From Scratch Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Ditch the canned ingredients. This homemade green bean casserole layers fresh beans with a velvety mushroom soup and crispy onion topping that actually tastes like food. This from-scratch version relies on fresh ingredients and homemade cream of mushroom soup to highlight this iconic classic recipe without canned soup and mushy beans. Upgrade your holiday table this year with a fresh green bean casserole recipe that will convert even those who think they don’t like it. Full recipe card below.
This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for more information.
What is Green Bean Casserole?
Traditional green bean casserole started back in the 50s when canned soup was becoming all the rage. The simple casserole was sold as the cheat code to a dish that looked like you tried, but only required you to open a few cans of cream of mushroom soup and green beans and call it good. As a result this savory casserole quickly became a popular nostalgic holiday comfort food for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Personally, I never even liked green bean casserole until I learned how to make the homemade version! True story. Over the years I have perfected my methodology and I won’t eat it any other way. Because let’s be honest for a minute, canned green beans are gross.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
From scratch sounds intimidating, but I promise you it’s easier than you think! This version respects the basics of the classic version but refuses to compromise on ingredients. No relying on sodium overload and preservatives. Fresh green beans have snap. Real mushrooms bring umami that canned soup can’t touch. Cream and broth make a sauce that coats in the best way. It’s not about being fancy, it’s about real ingredients.
Green Bean Casserole Ingredients
This green bean casserole focuses on fresh ingredients instead of canned to make a creamy sauce. Most are pantry and fridge staples but every ingredient plays a part. Here are my notes for best results and when substitutions can be made.
- Fresh Green Beans – Unless you are a fan of soggy mushy green beans, fresh is the only way to go here. I actually will not eat green bean casserole made with canned green beans. I have made this recipe with frozen before and it wasn’t completely tragic, but they just don’t have that bright green color and crisp snap of fresh.
- Bella Mushrooms – You need fresh mushrooms for this recipe. Bellas are my go to, aka cremini or baby bellas. They have more flavor and firmer texture than white button mushrooms. I prefer to buy them whole and slice them myself because pre-sliced mushrooms tend to go bad quickly. Pro tip: Never wash mushrooms and store them whole in a brown paper bag in the fridge to keep them from becoming slimy.
- Unsalted Butter – This is the fat component of the roux and adds flavor to the mushrooms and onion while cooking. You can use salted, but cut back on the salt. If you use margarine or olive oil the roux will not develop correctly and the soup will be greasy and separate.
- Garlic – Minced garlic is what you are after. Fresh garlic or jarred garlic both work here.
- Onion – Onion adds a lot of flavor to the mushroom cream sauce. I used a yellow onion here since it gets cooked down. White onions or sweet onions would also work.
- Thyme Leaves – Thyme is the classic herb for mushroom soup because it has an earthy flavor that complements mushrooms without overpowering them. I use dried thyme but fresh is also good if you have fresh herbs growing in your garden.
- Salt & Pepper – A little salt and pepper goes a long way with the flavor.
- Flour – All purpose flour thickens the soup. It cooks into the butter and soaks up the liquid from the mushrooms to form the roux, which is what keeps the soup from separating. Do not skip this or the soup will be too thin. You can substitute for cornstarch for a gluten free, option, just use half the amount.
- White Wine – This ingredient adds some acidity cutting the richness of the cream and deglazes the pan adding another layer of flavor to the soup. Cooking wine or a dry white like Pinot Grigio work well here. I have used both methods.
- Chicken Broth – The base of this soup uses a combination of broth and cream. I use the low sodium chicken broth so keep that in mind when salting the soup if you don’t use reduced sodium. If you are looking for a vegetarian option you can also use vegetable broth. You can substitute chicken broth for chicken stock, or vegetable stock for broth for but you may have to add more salt and pepper since stock usually contains no added seasonings.
- Half and Half – The base of this casserole is cream of mushroom soup and therefore needs a creamy element. I have tested this many ways and straight cream is a bit too heavy in my opinion and straight milk is just way too thin. Half and half is the perfect mix with a finish of cream. If you don’t want to buy added ingredients, just buy the cream and mix 1/4 cup of regular milk (not skim) with 1/4 cup of cream for this step.
- Heavy cream – This is what makes it cream of mushroom soup. It adds richness and rounds out the earthy, umami flavors. Do not use milk because it is too thin.
- French Fried Onions – These little crispy onions are the signature topping of green bean casserole and cannot be substituted. You can make them homemade if you want, but I am personally addicted to the store bought kind and put them on everything including poke bowls, bulgogi bowls, and salmon rice bowls. Bonus, you can stock up at Costco starting in September. I buy enough to get me through the whole year, haha!
Equipment You’ll Need
- Large Pot: You need space to blanche the green beans. A large pot works best.
- Casserole Dish or Cast Iron Pan: I have used both a 9×13 baking dish as well as my 12 inch cast iron skillet. Both work just fine.
- Immersion Blender: This is for the homemade mushroom soup. To bring out more of the mushroom flavor I blend half of the mushrooms into the soup.
* Note to my readers. I strive to bring home cooks reliable recipes you can count on. Every recipe on this site is tested and made by me personally in my own kitchen and given to my harshest recipe tester critics for invaluable feedback. This site does not review its own recipes or participate in paid reviews nor does it purchase recipes and photos from third parties. Photos are taken of each recipe and not artificially generated. All reviews are real trustworthy reviews and if you make a recipe and have feedback, please feel free to contact me.
Print
From Scratch Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
The best green bean casserole recipe does not come from a can! This fresh green bean casserole has silky homemade mushroom soup, crisp tender green beans, and the iconic crunchy topping everyone loves. The best version of a classic side dish that makes skeptics go back for thirds at Thanksgiving. So forget the canned ingredients and upgrade your holiday meal this year with homemade green bean casserole.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fresh Green Beans trimmed and halved
- 12 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms sliced
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 3 tsp Garlic minced
- 1/4 Yellow Onion diced
- 1/4 tsp Thyme
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 2 tbsp White Wine
- 8 oz Chicken Broth reduced sodium
- 1/2 cup Half and Half room temperature
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream room temperature
- 1 1/2 cup Crispy Onions divided
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add about five shakes of salt.
- While the water boils, trim and slice the green beans in half.
- Add them to the boiling water and blanche for 5 minutes. You want tender green beans but not mushy. If you prefer a softer green bean, cook for 2-3 minutes longer.
- While the green beans cook, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Once the green beans are done, remove from the heat and drain. Place the green beans in the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- If using whole mushrooms remove the stems from the mushrooms and slice them. Do not wash them.
- Melt butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add sliced mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook down, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 7 minutes then add the onions and cook for another 7 minutes. DO NOT add the onions until the mushrooms have cooked down halfway. The onions will cook faster and burn if you add them all together. They are done when the mushrooms reduce in size and give off excess water and the onions are translucent.
- Scoop out half of the sauteed mushrooms and onion mixture and reserve in a bowl for later.
- Slowly stir in the flour. This will soak up all the excess water the mushrooms gave off and thicken the mushroom soup.
- Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. This will loosen any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and add flavor to the liquid.
- Slowly stir in the chicken broth and half and half. The half and half should be room temperature and not cold so it doesn’t curdle in the pot. Once combined, remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot. Blending the soup is what gives it a rich mushroom flavor.
- Return to low heat and stir in the reserved mushrooms from step 3 and the heavy cream. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes.
- Pour the creamy mushroom sauce into a casserole dish or an oven safe cast iron skillet. Mix 1/2 cup of crispy fried onions into the mushroom mixture.
- Drain the green beans from the cold water and stir them into the mushroom soup.
- Add the remaining onion topping to the rest of the casserole and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Sides
- Method: Bake, Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
More Holiday Side Dishes to Try
- Savory Sweet Potato Casserole with Feta and Honey
- Secret Ingredient Creamy Garlic Herb Mashed Potatoes
- Easy Baked Cream Corn Casserole – No Sour Cream
- Fresh Ingredient Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Creamy Stovetop White Cheddar Shells and Cheese
- Fall Apple Pecan Mixed Green Salad with Feta Cheese
Storage and Reheating
This casserole keeps well, but the crispy onions won’t stay crispy once the dish is refrigerated. Transfer the casserole to an airtight container or cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil. It will keep in the fridge for up to four days.
To reheat, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the casserole to an oven-safe dish if it’s not already in one, cover it loosely with foil, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until warmed through. If the sauce looks too thick, stir in a splash of cream or water before reheating.
You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave. Spread out on a plate and heat in 40 second intervals, stirring in between, until hot.
When to Make Green Bean Casserole
This casserole is a Thanksgiving dinner staple next to the turkey, and in some households earns a spot on the Christmas and Easter table too. But it is versatile enough to be a side dish for large family gatherings, weeknight dinners, potlucks, or as a treat with a special occasion steak dinner. No matter when you make it, the difference will be clear, homemade is better!
Love new recipes and kitchen talk? Subscribe so you never have to ask what’s on the menu. Delicious recipes delivered straight to your inbox 😉 Plus you will receive access to all my free printables! These are only available to my awesome subscribers as my way of thanking you for your continued support!
Did you enjoy this From Scratch Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe? Hover over an image and save to Pinterest! And if you don’t already follow me on social media ( Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok or Facebook ) I would love for us to be friends!
Did you love this recipe? Give it a five star rating and Tag @garrison.street.eats on Instagram and hashtag it #garrisonsteats
This post, From Scratch Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe, appeared first on Garrison Street Eats.
