Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

Fresh green beans in a creamy homemade mushroom sauce, topped with crisp fried onions and baked until bubbly. The Thanksgiving classic without the can. Serves 8.

Baking dish of green bean casserole in mushroom sauce topped with crispy fried onions
  • Prep 25 min
  • Cook 40 min
  • Total 1 hr 5 min
  • Yield 8 servings

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Questions | Print recipe

Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving fixture, and the from-scratch version is a big step up: crisp-tender fresh beans, a real mushroom cream sauce and a crunchy onion topping.

You can blanch the beans and make the sauce a day ahead, then assemble and bake on the day.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 cups crispy fried onions, divided

Instructions

  1. Blanch the beans. Boil the green beans in salted water for 5 minutes, then plunge into ice water and drain well.
  2. Make the sauce. Heat the oven to 375°F. Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook the mushrooms 6 to 8 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic, then sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and cream and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
  3. Assemble. Toss the beans with the sauce and half the fried onions and spread in a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
  4. Bake. Bake 20 minutes, until bubbly. Top with the remaining onions and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until golden.

Tips

  • Add the second half of the onions near the end so they stay crisp.
  • Frozen cut green beans work; thaw and pat them dry and skip the blanching.

Questions about this recipe

Can I make green bean casserole ahead?
Assemble without the onion topping up to a day ahead, then bake, adding 10 minutes, and top with onions at the end.
Can I use canned soup?
Yes, but the homemade sauce has much more flavor and takes only 10 minutes.

More holiday recipes

All holiday recipes | All recipes | Cooking guide and safe temperatures