This green bean casserole from scratch is the Thanksgiving side without canned cream soup: blanched beans, a mushroom-garlic sauce, crispy onions. It is not cabbage casserole and not a chicken dinner. If you want the scratch holiday green beans, stay here.
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Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Green bean casserole from scratch with homemade mushroom sauce and crispy onions. From Olivia at Flavors.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
- 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter
- 8 oz (227g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons (24g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk or half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups (about 80g) crispy fried onions, divided
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Boil the beans in salted water 5 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain and ice-bath, then dry well.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium. Cook the mushrooms 6 to 8 minutes until they give off liquid and brown. Add the garlic for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir 1 minute. Whisk in the broth, then the milk. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce coats a spoon. Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce.
- Toss the beans with the sauce and 1/2 cup of the fried onions. Spread in the dish.
- Bake 20 minutes. Top with the remaining onions and bake 5 to 8 minutes more until the topping is deep golden. Rest 5 minutes.
Notes
Dry the beans or the sauce thins. Frozen green beans work if you thaw and dry them — skip the boil. Leftovers keep 3 days; add a handful of fresh onions when reheating so the top crisps again.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Side
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Scratch sauce, not canned soup
The classic canned-soup version is a different shortcut. This page stays on a mushroom roux so the keyword “from scratch” matches the method.
Substitutions
Shallot can replace garlic. Heavy cream makes a richer sauce — use 3/4 cup cream plus 1/4 cup broth. Store-bought fried onions are fine; homemade onion strings are optional, not required.
Mistakes to avoid
Do not skip drying the beans. Do not add all the onions at the start or they burn. Do not use cream of mushroom soup on this URL — that is not from scratch.
Storage
Assemble without the final onion topping up to 1 day ahead. Bake, then add onions at the end. Refrigerate leftovers 3 days.
Nutrition (estimated)
About 210 calories per serving. Estimate only, not a lab test.
FAQ
Can I use canned green beans?
You can, but drain and dry them well. Fresh or frozen taste better for a from-scratch page.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Assemble the beans and sauce a day ahead. Add the last onions in the final minutes of baking.
Is this a main dish?
No. It is a side. Pair it with chicken or a holiday roast.
Do I have to use fried onions?
They are the expected topping. Buttered breadcrumbs work in a pinch.