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    Home » Real Food » Side Dishes » Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

    Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

    By Kristen Chidsey | 12 Comments | Published October 1, 2019 | Updated October 15, 2021 *This post may include amazon links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    This is the BEST recipe for Homemade Green Bean Casserole! Made completely from scratch with no canned soups and a homemade "fried" onion topping, this green bean casserole is delicious! Perfect for holiday meals and makes a great side Thanksgiving side dish.

    Ditch the canned soup, and make Green Bean Casserole from scratch! Made with a creamy mushroom sauce, fresh green beans, and a homemade "fried" onion topping, this Green Bean Casserole recipe is truly the best! 

    Holiday meals are not complete without this green bean casserole. It is perfect served alongside Roasted Turkey, Instant Pot Ham, or Instant Pot Turkey Breast.

    Homemade Green Bean Casserole being dished out onto large serving spoon.

    Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

    Green Bean Casserole from scratch is the ONLY recipe you need when you want to prepare the the BEST Green Bean Casserole.

    Instead of overly processed ingredients, this recipe for green bean casserole is made made completely from scratch with fresh green beans, a luscious homemade cream of mushroom soup, and a homemade crispy onion topping.

    That's right. No canned soups. No canned green beans. No freeze-dried onions.

    Even though this casserole swaps out the processed ingredients it is still fairly simple to make and the results are well-worth the extra minimal effort.

    Ingredient Swaps

    • Green Beans: Instead of canned green beans, this recipe uses fresh or frozen green beans, which simply taste better. You can use either haricot verts or thicker garden green beans.
    • Onion Topping: Fresh onions, flour, seasonings, and panko bread crumbs combined with a bit of oil to create a crispy oven-fried topping that is full of flavor--so much more flavor than canned fried onions.
    • Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup: This green bean casserole is made with a homemade cream of mushroom soup, instead of canned soup that is full of preservative and high in sodium. It is thick, creamy, and full of mushrooms and actually really simple to make.

    How to Make Green Bean Casserole

    Step One: Prepare Onion Topping

    It is best to first prepare the onion topping for the green bean casserole. That will give it time to crisp up in the oven while you prepare the green beans and sauce.

    • Thinly slice an onion into ⅛-inch thick slices. You may find it easier to use a mandoline, but of coure, you can use a knife as well. Once sliced, separate the onion into rings or individual strips.
    • In a mixing bowl mix together oil, panko, flour, and seasoned salt. By adding the oil to the breadcrumb mixture, it will adhere to the onions without first being dipped into an egg mixture and also helps the onions to brown up beautifully.
    • Toss the onions with the breading, shaking off any excess, and spread the onions out onto a sheet pan.
    • Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes, to just start to brown the onions. Remove from the oven and turn the heat down to 375 degrees, which is the temperature the completed casserole will bake at.
    Side by side photo of sliced onions and breaded onions.

    Step Two: Prepare Green Beans

    When using fresh green beans in a baked casserole, they need to be blanched first. This helps the green beans to become tender and keeps their virbrant green color.

    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil.
    • Trim the ends off the fresh green beans and cut into 2-inch pieces.
    • Drop the fresh (or frozen) green beans into the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes for thick green beans, and 3 minutes for thin green beans.
    • Remove the beans from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately place them into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.
    Green Beans in Ice bath.

    Step Three: Prepare the Mushroom Sauce

    This mushroom sauce is essentially a concentrated mushroom soup, and has a similar texture to that of canned condensed soup and it is really quite simple to make.

    • Over medium heat, melt butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Once melted, add in the mushrooms and fresh herbs if using. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until the mushrooms just begin to break down.
    • Whisk in the flour, forming a roux, or thick paste, and cook for 1 minute. This will help rid the sauce of the raw flour taste.
    • Whisk in the wine, or additional stock, and cook until thickened, whisking constantly.
    • Slowly mix in the stock and milk, whisking to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce is thickened and then remove from heat.
    Mushroom sauce for green bean casserole in stock pan.

    Step Four: Assemble and Bake

    Now that the components are made, it is time to assemble the green bean casserole.

    • Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with butter or non-stick spray.
    • Drain the green beans and pat dry. Add them to the mushroom sauce and toss to coat. Spread that mixture out into the prepared pan and then top evenly with the onions.
    • Bake until the mushroom sauce is bubbly and warm and the onion topping is golden brown.
    Baked Green Bean Casserole in Dish with serving spoon.

    Preparing in Advance

    When it comes to holiday meals, it is always helpful to prepare as many dishes in advance. This green bean casserole can be made up to 24 hours in advance.

    To make this casserole ahead of time, prepare the casserole as directed up to baking. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

    Tips and Modifications

    • Leftover green bean casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Unfortunately, it does not freeze well, as the cream will separate when defrosted and the onions will become soggy.
    • Panko Bread Crumbs are best to keep the onions light and crispy, but traditional unseasoned bread crumbs work as well if that is all you have on hand.
    • To make this Green Bean Casserole Gluten Free, Use 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour Blend and  Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs in place of the flour and panko bread crumbs.
    • To make this Green Bean Casserole Dairy Free, use olive oil or non-dairy butter, such as Smart Balance in place of the butter. Instead of using milk in the mushroom sauce, I would suggest using additional stock or unflavored, unsweetened non-dairy milk (like soy, almond, or oat milk.)
    • The marsala wine adds a rich depth to the casserole, but feel free to omit and use additional vegetable broth or chicken stock in its place if you don't drink wine or keep it on hand.

    More Holiday Worthy Side Dish Recipes

    • Perfect Mashed Potatoes
    • Homemade Cranberry Sauce
    • Classic Stuffing Recipe
    • Roasted Brussels Sprouts
    • Corn Casserole

    If you enjoyed this green bean casserole, I would love for you to leave a comment and rating below.

    Spoonful of homemade green bean casserole

    Green Bean Casserole

    A from scratch Green Bean Casserole made with fresh green beans, creamy mushroom sauce, and a homemade "fried" onion topping.
    5 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 172kcal
    Author: Kristen Chidsey

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans ends trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
    • ¼ cup butter
    • 1 cup baby bella or button mushrooms diced
    • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves optional
    • ¼ cup flour
    • ¼ cup marsala wine or additional stock
    • ¼ cup chicken stock see note
    • ½ cup milk
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

    Onion Topping

    • ½ tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 small onion peeled
    • ¼ cup flour
    • ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
    • ½ teaspoon seasoned salt
    Prevents your screen from going dark while preparing the recipe.

    Instructions

    Prepare Onion Topping

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
    • Mix together oil, flour, panko, and seasoned salt together in a large bowl, until well combined.
    • Very thinly slice onions, using a mandoline, or a very sharp knife into ⅛-inch thick slices. Separate the slices into individual rings and place them into the breading mixture and toss to coat.
    • Shake off the excess bread crumbs from the onions and spread them out onto a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 375 degrees F.

    Prepare Green Beans

    • While the onions are cooking, fill a large stock pan with water and bring to a rapid boil. Add the trimmed beans to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes for thin green beans or 5 minutes for thicker green beans. Immediately transfer the beans to a large bowl or ice water, using a slotted spoon.

    Prepare Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup

    • Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed stock pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and thyme leaves and saute until mushrooms are beginning to soften for about 5 minutes.
    • Whisk the flour into the pan to form a thick paste or roux. Allow the mixture to cook for 1 minute.
    • Slowly whisk in marsala wine (or stock), whisking until smooth and thick paste forms. Gradually add the stock and milk, whisking well. Add in the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder and stir well.
    • Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and whisk well until the mixture is thickened, anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

    Assemble Casserole

    • Lightly grease a two-quart baking dish.
    • Drain the green beans from the ice water and pat dry.
    • Add green beans to the mushroom sauce and toss to coat. Pour the green bean mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top evenly with onions.
    • Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes until warm and bubbly and topping is browned.

    Equipment Needed

    • mandoline
    • 2 Quart Casserole Dish

    Notes

    For the stock, use mushroom broth, vegetable broth, or chicken broth.
    Marsala Wine: Use a dry Marsala or in place of the wine, use additional broth. Stock, Vegetable Stock or Chicken Stock. If not using Marsala Wine, use additional stock. 
    Thyme: The fresh thyme leaves add depth to the homemade mushroom sauce but feel free to omit.
    Frozen Green Beans: If using frozen green beans, use 16-20 ounces of frozen green beans and precook them following the instructions for fresh green beans.
    Canned Green Beans: Canned green beans are not recommended for the best flavor, but can be used. Drain two 15-ounce cans of green beans and mix them in with the mushroom sauce. There is no need to blanch canned green beans. 
    To prepare up to 24 hours in advance: Prepare the green beans, sauce, and homemade fried onions as directed. After the sauce is finished, toss the green beans with the mushroom sauce and pour them into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onions and cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove the casserole from the fridge while the oven preheats to 375 degrees F. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
    Storage: Leftover green bean casserole will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-4 days. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 517mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 294IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
    Liked this Recipe? Tag me Today!Snap a picture and tag #amindfullmom on Instagram - I would love to see!
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    About Kristen Chidsey

    Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Courtney M

      November 24, 2021 at 5:28 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last year and everyone LOVED it!!! Can't wait to make it again this year!

      Reply
    2. Mindy

      December 26, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      5 stars
      I made this again for Christmas with a couple of specific modifications: I used baby Bella mushrooms (I used white mushrooms last time because that is all our grocery store had at the time), and I DOUBLED the homemade mushroom soup portion for the recipe. Creamy, flavorful: HOME RUN!

      Reply
    3. Mindy

      November 27, 2020 at 9:12 am

      5 stars
      I made this for our small Thanksgiving at our home (it was our first Thanksgiving meal to cook for ourselves as we usually travel to visit family and extended family). It was my favorite dish from the spread!
      Thank you for sharing.
      Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        November 27, 2020 at 11:28 am

        Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed Mindy! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.

        Reply
    4. Susie

      November 23, 2020 at 1:44 pm

      5 stars
      So good!! This green bean casserole couldn't be any easier and is so perfect fof Thanksgiving AND Christmas (or any time of year!).

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        November 23, 2020 at 6:37 pm

        I love that you found this recipe so easy Susie. Thanks for sharing.

        Reply
    5. Gina

      November 23, 2020 at 1:13 pm

      5 stars
      Love that this recipe uses a homemade cream of mushroom sauce - it's delicious and we love that's it's totally made from scratch!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        November 23, 2020 at 6:36 pm

        So glad you enjoyed Gina!

        Reply
    6. Katie

      October 17, 2019 at 12:06 am

      5 stars
      This is an absolute staple at our Thanksgivings. We all love it!!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        October 17, 2019 at 6:24 am

        I am so glad you enjoy this recipe Katie!

        Reply
    7. Nellie Tracy

      October 16, 2019 at 11:14 pm

      5 stars
      This green bean casserole is delicious! Can't wait to make it for Thanksgiving!!

      Reply
      • Kristen Chidsey

        October 17, 2019 at 6:25 am

        I am so glad you enjoy this enough to include it at your family's Thanksgiving.

        Reply

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