Description
A creamy, savory green bean casserole made with tender beans, a rich mushroom sauce, and a crispy fried onion topping. A classic holiday side dish perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday dinners.
Ingredients
2 lbs (900 g) fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (or 4 cups frozen, thawed)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz (225 g) mushrooms, sliced (optional but traditional)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups (360 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
1 ½ cups (360 ml) whole milk
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp soy sauce
1 cup (115 g) shredded cheddar or gruyere cheese (optional)
1 can (6 oz / 170 g) crispy fried onions, divided
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Blanch green beans in boiling salted water for 4–5 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp. Drain and shock in ice water. Set aside.
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onion for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and mushrooms, cook until mushrooms release liquid and brown (4–5 minutes).
Sprinkle flour over vegetables, stirring for 1–2 minutes. Slowly whisk in broth, then milk. Simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in salt, pepper, and soy sauce. Add cheese if using. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Combine green beans with sauce and transfer to baking dish. Top with half the fried onions.
Bake uncovered 20–25 minutes until bubbly. Remove, sprinkle remaining onions on top, and bake an additional 5 minutes until golden and crisp.
Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Use fresh beans for best texture, but frozen works in a pinch.
Tent with foil if topping browns too quickly.
Make ahead: Assemble casserole without onion topping, refrigerate up to 24 hours, then bake and finish with onions.
For shortcut version, replace homemade sauce with 2 cans cream of mushroom soup plus 1 cup milk.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
Keywords: green bean casserole, classic holiday casserole, creamy green bean bake, Thanksgiving green bean recipe