Green Bean Casserole

A holiday classic, made BETTER! This Homemade Green Bean Casserole has all the flavors of the traditional recipe, but is made with fresh green beans, grated Parmesan, and no canned soup. Hands down the best green bean casserole you’ll ever have!

I think it’s safe to say that most families have a “set” holiday menu. Whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas or maybe even Easter… there are certain foods that are pretty much guaranteed to be on the menu. And green bean casserole is one of them!

It’s one of my personal favorites… but to be fair, I’ve always made mine with fresh green beans. There’s just something about the flavor and crunch of fresh green beans that you can’t get with canned or frozen. And it’s one little change that makes all the difference in the flavor of the dish.

But this year, I decided why stop at just using fresh green beans? Why not make a homemade green bean casserole that’s all around BETTER than the original? Which is exactly what I did.

In addition to fresh green beans, this recipe uses fresh baby bella mushrooms and a homemade parmesan cream sauce. I decided to top it with the traditional French fried onions, although if you’re looking to go the extra mile, my crispy onion strings would be the perfect finishing touch.

Either way, this is literally the best green bean casserole you’ll ever taste. And it most definitely deserves a permanent spot on your holiday menu!

what you’ll need for this recipe

• Green beans – I started with 2 pounds fresh green beans, washed and trimmed. I kept the beans whole, but you could cut them in half if you prefer.
• Butter – I used 1/2 cup salted butter as the base of the sauce. Substitute unsalted if you prefer (to adjust the salt level, add an additional 1/4 teaspoon salt to the recipe.)
• Flour – I added 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour to thicken the sauce. To make this recipe gluten free, substitute a 1:1 gluten free flour OR use 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder.
• Mushrooms – I added 8 ounces chopped mushrooms to the sauce to mimic the condensed cream of mushroom soup that’s traditionally used. I used baby bella mushrooms, but you can use any type you like.
• Heavy cream – I used 1 1/2 cups heavy cream for the sauce. You can also use half & half, whole milk, or a combination.
• Salt & pepper – I added 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the sauce to bring out all the flavors.
• Parmesan – I used 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese for added flavor and thickness in the sauce.
• French fried onions – Finally, I topped the casserole the traditional way, with 2 cups French fried onions.

how to make green bean casserole

Prep the beans. Wash the green beans and trim the ends. Spread evenly in a 9×13 inch baking pan.

Make the roux. Heat a large skillet over medium low heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in the flour and continue cooking, stirring regularly, for 1-2 minutes.

Finish the sauce. Add the cream; stir just until it starts to bubble. Stir in the cheese and continue stirring for 1-2 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce starts to thicken and bubble.

Combine. Pour the sauce over the green beans in the pan. Stir until beans are evenly coated. Top with French fried onions.

Bake. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Check for doneness. If beans are still too crisp, cover with foil and continue baking for an additional 15 minutes.

make it in advance

To make Green Bean Casserole in advance, follow the instructions exactly as written up to step where you combine the green beans with the sauce. Once the green beans are coated in sauce, cover the pan with foil and refrigerate for up to one day in advance. When you’re ready to bake it, simply remove it from the fridge, top with French fried onions, and bake according to recipe instructions. Since the ingredients are cold, you may need to add a little extra baking time.