Sides
How to Make Green Bean Casserole from Scratch (No Canned Soup)
Green bean casserole from scratch: blanched beans in a creamy mushroom sauce with crispy onions, baked at 375°F for 20 minutes. Serves 6 in 1 hour.
By the Forkful editorial team · Published
Quick answer
Blanch 1½ pounds of trimmed green beans for 4 minutes and chill them in ice water. Cook 8 ounces of mushrooms in butter, stir in flour, broth and half-and-half and simmer about 8 minutes until thick. Fold in the beans, top with crispy fried onions and bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. It serves 6 in about 1 hour.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 1 h
- Makes
- 6 servings
Green bean casserole is one of the side dishes people look up every Thanksgiving, and many want a version without canned cream-of-mushroom soup. Making the sauce yourself takes about ten minutes and the difference in flavor is easy to taste.
Here the beans are blanched first so they stay bright green and just tender, the mushrooms are browned for depth, and a simple butter-and-flour base with broth and half-and-half makes the sauce. Crispy onions on top finish it, and everything but the final bake can be done a day ahead.
Ingredients
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- 1 ½ lb green beans (680 g), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp kosher salt, for the blanching water
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms (225 g), sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (240 ml)
- 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream (240 ml)
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 ½ cups crispy fried onions (about 3 oz / 85 g)
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the kosher salt and have a bowl of ice water ready.
- Blanch the green beans 4 minutes, then drain and move them to the ice water. Drain well and pat dry.
- Melt the butter in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the mushrooms 6–8 minutes, until browned and their liquid has cooked off. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute. Pour in the broth, stirring, then the half-and-half. Simmer 6–8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce coats a spoon.
- Season with nutmeg, fine salt and pepper. Fold in the green beans and about a third of the crispy onions, then transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.
- Top with the remaining onions and bake uncovered 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges. Serve hot.
Tips for the best result
- 1Shock the beans in ice water after blanching so they stay bright green and do not overcook in the oven.
- 2Dry the beans well before mixing so they do not thin out the sauce.
- 3Let the sauce get quite thick on the stove. It loosens a little as the beans release moisture in the oven.
- 4Hold back most of the crispy onions for the top and add them just before baking so they stay crunchy.
Storage
Refrigerate within 2 hours, covered, for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven until hot throughout (165°F / 74°C), adding fresh crispy onions at the end. It freezes poorly, since the sauce can separate.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make green bean casserole ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble everything except the crispy onion topping, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day. Bake 25–30 minutes from cold and add the onions for the last 5 minutes.
Can I use frozen green beans?
Yes. Thaw and pat them very dry, then skip the blanching and fold them into the sauce. Fresh beans have a firmer bite.
How do I keep green bean casserole from being watery?
Brown the mushrooms until their liquid cooks off, dry the beans well and simmer the sauce until it is thick before it goes in the oven.
