Green Bean Casserole Recipe from Scratch

Our green bean casserole recipe is an upgraded version of the beloved classic. We’re using fresh green beans, fresh mushrooms, and a homemade sauce to make the perfect side dish! Once you try this from scratch version, you won’t go back to the canned soup filled version of yesteryear. With detailed instructions, step-by-step photos, tips for success, instructions for a make ahead option, you’ll be able to successfully make this delicious side dish for your Thanksgiving celebrations or anytime the mood strikes!

Green bean casserole has always been my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. One year my aunties decided they didn’t feel like making it, and my then middle-school aged cousin and I nearly rioted and declared we’d make it ourselves (because obviously we couldn’t have Thanksgiving without green bean casserole!).

After college, I was still the designated green bean casserole person. I started this journey by making a crockpot version of the same old thing with canned green beans and canned soup… and it was fine, and people still loved it. But I began to crave something… fresher.

I’ve tried several versions of this side with fresh green beans over the years and often didn’t like it. Primarily because the green beans were still crunchy, which wasn’t enjoyable to eat. But after some intentional experimentation, we’ve finally nailed the perfect green bean casserole from scratch with great textures and fresh flavor!

What You’ll Need for Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

• Fresh Green Beans. You just really can’t beat fresh green beans! We trim and cut our green beans into nice bite-sized pieces, pre-boil (aka blanch) them, and then they finish cooking with the rest of our casserole ingredients for the perfect texture.
• Fresh Mushrooms. Since we’re skipping the cream of mushroom soup, we use fresh mushrooms to add some rich umami flavor and nice texture to our dish. I love using a cremini/cafe mushroom blend that’s available at my store, but this dish is also great with baby bellas or white mushrooms too!
• Butter and Heavy Cream. Again, since we’re not using canned cream of whatever soup, we need something to make our sauce! We use butter and cream to make a rich, homemade sauce for our casserole.
• Vegetable Broth. This is the other component needed to make our homemade sauce. You can also use chicken broth if preferred.
• All-Purpose Flour. Used as a thickening agent for our sauce.
• Garlic, Salt, and Pepper. Minced garlic plus salt and pepper is all we need to season this dish to perfection.
• French Fried Onions. Ok, you just can’t have green bean casserole without those crispy French fried onions… so grab your favorite container of the French fried onions you always get (we use French’s Crispy Fried Onions).

Ingredient measurements, as well as full instructions, can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

How to Make Green Bean Casserole without Mushroom Soup

Prep a bowl with ice and water and set aside. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish and set aside. Preheat your oven to 375°F if cooking the casserole right away (see notes on overnight prep option).

Blanch the green beans. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat, and carefully place the trimmed and cut green beans into it.

Cook until the green beans are bright green and JUST fork tender (about 3-5 minutes).

Transfer the green beans to a bowl filled with ice water.

Allow the green beans to chill in the ice bath for at least 1-2 minutes. Then drain / remove ice cubes.

Cook the mushrooms. Reduce the heat to medium, and melt your butter.

Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stirring to combine.

Cook the mushrooms, stirring periodically, until they’ve released their liquid, have begun to brown, and most of the liquid has cooked off (about 8-10 minutes).

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds to 1 minute).

Add the flour to absorb any extra liquid (and help thicken our sauce) by sprinkling it over the mushrooms.

Stir until all the liquid is absorbed and the mushrooms are coated in flour (about 1-2 minutes).

Make the sauce by adding the broth and cream to the pot, stirring to combine.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. It will begin to coat your spoon when it’s getting close (about 8-10 minutes).

Finish making the filling by stirring in the cooked green beans.

And adding in ⅓ of the fried onions.

Stirring to combine and coat the beans and onions in the cream mixture.

Transfer the green bean mixture to the prepared 9×13 baking dish.

Spread the green bean mixture into an even layer in the pan.

Top with the remaining fried onions.

Spreading the fried onions into an even topping layer.

Bake until the sauce is bubbly and topping is golden (about 20-25 minutes). Allow to rest about 5 minutes to thicken before serving.

What to Serve with this Recipe for Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole is commonly for Thanksgiving dinner, making it the perfect pairing for roasted or smoked turkey and all of your other favorite Thanksgiving sides. We love serving this alongside our family’s favorite sweet potato casserole, homemade creamed corn, mashed potatoes (sometimes our lightened up mashed potatoes), gravy, cranberry sauce, and rolls.

But this side dish can be enjoyed any time of year, especially when green beans are at their peak in the summertime! Homemade green bean casserole is delicious paired your favorite grilled or baked proteins (I personally love it with chicken or steak). Add a green salad, a grain like quinoa or rice, crusty bread, fresh fruit, or a fruit salad to round out the meal if desired.

Make Ahead Option

You can prep your green bean casserole up to 3 days in advance (I usually prep it the night before), stopping your prep after you’ve spread the filling mixture into your 9×13 pan. Refrigerate, and when ready to make, add the fried onion topping and bake as directed in the recipe card.

How to Store Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Allow the casserole to fully cool, then cover (or transfer to an airtight container) and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warmed through.

Can You Freeze Green Bean Casserole?

Yes, but for best results, freeze before baking. Like the make-ahead option, you will follow all of the steps in the recipe to the point of spreading the green bean filling into an even layer in the pan (do NOT add the topping, it will get soggy). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and then a layer of tinfoil. Label the tinfoil layer with the recipe, date made, and baking directions. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw in the fridge overnight. Then top with the fried onions and bake as directed in the recipe card.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep green bean casserole from being soupy? How do I thicken up my green bean casserole? If your green bean casserole is soupy / too wet, you can either cook it longer at a lower temperature to allow the sauce to thicken further -OR- thicken the sauce by mixing in a cornstarch slurry. Whenever I use a cornstarch slurry I usually start with 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 3 teaspoons of water, whisk them together until there are no lumps, and then stir it into whatever I’m using it for.

Why is my green bean casserole mushy? For homemade green bean casserole where we’re using fresh beans vs. frozen or canned, overcooking your green beans is the most likely culprit for it becoming mushy. That’s why we recommend just to blanch them until just fork tender prior to baking.