Best Green Bean Casserole Recipe - How To Make Green Bean Casserole

Oct 17, 2024

I firmly believe that Thanksgiving dinner isn’t complete without green bean casserole. We have plenty of versions of this classic casserole, including a gluten-free version, a slow-cooker version, and even a vegan version. This tried-and-tested recipe is my most classic version of the Thanksgiving side. I ditched the cream of mushroom soup for a homemade cream sauce and fresh sautéed mushrooms, but don’t worry—this dish is still super-simple to make. You only need 8 ingredients and a little over an hour to make it. Keep reading on for my top tips to make this classic side dish the best it can be.

What People Are Saying:"Once you have this, you'll never be able to go back to the Campbell's gray sodium laden sludge & soggy canned green beans recipe! This is amazing! Your whole family will change their minds about green bean casserole." - CyanCarrot

"This is the best green bean casserole I've ever made! It was easy enough that I could read it through twice, and then just make the dish without having to refer to the text of the recipe! It turned out great, my family ate it up! Without using a can of condensed soup, I could control the amount of salt...this made from scratch sauce tastes more mushroomy than a can of condensed soup!" - GreenBike

The very first step is blanching the green beans. This may seem a little fussy, but it's the best way to start cooking the beans to preserve their crispy texture and bright green color as they continue to bake in the oven. It's easy, but just requires a little setup. Cook the beans in salted water for a few minutes, then immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. That's it!

On to the aromatics! This is what takes this casserole truly over the top. Cook sliced onions in butter until just starting to soften, anywhere from 7 to 10 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and let everyone get to know each other. Make it even better by adding some garlic; in my opinion, the more, the merrier. Your kitchen will smell amazing. Pour the aromatics into the bowl with the blanched beans.

Time for the sauce. No need to wipe out the pot, just melt a stick of butter, then toast the flour.

Slowly pour in the milk and whisk, letting the sauce come to a simmer, until nicely thickened. Be sure to taste for salt and pepper.

Add to bowl with beans, stir to combine, then transfer to a 13" x 9" baking dish. Spread in the dish, then bake until everything is bubbly, which should take just 30 minutes.

Time for the fried onions! Return to the oven and bake until the onions are just warmed through, about 5 minutes more.

Note: The full list of ingredients and directions can be found in the recipe below.

Save some time (and oven space) on the busy holiday by making this Thanksgiving side ahead of time. Simply assemble the casserole (without the fried onions), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 4 days or until you're ready to bake!

Some tips: Make sure to let it cool to room temp before baking, or add a couple minutes to your timer to adjust to the colder temp. Whatever you do, DON'T forget to add the fried onions until after the first round of baking. If they're added before refrigerating, they'll get soggy instead of having that signature crispy crunch.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container (or cover your casserole dish with storage wrap) before refrigerating. This side will last up to 4 days refrigerated (look through our Thanksgiving leftovers ideas for some creative inspo for what to do with them), and leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or oven.

Kosher salt

green beans, trimmed

(1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided

yellow onions, thinly sliced

cremini mushrooms, sliced

Freshly ground black pepper

cloves garlic, finely chopped

(60 g.) all-purpose flour

whole milk

French's fried onions

Let us know how it went in the comments!

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