Green Bean Casserole

This healthier green bean casserole is made from scratch without any canned soup! Made with fresh green beans and mushrooms coated in a creamy homemade white sauce and topped with the classic crispy onions, this casserole is a lightened-up and more fresh take on the traditional version.

Let’s preface this recipe with I have nothing against traditional green bean casserole made with canned green beans and cream of mushroom soup, but as a child of an immigrant, I did not grow up with those ingredients. So one year when we decided to have a “traditional” holiday meal, I kept seeing green bean casseroles popping up everywhere, and I decided to try my hand at it but with my take on it instead!

 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• This recipe uses fresh green beans and mushrooms. I love using fresh ingredients as you can really taste a difference! It just tastes more fresh. I also love using fresh ingredients as you can adjust the amounts. If making this just for my own little family, I go much heavier on the mushrooms than green beans as I love mushrooms.
• The sauce. I’m essentially making a béchamel sauce from scratch to take the place of the canned soup. I load the white sauce up with bright flavors from the lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh thyme. I could drink the sauce. Trust me, I was definitely licking it off the spoon repeatedly while perfecting the sauce.
• I’m not going to say this is an “easy” recipe you are doing quite a few things compared to pouring in the canned beans and soup but I can assure you the steps are straightforward and easy to follow along with!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• green beans — I get the 1.5-pound bags from Costco, so this recipe uses 2 full bags and should serve 12 to 15, making it perfect for the holiday season. Making it for Sunday dinner for your family and not serving it with a million other side dishes for Thanksgiving or Christmas? Cut the recipe down by half!
• salt — I use a generous amount of kosher salt to salt the water I blanche the green beans in.
• butter — butter makes everything better. I use unsalted butter to cook the mushrooms and make the sauce.
• oil — a bit of oil to help the mushrooms cook. The butter adds flavor and the oil keeps the butter from burning.
• crimini mushrooms — another giant container of mushrooms from Costco. Cremini mushrooms (or baby bella mushrooms) add so much umami flavor. I also cook them until they’re wonderfully browned and golden for the best flavor.
• fresh thyme — adding thyme to the mushrooms and cream sauce adds a fresh, sweet note with earthy undertones.
• all purpose flour — when combined with melted butter, it becomes the base of the sauce.
• whole milk — milk helps create a rich, creamy sauce.
• broth — I like using low sodium chicken broth or vegetarian broth to create the sauce. I recommend having a little extra on hand so that if it gets too thick, you can add in ¼ to ½ cup more broth to thin it back out.
• garlic powder & onion powder & freshly ground black pepper
• grated parmesan — I love adding freshly grated parmesan to the sauce. It adds a lovely cheesy kick, and who doesn’t love cheese? I recommend using freshly grated parmesan as it melts more smoothly than pre-grated parmesan. I highly recommend you do not use powdered parmesan from a can as a substitute.
• lemon — lemon juice and lemon zest adds an irresistible brightness to the sauce.
• French’s fried onions — ok, I couldn’t change this from the traditional green bean casserole. I love these fried onions so much, I could eat them directly from the container!

How to Make The Best Green Bean Casserole

• Heat oven to 350F and prepare a large bowl of cold water with ice cubes.
• Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook until bright green and halfway to tenderness, about 3 minutes. You might have to do this in batches if you do not have a large enough pot.
• Immediately transfer the green beans to an ice bath and allow the beans to cool off. Drain well and trim stem ends.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Once the butter melts, add in the mushrooms. Cook mushrooms, leaving them untouched and only stirring occasionally until mushrooms are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add another tablespoon of butter and thyme and cook for another minute. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

• In the same skillet (no need to wipe it down), melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and cook, whisking throughout, until combined and golden brown, around 4 minutes.
• Slowly add in the whole milk, whisking throughout to help them combine. Then, repeat with the broth. Increase heat and bring to a simmer, continuing to whisk often, and cook until the sauce is creamy and has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. If it gets too thick, add more broth.
• Remove from heat and whisk the thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, parmesan, pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well combined.

• To a 6 qt baking dish, add the mushrooms and green beans.

• Pour the sauce over.
• Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover, give it a bit of a stir if desired, and continue to bake until the green bean casserole for 15 to 20 more minutes or until the top and edges are lightly browned.

• Add the French’s fried onions evenly over the top and continue to bake until the onions are crispy to your liking, about 5 minutes.
• Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips and Notes

• Trim your green beans before or after blanching. I usually trim them afterward as that’s something a helper can assist with while I work on the mushrooms and sauce.
• If you’re not sure if the butter and flour mixture is golden enough, it should smell mildly nutty. That’s when you know it’s ready.
• After blanching the green beans, make sure to drain them well or blot them with a paper towel to dry them. Otherwise, the green beans won’t be as crisp when you bake them.
• It’s optional to mix everything together in the casserole dish before baking. I simply layer the ingredients and pour the sauce on top and it works well for me.
• I like to add a bit of salt to the sauce but if you find the parmesan to be salty enough, no need to add it!
• For some extra lemony flavor, I love adding an extra quarter to half lemon’s juice over the green beans before adding the crispy onions. If you’re not a huge fan of lemony flavor, you can skip this tip.

Make Ahead Tips

More Side Dishes for the Holidays

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Hot Honey
• Boursin Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots
• Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes
• Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Cranberry Sauce

Holiday Recipes to Try

• Dutch Oven Pot Roast
• Dutch Oven Chicken
• Slow Cooker Whole Chicken
• Slow Cooker Turkey Breast
• Dutch Oven Turkey Breasts
• Spatchcock Chicken
• Roasted Half Chicken

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