continue whisking to avoid lumps. Heat to bubbling, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer gently until it thickens into a creamy sauce (6-8 minutes).
- Stir in the shredded cheese, then add the mushroom mixture back to the skillet and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and Creole seasoning.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the green beans and, if desired, half of the fried onions. Stir to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Transfer the green bean mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish, spread it out evenly, and then top it with the remaining fried onions.
- Place in the oven and bake at 350℉ (180℃) for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
Tips & Notes:
- For an ice bath, fill the bowl with ice and cold water. Remove the green beans from the blanching water and submerge them directly into the ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve their color.
- You can use panko bread crumbs instead of the canned fried onions, but the onions really make a difference. It’s your call.
- If you want to fry your own onions, a mandoline slicer comes in handy for thin slices. You can fry them up to a month in advance and store them in an airtight container. Remember to fry them in batches, stirring constantly for even browning.
- If you use canned or frozen green beans, skip the first step (blanching part).
- You can make this dish ahead by assembling the casserole without the fried onion toppings and storing it tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the ingredients used.
Just finished cooking this for thanksgiving. I only omitted the bacon – personal preference. This is so good! I really love that there was no need to use cream of mushroom soup. This recipe is a keeper.
Glad it worked well. Thanks for the feedback.
This took awhile but it was worth the time. Great recipe and much better than the usual green bean casserole we have every year for Thanksgiving.
I made this for Thanksgiving today. I used 3 cans of canned Del Monte Blue Lake cut green beans. I also added 1/4 tsp of nutmeg. It adds a little sweetness. I received many compliments. People especially liked the little kick the Creole seasoning gave it.
Yaaay! So glad it turned out well for you. Indeed, that touch of Creole seasoning is everything. Thank you for trying it out and sharing your notes.