The green bean casserole everyone remembers, made without the can of soup. Fresh green beans are blanched, folded into a quick mushroom cream sauce made in one skillet, and baked under a pile of crispy fried onions. It tastes richer than the shortcut version and takes only about 15 minutes more.
Why You’ll Love It
- No canned soup, just a quick skillet sauce.
- Fresh beans stay bright and a little crisp.
- Can be assembled ahead.
What You Need
- 1 1/2 lb fresh green beans (trimmed and halved)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 8 oz mushrooms (sliced)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups crispy fried onions
How to Make Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Boil the green beans in salted water 5 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Cook the mushrooms and onion 6 to 8 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute. Pour in the broth and cream, stirring, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Fold in the green beans and half of the fried onions. Spread in a greased 9×13-inch dish.
- Bake 20 minutes. Top with the remaining onions and bake 5 minutes more, until golden.
Tips
- Do not overcook the beans in the water; they finish in the oven.
- Frozen green beans work; thaw and skip the boiling.
- Add the last onions only at the end so they stay crisp.
Serving and Storing
Serve hot. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge; reheat in the oven so the onions crisp again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make it the day before?
Yes, assemble without the onion topping, refrigerate, then top and bake, adding 10 minutes.
Can I use canned green beans?
Yes, drain 3 cans well and skip the boiling.
What mushrooms are best?
Cremini have the most flavor; white button work too.
Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
Fresh green beans in a homemade creamy mushroom sauce with crispy fried onions on top. The classic, made from scratch.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb fresh green beans trimmed and halved
- 3 tbsp butter
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups crispy fried onions
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Boil the green beans in salted water 5 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Cook the mushrooms and onion 6 to 8 minutes, until browned. Add the garlic for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute. Pour in the broth and cream, stirring, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- Fold in the green beans and half of the fried onions. Spread in a greased 9x13-inch dish.
- Bake 20 minutes. Top with the remaining onions and bake 5 minutes more, until golden.
