Name: Fresh & Creamy Green Bean Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans (rinsed, trimmed, and cut in half); Salt and black pepper; 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil; 1 medium shallot (minced); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 8 ounces button mushrooms (finely chopped); 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup vegetable broth; 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or regular milk; 1 ½ cups French’s French-fried onions

This homemade green bean casserole has everything you love about the classic French’s green bean casserole, with crisp-tender fresh green beans, a creamy mushroom sauce made from scratch, and plenty of French’s crispy fried onions on top. It’s ready in about 45 minutes and tastes brighter and fresher than the canned soup version.

A Quick Look At The Recipe

Recipe Name: Fresh & Creamy Green Bean Casserole
Serves: 8
Main Ingredients: fresh green beans, Salt and black pepper, butter or olive oil, shallot, garlic, button mushrooms, all-purpose flour, vegetable broth

This one is a family favorite at Thanksgiving, and it holds its own on a table full of Thanksgiving side dishes.

A Fresh Take on the Classic French’s Green Bean Casserole

Most of us grew up on the version made with canned green beans and condensed cream of mushroom soup, and there’s nothing wrong with that one. But once you make the sauce yourself with real mushrooms, shallot, and garlic, it’s hard to go back. The flavor is deeper, the sauce is silkier, and the green beans stay crisp-tender instead of sinking into a soft pile.

It doesn’t take much more work than the classic, either. You blanch the beans, make a quick mushroom sauce in an oven-safe skillet, stir everything together with some of the French’s onions, and bake it with the rest of the onions on top.

If you’re still planning the rest of the meal, my list of the best Thanksgiving menu ideas has everything from the turkey to dessert.

Ingredients for Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Fresh green beans: Trim them and cut them in half so they’re easy to eat. Fresh beans are what keep this casserole from turning mushy, and if you want to learn more about prepping them, my guide on how to cook fresh green beans covers it.
Mushrooms: Finely chopped button mushrooms cook down into a rich sauce that tastes like homemade cream of mushroom soup. Cremini mushrooms work too and add a little more flavor.
Shallot and garlic: These build the flavor base for the sauce. A small yellow onion works if you don’t have a shallot.
Vegetable broth and milk: Together with a little flour, they turn into a creamy sauce. Regular milk or unsweetened almond milk both work.
French’s fried onions: Some get stirred into the sauce and the rest go on top, so you get onion flavor all the way through and that classic crunchy topping.

You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.

Helpful Tips Before You Start

Don’t skip the ice bath. Plunging the blanched green beans into ice water stops the cooking right away, which keeps them bright green and crisp-tender after baking.
Chop the mushrooms finely. Small pieces cook down faster and give you a smoother, more spoonable sauce.
Whisk the liquid in slowly. Adding the broth and milk a little at a time keeps the sauce smooth and lump-free.
Save most of the onions for the top. Stirring in about a third of the onions flavors the sauce, while the rest stay crisp on top.
Use an oven-safe skillet. You can make the sauce, stir in the beans, and bake it all in one pan, which means one less dish to wash on a holiday when the oven is already full of Jiffy corn casserole and rolls.

How to Make Homemade Green Bean Casserole

1. Blanch the Green Beans

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for about 5 minutes, until they’re bright green and tender but still a little crisp, then use a slotted spoon to move them to an ice water bath. If you’re new to blanching, my post on how long to cook fresh green beans walks through the timing.

2. Start the Mushroom Sauce

Heat the butter or olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant.

Sautéing shallots and garlic in a large skillet with butter

Add the finely chopped mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until they’re lightly browned.

Finely chopped mushrooms in a skillet with shallots and garlic

3. Build the Sauce

Sprinkle in the flour and stir to coat the vegetables, then cook for about a minute to get rid of the raw flour taste.

Whisking flour into the mushroom, garlic, and shallot mix for the green bean casserole

Slowly whisk in the vegetable broth, followed by the milk, and keep whisking until it starts to bubble and thicken. Season with salt and pepper and let it simmer on low for 5 to 7 minutes, until it looks like a thick, spoon-coating cream of mushroom soup.

Whisking in vegetable broth to the skillet of veggies

4. Add the Onions and Green Beans

Take the skillet off the heat and stir in about a third of the crispy onions so they melt into the sauce.

Adding crispy onions to the green bean casserole sauce

Add the green beans and toss until everything is evenly coated.

Adding green beans to the green bean casserole sauce

5. Bake

Top with the remaining onions and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, until it’s hot, bubbly, and golden on top. Serve it right away while the onions are at their crispiest.

How to Make It the Classic Way

If you’re short on time or you just love the casserole you grew up with, you can make it the classic French’s way. Skip the homemade sauce and use a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup thinned with a splash of milk, then stir in canned or thawed frozen green beans and the fried onions. Check the back of the French’s container for their exact measurements and bake time.

Because canned green beans are already soft, the classic version will be a little creamier and less crisp than this one. I still think a lot of folks would be happy with either on the table. And if you need a simple green bean side without the casserole, my last minute green beans are another easy option.

What to Serve With Green Bean Casserole

Taking a spoonful of green bean casserole from the baking dish

For Thanksgiving: crock pot turkey breast with easy turkey gravy, marshmallow sweet potato casserole, and homemade dinner rolls
For Christmas or Easter: baked ham with cheesy hash brown casserole
For Sunday supper: butter roasted chicken or slow cooker pot roast with squash casserole
For dessert: a slice of pecan pie

Make-Ahead, Storage, and Reheating

Making it ahead

You can blanch the green beans and make the mushroom sauce up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the fridge. When you’re ready, stir them together, top with the onions, and bake, adding a few extra minutes since everything starts cold. Waiting to add the onions until right before baking keeps them crisp, and make-ahead sides like this and my freezer mashed potatoes take a lot of pressure off Thanksgiving morning.

Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The onions will soften, but the flavor stays delicious. Reheat it in the oven for the best texture, and add a handful of fresh onions on top if you want the crunch back.

Green Bean Casserole FAQs

Can I use canned or frozen green beans?

You can, but fresh green beans make a noticeable difference. Canned beans are already soft, so the casserole will be mushier. Frozen green beans are a better shortcut, just thaw and pat them dry first.

Can I add cheese?

Absolutely. A handful of shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack stirred into the sauce, or a sprinkle of panko on top, both kick it up a notch, a little like the cheesy topping on my squash casserole.

How do I boost the flavor of the sauce?

A teaspoon or two of soy sauce adds savory depth to mushroom sauces, and it’s an old trick that works really well here.

Can I make it dairy-free?

Yes. Use olive oil instead of butter, vegetable broth, and an unsweetened dairy-free milk like almond milk.

Can I double it for a crowd?

Yes. Double everything and bake it in a 9×13 dish. It may need a few extra minutes in the oven to heat all the way through.

More Green Bean and Holiday Side Recipes