Green Bean Casserole is one of my all-time favorite, classic holiday dishes. With minimal prep, tender green beans are combined with a deliciously simple and creamy mushroom sauce. Topped with wonderful crispy onions and baked until golden and bubbly, this side dish comes together in no time and will be the hit of your holiday gatherings!
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let's talk green bean casserole
My Homemade Green Bean Casserole is so delicious and so easy, it will make this classic holiday side dish one of your favorites, too. I keep it simple using frozen, cut green beans. Fresh green bean prep is one of my most loathed kitchen chores so I do everything I can to avoid it. Frozen green beans are wonderful and easy, too. And, since green beans aren't in season during the holidays, in my opinion, frozen is the way to go.
Let's talk about this mushroom sauce for just a minute. My recipe requires zero canned cream of whatever. It's not needed and my version is way better. Mushroom, onions, and garlic are simply sautéed in butter to create a flavorful base. Add in a little flour, heavy cream, and broth and you have a sauce that is out of this world. Seriously. It's amazing. And, easy. It's a mushroom sauce win-win!
The topping of the casserole is also of vital importance. That lovely oniony crunch is mandatory. I use the classic fried onions from childhood and toss them with a little grated parmesan cheese.
All that's left to do is stick that bad boy in the oven until golden and bubbly. Like I said, it's so easy. And, just wait until you sink your teeth in it!
Ingredients
- Frozen, Cut Green Beans
- Onion
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Heavy Cream
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- Fried Onions
- AP Flour
- Salted Butter
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper
how to make green bean casserole
Before we begin our homemade green bean casserole, thaw out the bags of green beans. Once thawed, rinse the beans and remove any that look less than lovely. Sometimes I see a few that have a little freezer burn, so I just toss those. Nobody wants a freezer-burned bean. Nobody.
Now, over medium-high heat, sauté the onions and mushrooms in the salted butter until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes or until fragrant. Whisk in flour and cook for a couple minutes in order to get rid of the raw flour taste.
Next, slowly add your broth of choice and heavy cream. Whisk to prevent any clumps from forming and bring to a low simmer. Cook until the mixture starts to thicken a bit. Add in the thawed green beans and 1 cup of fried onions. Mix until combined and pour into a buttered 9 x 13 baking dish. Top with extra fried onions and grated parmesan (measure this with your heart). Bake at 350° until bubbly - this takes about 30 minutes.
BOOM. This Green Bean Casserole side dish is done! And, you can make this ahead and store in the freezer until you’re ready to use it!
frequently asked questions
Can I make this green bean casserole gluten-free?
You can make this green bean casserole recipe gluten-free! All you need to do is swap out the flour and the fried onions. Both of which are easy substitutes.
For the flour, use your favorite gluten-free AP Flour. You can even use a little cornstarch instead of the flour.
For the fried onions, there are several brands available that are gluten-free.
Can I freeze this casserole ahead of time?
This recipe is perfect for making ahead and freezing. Just follow the recipe instructions, but do not bake or add the fried onions on top. Cover with plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze.
Remove the green bean casserole from the freezer and let thaw in the refrigerator a day or two before you are ready to cook.
Once thawed, top with as much crunchy onion as your heart tells you and bake as normal!
This is exactly what I do every year to make my life easier!
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If you guys make this Green Bean Casserole recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
Recipe
Green Bean Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 10 oz bags frozen green beans, thawed I use the ones that are already cut
- 8 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 med onion, diced
- 1 8 oz container mushrooms, thinly sliced I used cremini, but any kind will work
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoon AP flour
- 1 cup fried onions
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken or veg stock
- kosher salt, to taste
- fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Casserole Topping
- 1 cup fried onion
- ½ cup parmesan, grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Sauté onions and mushrooms in the butter until softened. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in flour and whisk for a few minutes to cook out the raw flour taste.
- Add the fried onions and mix together.
- Slowly add the broth and cream, whisking continuously. Bring to a simmer and let the sauce thicken a bit. Check for salt and pepper. Add if needed.
- Add the thawed green beans and mix to combine.
- Pour the green bean mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Homemade Green Bean Casserole recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or review. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don't hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
-Rufus
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Ann says
I will never make green bean casserole the same again! This is amazing!
Rufus says
Thank you! So glad you liked it!