An Easy Green Bean Casserole Recipe made from scratch with fresh green beans coated in a creamy homemade mushroom sauce and topped with crispy fried onions, a delicious American side dish that is very popular for Thanksgiving. It's a wonderful way to make green beans more exciting with simple ingredients that are readily available.
This homemade version of the classic Thanksgiving side dish skips the canned mushroom soup in favour of a rich, creamy mushroom sauce that is made from scratch and uses fresh green beans for a much lighter, flavourful side that will have everyone ask for seconds.
It's a great addition to your Thanksgiving Dinner Menu, although it can also be enjoyed during the festive season too. Unlike my sauteed green beans, which rely on garlic and fresh herbs for flavour, this casserole is a lot fancier, although equally delicious, if you ask me.
I do love green beans, and I think they are far from boring, even when cooked with minimal ingredients. They add a lovely pop of colour on any table, and can be paired with so many other ingredients.
And if you like green beans, I have another fantastic side dish for Thanksgiving: green bean bundles, which are wrapped in bacon for extra flavour and deliciousness.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- green beans - they are the star ingredient of this dish. The fresh green beans hold their shape well after cooking and have a lovely flavour
- mushrooms - add a wonderful earthy flavour to the sauce. Sautee them until to develop their flavour and remove excess moisture
- butter - adds richness to the sauce and provides the base for cooking the mushrooms
- fresh garlic - cuts through the richness of the sauce and adds tons of flavour
- flour - thickens the sauce that coats the green beans nicely
- single cream - or half half, makes the sauce creamy and rich. I tested the recipe with double cream / heavy cream too, but I found that the sauce was too rich
- chicken stock / broth - adds flavour and prevents the sauce from becoming too heavy
- dijon mustard & Worcestershire sauce - balance out the richness of the sauce by adding a tangy touch
- parmesan - adds a salty, sharp kick to the sauce
- salt & pepper - essential for seasoning and bringing all the flavours together
- crispy fried onions - the finishing touch! They add a lovely texture and golden colour that contrast nicely with the tender green beans and creamy sauce
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- trim the green beans and cut them into half or third, depending on their size
- blanch them in salted boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain the water and set them aside
- in a large frying pan, add the butter and allow it to melt
- add the sliced mushrooms and fry them until golden and all the liquid released has been evaporated
- add the peeled and chopped garlic, and fry for a further 1 minute
- sprinkle over the flour and mix well to coat the mushrooms
- pour in the stock, cream, add the dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and parmesan, and mix well to get a creamy sauce
- season to taste, then add the green beans
- mix well to coat the green beans in the creamy sauce
- transfer everything to an ovenproof dish and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes
- sprinkle over the crispy fried onions and return the dish to the oven for a further 5 minutes until golden and bubbling hot
Expert tips
A lot of green beans casserole recipes require the green beans to be blanched for 4-5 minutes only, however, I find that, even though the green beans do cook further in the oven, they still have a bite to it.
If you like veggies with a bite, then they can be blanched for less, but, if like me, you like them tender, the 10 minutes are just enough to make the tender, while still keeping their shape and colour.
Always sprinkle the flour before adding the liquid to the sauce, in this way, the sauce stays smooth as the flour coats the mushrooms nicely. If the flour is added after the liquid, it can become lumpy.
Don't add the crispy fried onions from the beginning, or they can burn and get a bitter taste. Added towards the end helps keep their golden colour and crispiness.
Recipe Faqs
Fresh green beans are my first choice because the have a better flavour and texture, and they hold their shape well after cooking. While the canned beans are already cooked and do not require blanching, they can become mushy after baking.
I prefer making my sauce from scratch, it has much fresher, richer flavour, and it only requires a few simple ingredients. The canned soup can make the sauce heavier and too rich.
It is important to drain the green beans really well before adding them to the sauce. Cook the mushrooms well until all the liquid released is evaporated. Do not skip adding flour, it thickens the sauce nicely and coats the green beans really well.
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Easy Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 440 g fresh green beans (15.5 oz)
- 30 g butter (2 tbsp)
- 150 g white mushrooms, sliced (5 oz)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon plain flour
- 160 ml chicken stock (broth, 5 floz)
- 200 ml single cream (half half, 7 floz)
- 3 tablespoon grated parmesan
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 60 g crispy fried onions (2 oz)
Instructions
- Trim the green beans and cut them into half or third, depending on their size.
- Blanch the green beans in salted boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain the water well and set them aside.
- In a large frying pan, add the butter and allow it to melt.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and fry them until golden and all the liquid released has been evaporated.
- Add the peeled and chopped garlic, and fry for a further 1 minute.
- Sprinkle over the flour and mix well to coat the mushrooms.
- Pour over the stock, cream, add the dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and parmesan, and mix well to get a creamy sauce.
- Season the sauce to taste, then add the green beans.
- Mix well to coat the green beans in the creamy sauce.
- Transfer everything to an ovenproof dish and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 20 minutes.
- Sprinkle over the crispy fried onions and return the dish to the oven for a further 5 minutes until golden and bubbling hot.
Notes
- If you like veggies with a bite, then the green beans can be blanched for 5 minutes, but, if like me, you like them tender, the 10 minutes are just enough to make the tender, while still keeping their shape and colour.
- Always sprinkle the flour before adding the liquid to the sauce, in this way, the sauce stays smooth as the flour coats the mushrooms nicely. If the flour is added after the liquid, it can become lumpy.
- Don't add the crispy fried onions from the beginning, or they can burn and get a bitter taste. Added towards the end helps keep their golden colour and crispiness.
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