Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Lyuba’s Recipe Highlights
I’ve been making this casserole for over a decade, testing small details every holiday season. This version delivers restaurant-quality flavor with home-cooked simplicity in a rich and savory sauce, crisp green beans, and a perfect crunch in every bite.
- Make ahead friendly (great for holiday menu planning!)
- Gluten-free adaptable and dairy free adaptable
- This recipe is completely homemade but there are a couple of shortcuts.
Featured Comment
I made this last weekend for a potluck and it was a hit! Everyone wanted the recipe! It’s much better then the recipes made with canned mushroom soup. ~Alice
Absolutely fantastic! I got rave reviews for this. Usually, when I do the holiday cooking, I am so hyped, or tired, that I don’t taste anything for some reason. Well, here it is, 3AM, two days later and I am enjoying these immensely. Thank you a wonderful recipe. ~Kristine
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Green beans – use fresh green beans and some stores even have green beans that are snipped so you can save some time on the prep.
Heavy whipping cream – while this will give you the best rich, creamy and thickened texture, you can use just half and half instead of whole milk and heavy whipping cream mixture. Note that you may need to slightly increase the amount of flour.
Fried onions – I made sure to include a recipe for fried onion as well as an option to use store-bought. You can choose either way, I’ve tested both and use both methods to this day, depending on time I have available.
Gluten-free substitution: use GF all purpose flour in sauce + onions. While some stores do carry gluten free fried onions, you may have to make homemade using GF all purpose flour.
Dairy-free or vegan: substitute coconut cream (NOT cream of coconut) or unsweetened almond or oat cream.
How Do You Blanch Green Beans Perfectly?
WHY? This step is very important to preserve the gorgeous, bright green color and the crisp. You can blanch green beans ahead of time up to 2 days and refrigerate until ready to use.
Quick Overview: Boil 2 minutes | Ice bath 2 minutes | Pat dry | Store up to 2 days.
Snip the ends off green beans where the bean attached to the vine, if needed. Some stores have already snipped green beans, you can take advantage of that. Prepare ice water bowl before blanching green beans so it’s ready.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and drop green beans in it. Boil them for about 1-2 minutes. Don’t overcook or they will be too soft! Right away, use a skimmer or long metal tongs to take green beans out of the hot water and immediately into the ice water.
Cool for a minute or two, spread them out onto a clean kitchen towel (or paper towels) to pat dry. You can now use them or store them in the refrigerator!
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
Step 1 – Want to Make Fried Onions? Slice onions thinly, place them into a bowl and cover with buttermilk. Let them soak for 10-15 minutes. While soaking, prepare the coating, frying oil, and spread a couple of layers of paper towels on a baking sheet. Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy skillet to 350°F (175°C) — test by dropping in one onion; it should sizzle immediately.
Take out batches of onions from buttermilk and shake them off. Toss in the seasoned flour mixture and fry in small batches for 1–2 minutes, until golden brown. Use a metal strainer to take out onions onto the paper towels. Spread out to cool, and don’t cover — they’ll crisp as they rest.
Step 2 – Make the Creamy Mushroom Sauce: Heat a large pan with oil. Add sliced onions; cook until translucent. Add mushrooms; cook until golden. Stir in garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant (few seconds). Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir to coat. Coating vegetables with flour evenly helps prevent lumps in sauce or gravy. Slowly whisk in milk and heavy cream as you’re constantly stir. Salt and pepper to taste; simmer until thickened, about 5–7 minutes.
Expert tip: The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon without dripping.
Step 3 – assemble and bake: Preheat oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Combine blanched beans, mushroom sauce, and ½ cup fried onions in the dish. Stir to coat evenly. Cover with foil and bake 35–40 minutes, depending on desired bean texture. Remove foil, top with remaining onions, and bake 7–10 minutes more until golden and bubbly.
Can You Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time?
There are some ways to save some time and prepare this dish ahead of time:
- To save 10 minutes, you can blanch green beans ahead of time and refrigerate for a day or two.
- Fry onions and store them when cooled in a large air-tight container, in a cool and dry plate, for a day. If you need to keep them longer, it’s best to refrigerate. Crisp them back up in the oven at 375°F, spread in one even layer on a large baking and bake for just a few minutes.
- Assemble the whole casserole (without topping) up to 24 hours ahead. (Don’t add the fried onions.) Cover air-tight and store in the refrigerator!
- When ready to bake, let the casserole sit on the counter while the oven is preheating, add onions on top and bake. Note, you may need to add a few extra minutes to bake time.
Storage Tips
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat covered at 350°F for 10–15 minutes or microwave individual portions.
Freezing: While I don’t recommend it, it is possible. Assemble without onions on top; wrap tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge overnight before baking as directed.
Expert freezing note: the creamy mushroom sauce will be thinner when thawed and there is a chance for sauce breaking, so be ready for a texture difference.
Recipe FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to blanch frozen green beans?
No, you do not have to blanch store-bought frozen green beans because they most likely have already been blanched before freezing (check packaging). You can cook them directly from frozen, but thaw them first and dry off excess moisture. (If you blanched and froze fresh green beans yourself, no need to blanch them again once thawed.)
Why is my sauce watery?
It likely hasn’t simmered long enough after adding milk. Continue whisking until it thickens to coat the spoon. If you substituted heavy whipping cream for anything with less fat, it will affect the thickness of the sauce. So if you plan to substitute, use 1 extra tablespoon of flour in sauce.
What is I have lumps in the mushroom sauce?
No big deal, break them up and whisk until smooth. It’s pretty easy to work out the lumps since it’s just clumps of trapped flour.
Can I make it vegan or dairy-free?
Yes — substitute coconut cream for whole milk and heavy whipping cream. Another option is unsweetened plant based creamer.
How far in advance can I prepare this?
Up to 24 hours in the fridge, or freeze unbaked up to 3 months.
Can I use store-bought fried onions?
Absolutely! I often use store-bought French fried onions to save time. You’ll need a 6 oz package.
What can I serve with green bean casserole?
Perfect with roast turkey, baked ham, roast chicken, sweet potato casserole, garlic mashed potatoes, or any classic holiday entrée.
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Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs green beans
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 small yellow onion
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms
- 4 garlic cloves
- 5 tbsp all purpose flour*
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Salt
- Fresh cracked black pepper
Homemade Fried Onions:
- 2 large yellow onions thinly sliced
- 2 cups low fat buttermilk
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1-2 tsp coarse kosher salt less if using table salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
Homemade Fried Onions:
- Slice two large yellow onions thinly and place them into a bowl. Thin slicing is key to crispy onions. Cover with low fat buttermilk and let them soak for 10-15 minutes.
- While soaking, prepare the coating by mixing flour with coarse kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Preheat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy skillet to 350°F and spread a couple of layers of paper towels on a baking sheet.
- Take out batches of onions from buttermilk and shake off excess of buttermilk. Toss in the seasoned flour mixture and fry in small batches for 1–2 minutes, until golden brown.
- Use a metal strainer to take out onions onto the paper towels. Spread them out to cool, and don’t cover so they stay crispy.
Blanch Green beans:
- Snip the ends off green beans where the bean attached to the vine. You can cut green beans in half or leave them whole.
- Prepare ice water bowl by combining cold water and a couple of cups of ice in a large mixing bowl.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and drop green beans in it. Boil them for about 3-4 minutes (depending on thickness).
- Take green beans out of the hot water and immediately into the ice water.
- After green beans have cooled, take them out onto a paper towel to pat dry.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce:
- Preheat a large cooking pan over medium heat.
- Slice onions and mushrooms thinly.
- Add oil to the pan and onions. Saute until transparent.
- Add mushrooms and cook until mostly done.
- Mince or press garlic and add it to the pan. Cook until fragrant.
- Sprinkle flour over the veggies and stir until veggies are coated in flour.
- Start slowly pouring in milk while whisking continuously. Pour in heavy whipping while while still stirring. Continue to stir slowly as the mixture thickens.
- Season with salt, and pepper and cook for a couple of minutes. Take off heat.
Assemble Casserole:
- Preheat oven to 375℉ and lightly grease a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Add green beans into the casserole dish, pour in mushroom cream sauce, and add 1/2 cup of fried onions. Mix everything together until evenly incorporated.
- Cover with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes, depending if you want green beans crunchier or softer.
- Take the pan out and carefully take off the foil. Spread remaining fried onions over the top and bake for another 7-10 minutes.
Video
Notes
- French’s Fried Onions shortcut – to use store-bought, get a 6 oz package of fried onions. If you need to keep them gluten free, you can get gluten free fried onions that many grocery stores do have in stock, especially during the holiday season.
If making homemade fried onions, use gluten free all purpose flour instead of regular flour. - Storing: Store leftover green bean casserole in an air-tight food storage container, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- To reheat it: you can reheat individual portions in the microwave, in 30 second increments. You can also reheat it in the oven at 350℉ until just hot.
- Make ahead: blanch green beans and store them in the refrigerator or freeze them. Fry onions and store them in a large air-tight container, in a cool and dry plate, for a day. To keep them longer, refrigerate. Crisp them back up in the oven at 375℉.
Nutrition
Some More Holiday Side Dish Recipes
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in October 2018.
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Categories:
Christmas Dinner Recipes, Easter Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, Seasonal Recipes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes, Vegetables,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I made this last weekend for a potluck and it was a hit! Everyone wanted the recipe! It’s much better then the recipes made with canned mushroom soup.
I am so glad everyone liked it, Alice!
Absolutely fantastic! I got rave reviews for this. Usually, when I do the holiday cooking, I am so hyped, or tired, that I don’t taste anything for some reason. Well, here it is, 3AM, two days later and I am enjoying these immensely. Thank you a wonderful recipe.
Kristine, I am so glad your enjoying it! 🙂
Your pictures are gorgeous! I need these green beans in my life. lol Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Thank you, Glenda! I hope you give them a try! 🙂