Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole recipe is a delicious holiday side dish! It's made from scratch with fresh green beans and a creamy mushroom sauce.

Green bean casserole is always on my family’s Thanksgiving menu. We, like many folks, made the classic version with Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, french fried onions, and canned green beans for years…until I set myself the task of making a homemade green bean casserole from scratch.

Let me introduce you to the results: this green bean casserole recipe. It stars fresh green beans, crispy onions, and a creamy mushroom sauce that blows the canned soup out of the water. Once I tried it, I couldn’t go back to the Campbell’s version, and I don’t think you’ll be able to either.

This green bean casserole recipe is fresh, colorful, and packed with savory flavor. Add it to your holiday table this year, and it’s guaranteed to be a hit.

Green Bean Casserole Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Fresh green beans, of course! I like slender haricots verts best, but any type will do. In a pinch, frozen green beans are a fine substitute for fresh.
• Cremini mushrooms – For the homemade mushroom sauce. Swap in white button mushrooms if you prefer!
• Tamari or soy sauce – It brings out the mushrooms’ umami flavor.
• Garlic and thyme – They add fresh, earthy flavor to the sauce.
• Dijon mustard – For tangy flavor.
• Milk (any kind!) and Parmesan cheese – They give the mushroom sauce its creamy texture.
• All-purpose flour – It thickens the sauce.
• French fried onions – They create the casserole’s crispy, savory topping.
• Extra-virgin olive oil – For richness.
• And salt and pepper – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Green Bean Casserole

You can find the complete recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post, but for now, here’s an overview of how it goes:

Start with the onions, if you’re making them from scratch. Tossed with flour, panko, olive oil, and salt, they take about 25 minutes to become crisp and golden brown in the oven.

Then, blanch the green beans until they’re crisp-tender and vibrant green. Drain and spread them on a kitchen towel to dry.

Next, make the sauce. Sauté the mushrooms, then add all the sauce ingredients except the Parmesan. Simmer until thickened, around 20 minutes. Finish the sauce with the cheese and black pepper.

Finally, assemble and bake! Enjoy hot from the oven.

Best Green Bean Casserole Recipe Tips

• Make sure your green beans are dry. No one likes a watery green bean casserole, so dry the green beans thoroughly after you blanch them!
• Watch the onions closely if you’re making them from scratch. They can quickly go from just right to burned, so make sure to keep an eye on them in the oven. I also like to rotate the pans every 10 minutes to help them cook evenly.

Storage

This recipe is best on the day it’s made, but leftovers keep well for up to 2 days. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat in the microwave or a 350°F oven.

More Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

If you love this recipe, try one of these Thanksgiving side dishes next:

• Best Stuffing
• Mashed Potatoes
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Cranberry Sauce
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts
• Or any of these 50 Thanksgiving Side Dishes!

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Green Bean Casserole

rate this recipe:

5 from 56 votes

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Serves 8

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This green bean casserole recipe is a delicious homemade version of the classic holiday side dish. It's made with fresh green beans and a from-scratch creamy mushroom sauce. I like to top it with crispy baked onions (see the notes below!), but store-bought crispy fried onions work here too.

Ingredients

• 1½ pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk, any kind
• 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1½ cups french fried onions, or homemade Crispy Baked Onions (see recipe notes)

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a large bowl of ice water nearby. Drop the green beans into the boiling water and blanch for 4 minutes. Immediately transfer to the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and transfer to a towel to dry.
• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the tamari, garlic, and thyme. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir again. Add the milk and mustard and stir to combine. Simmer until thickened, whisking often, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and pepper.
• Spread ⅓ of the sauce at the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the green beans evenly on top, then top with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the onions and bake, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes. If the onions start to brown too much, cover the dish for the remainder of the baking time. Garnish with sprinkles of Parmesan, if desired. Serve hot.

Notes

For the Crispy Baked Onions: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Thinly slice 2 medium yellow onions. In a large bowl, toss the onions with 4 teaspoons olive oil, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons panko bread crumbs, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Spread evenly on the baking sheets and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes (rotating the pans in the oven as necessary), until lightly browned and crispy. Store at room temperature until you're ready to assemble the casserole.

Vegan option: Omit the cheese and add a few extra pinches of salt to the mushroom sauce.