Green Bean Casserole
This easy green bean casserole is made from scratch with fresh green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce and topped with crispy onions and buttery crumbs.
I’ve always loved eating green bean casserole on Thanksgiving! Even though I think the canned soup version is tasty, I prefer to make green bean casserole from scratch. I recently saw an episode of America’s Test Kitchen, making this easy green bean casserole recipe with big chunks of mushrooms in the sauce and using homemade buttery crumbs and fried onions for the topping. We all thought the sauce was decadent & creamy with a nice mushroom flavor and the topping was extra delicious!
Green Bean Casserole
Topping:
- 1½ slices of white sandwich bread, torn into large pieces
- 1 tbsp butter
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 1½ cups French’s fried onions
Casserole:
- 1½ tbsp butter
- ½ lb button mushrooms, stems trimmed and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ yellow onion, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1½ tbsp flour
- ¾ cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed and halved
How to Make a Green Bean Casserole
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
Make the topping by placing the torn bread, butter, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste in a food processor. Pulse 10 times to get nice buttery crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a dish then add the French’s fried onions and mix until well combined; set aside until needed.
Make the creamy mushroom sauce by heating the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Whisk in the chicken broth and heavy cream and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook for 5-6 minutes, until reduced and thickened. Taste the sauce then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Remove from the stovetop and set aside until needed.
Blanch the green beans in a large saucepan of well-salted boiling water for 5-6 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Immediately plunge the green beans into a large bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Side Note: If you are using haricot verts (French green beans), they will only need to blanch for a few minutes.
Dry the green beans by placing them on a few paper towels to soak up the water. Side Note: You don’t want wet green beans diluting your delicious creamy mushroom sauce!
Prepare the casserole by adding the dried green beans to the creamy mushroom sauce and mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Sprinkle the topping evenly on top, making sure to not press it down too firmly.
Place into the oven to bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the mushroom sauce is bubbling.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy.
Ingredients
Topping:
- 1½ slices of white sandwich bread torn into large pieces
- 1 tbsp butter
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1½ cups French's fried onions
Casserole:
- 1½ tbsp butter
- ½ lb button mushrooms stems trimmed and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- ¼ yellow onion diced
- 1 clove of garlic minced
- 1½ tbsp flour
- ¾ cup chicken broth or vegetable broth for vegetarian
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
- 1 lb green beans trimmed and halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.
- Make the topping by placing the torn bread, butter, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste in a food processor. Pulse 10 times to get nice buttery crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a dish then add the French's fried onions and mix until well combined; set aside until needed.
- Make the creamy mushroom sauce by heating the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- Whisk in the chicken broth and heavy cream and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook for 5-6 minutes, until reduced and thickened. Taste the sauce then season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Remove from the stovetop and set aside until needed.
- Blanch the green beans in a large saucepan of well-salted boiling water for 5-6 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Immediately plunge the green beans into a large bowl filled with ice water to stop the cooking process. Side Note: If you are using haricot verts (French green beans), they will only need to blanch for a few minutes.
- Dry the green beans by placing them on a few paper towels to soak up the water. Side Note: You don't want wet green beans diluting your delicious creamy mushroom sauce!
- Prepare the casserole by adding the dried green beans to the creamy mushroom sauce and mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly on top, making sure to not press it down too firmly.
- Place into the oven to bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the mushroom sauce is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy.
A very comforting and moreish side! The topping is the best 🙂
This post tells me that Thanksgiving must be close. I enjoy green bean casserole and like that this version is from scratch.
A great holiday treat. Love your recipe.