Green Bean Casserole from Scratch (Fresh + Homemade)
Green Bean Casserole from Scratch is creamy, savory, and easy to make, loaded with fresh ingredients and topped with a golden Parmesan-Panko crust for a perfect upgrade to the traditional holiday side dish that’s sure to impress your family and guests!
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This recipe would be a lovely accompaniment to Maple-Glazed Turkey with Bacon, Juicy Crockpot Turkey Breast, or Citrus-Glazed Cornish Hens!
Green Bean Casserole from Scratch isn’t your typical can of soup + can of fried onions recipe. Rather, it’s a fresh, homemade version of the traditional green bean casserole that’s loaded with flavor and topped with a golden, garlicky shower of breadcrumbs and Parmesan. This recipe is certainly a nod to the classic, but it’s an elevated variation loaded with real, fresh ingredients that just might make you forget all about your old recipe. 😉
When it comes to holiday side dishes, there’s something undeniably traditional about a green bean casserole, with its creamy mushroom sauce and crunchy topping. But if you’re looking to take this Thanksgiving and Christmas staple to the next level, Green Bean Casserole from Scratch does just that! And despite being 100% fresh and homemade, this recipe surprisingly easy to make!
Ingredients
The key to this dish is real ingredients. No canned soups here— just fresh mushrooms, garlic, and a smooth, homemade sauce that’s both rich and savory. I’ve adapted the topping as well to keep it as quick and easy as possible using simple ingredients!
- Fresh green beans. Trimmed and cut in half. The first time I tested this recipe, I neglected to cut the green beans in half and they were really hard to stir and eat! You can use regular green beans or French green beans (haricot verts), but keep in mind that the latter will cook more quickly since they’re much skinnier. And you can opt to boil your green beans in chicken broth instead of water for an extra boost of flavor. However, rather than burning through a couple boxes of chicken broth for this purpose, I typically use water + a big scoop of Organic Chicken Better than Bouillon instead.
- White mushrooms. Cleaned and chopped, for earthy, savory flavor. You can swap in cremini mushrooms if you prefer.
- Garlic. Minced. Feel free to add more if you’re a garlic lover!
- Butter + olive oil. For sautéing the mushrooms and garlic. You’ll also stir a bit of olive oil into the breadcrumb topping, which will help it turn crunchy in the oven.
- Flour. The thickener for the sauce.
- Chicken broth or stock. The base of the sauce. I prefer using low-sodium chicken broth so that I have final control over the saltiness of my dish.
- Half-and-half. To add creaminess and silkiness to the sauce. If you don’t have half-and-half, you can make your own by combining equal parts whole milk and heavy cream (so ½ cup milk + ½ cup cream for this particular recipe).
- Worcestershire sauce. For an umami boost.
- Salt + freshly-ground black pepper. To taste.
- Panko breadcrumbs. For a perfectly crunchy topping that’s the ideal contrast to the creamy casserole! I look for Panko breadcrumbs with straightforward ingredients, which often means organic.
- Parmesan. Freshly grated. Because what breadcrumb topping isn’t improved by a little cheese? 😉
- Garlic powder. For flavor.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
(The below photos are intended to be helpful, but please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for FULL DIRECTIONS.)
This recipe may seem like it would be complicated, but it’s actually quite straightforward. With just a few steps, your Green Bean Casserole from Scratch will be bubbling in the oven before you know it!
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350°F and position a rack in the center.
- Cook the green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water (or chicken broth) to a boil. Add the green beans, reduce to a simmer, and cook for up to 15 minutes, depending on how tender you like your green beans. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté the mushrooms. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the olive oil and butter together over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms and garlic for around 5 minutes, give or take, until the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated.
- Make the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and season the sautéed mushrooms with salt and pepper, to taste. Then sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring continuously, for about 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, followed by the half-and-half and the Worcestershire sauce.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sauce has nicely thickened.
- Combine. Add the drained green beans to the pot and stir until they’re well coated in the sauce. Transfer the mixture to a 9- by 13-inch baking dish, smoothing it into an even layer.
- Make the topping. In a medium bowl, mix the Panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, and olive oil. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the casserole.
- Bake. Pop in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbly.
Serve and enjoy!
And FYI, your leftover Green Bean Casserole from Scratch will keep in the fridge for 3 to 5 days...you know, for any post-Thanksgiving munchies. 😉
Green Bean Texture Preferences
Some people prefer their casserole to have crisp green beans. Some people prefer green beans that are very soft and tender. And some people prefer a happy middle ground! So regardless of your preference, you can make this Green Bean Casserole from Scratch to your liking!
- For crisp green beans that retain their bright green color, you'll need to quickly blanch them. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the green beans, and cook for 5 minutes before immediately draining them and plunging into ice water to halt the cooking process.
- For green beans with a moderate amount of bite, simmer them (as directed in the recipe) for 10 minutes.
- For soft and tender green beans, simmer for a full 15 minutes.
Just keep in mind that after you boil your beans, you'll be baking them for 20 minutes longer in the oven. So the final green beans will end up a bit more tender than they are immediately after boiling.
Also remember that if you use skinny and delicate French green beans/haricot verts, they are going to reach tenderness in about half the time as compared to regular green beans.
Other Topping Options
I developed this Green Bean Casserole from Scratch recipe with an alternative topping to the traditional French friend onions because I wanted to stick with the "real ingredient" concept as much as possible...and it can be hard to find store-bought French fried onions with decent ingredients!
That being said, if you want to make the mushroom sauce from scratch and still top your green bean casserole with French fried onions, be my guest! There are a few organic French fried onion options out there with "better" ingredients that you might be able to find if you get lucky.
Just note that French fried onions will brown more quickly than a breadcrumb topping. So if going the onion route, cover your casserole with foil during baking and only remove the foil for the final 5 minutes of cooking time.
You could also choose to make your own homemade French fried onions if you're feeling particularly ambitious! But an easier (no-fry) option for incorporating onions would be to fold some caramelized onions into the green bean/mushroom sauce mixture and then top with breadcrumbs and bake as directed. 🙂
Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole
If you're the type who prefers to prep as many recipes as possible before the actual holiday, this Green Bean Casserole from Scratch definitely has steps that you can knock out ahead of time!
One or two days before you plan on baking it:
- Cook the green beans.
- Make the mushroom sauce.
- Combine the two and transfer to your baking dish.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
- One hour before baking, remove the baking dish from the fridge to the counter and allow it to come to room temperature.
- Preheat the oven. If the mushroom sauce seems to have settled at the bottom of the dish, give your room-temp casserole a stir to redistribute everything and coat the green beans.
- Quickly mix up the breadcrumb/Parm topping and sprinkle over the casserole.
- Bake as directed.
Traditionalists as well as those looking for a fresh twist on the classic can agree…this Green Bean Casserole from Scratch delivers BIG on both flavor and comfort!
It’s the perfect addition to any holiday menu and it just might become a new family favorite. I hope y’all love it! 🙂
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes (including other ideas for green beans!)
- Green Bean Bundles with Bacon + Brown Sugar Glaze
- Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
- Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes
- Creamy Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Gruyère Scalloped Potatoes
- Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Casserole
- Ultimate Cornbread Casserole
- Thanksgiving Salad
- Cranberry Sauce with Orange + Cherry
Green Bean Casserole from Scratch (Fresh + Homemade!)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans, cleaned, trimmed, & cut in half
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
For the Topping:
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Place rack in center position of oven and preheat to 350°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water (or chicken broth) to a boil. Add the green beans and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes (see NOTES). Drain and set aside.
- Set a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter until melted; swirl the pan. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium and season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste.
- Sprinkle the mushrooms with the flour and cook for two minutes, stirring continuously.
- Slowly and gradually whisk in the chicken broth until smooth, and then stir in the half-and-half and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook (whisking regularly) for about 5 minutes or until nicely thickened. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt and/or pepper if necessary.
- Add the drained green beans to the pot of mushroom sauce; stir to combine until all of the beans are coated with sauce. Transfer the mixture to a 9- by 13-inch (3-quart) baking dish, smoothing the green beans into an even layer.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the Panko breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan, garlic powder, and olive oil until well-combined. Evenly sprinkle the mixture over the green beans in the baking dish.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly with a golden-brown topping.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Notes
- You may opt to boil your green beans in chicken broth for extra flavor. Rather than using a couple boxes of chicken broth, I typically use water + a big spoonful of Organic Chicken Better than Bouillon instead.
- My family prefers their green beans pretty tender, so I boil them for the full 15 minutes. For beans with more bite, boil them for just 10 minutes instead. Or if you prefer very crisp green beans in your casserole, you can blanch your beans by boiling them for 5 minutes, draining, and then plunging into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking process.
- If you use French green beans (AKA, haricot verts), keep in mind that since they’re skinner and more delicate than regular beans, they will become tender more quickly (in about half the time).
- I recommend making the mushroom sauce in a large pot or Dutch oven (rather than a skillet or pan) so that after the sauce is done, there’s room to stir in and coat the cooked green beans before transferring everything to the baking dish.
- If you’re a green bean casserole traditionalist, you may substitute a 6-ounce container of French fried onions for the breadcrumb topping. However, fried onions will brown more quickly than breadcrumbs, so cover the baking dish with foil before popping it into the oven and then remove the foil for only the final 5 minutes of cooking time.
- Mixing caramelized onions into the mushroom mixture before topping the casserole with the breadcrumb mixture is another option.
- MAKE-AHEAD INSTRUCTIONS (up to 2 days ahead of time): (1) Cook the green beans. (2) Make the mushroom sauce. (3) Combine the two and transfer to baking dish; cover and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. (4) One hour before baking, remove the baking dish from the fridge to the counter and allow it to come to room temperature. (5) Preheat the oven and give the green beans a stir if it looks like the mushroom sauce has settled at the bottom. (6) Mix up the breadcrumb/Parm topping and sprinkle over the casserole. (7) Bake as directed.
