Fresh green beans, deeply browned mushrooms, a creamy homemade sauce, and a generous layer of crispy fried onions turn one of America’s most familiar Thanksgiving casseroles into something worth making completely from scratch.
The classic green bean casserole earned its place on holiday tables because it is easy, comforting, and unmistakably nostalgic. There is nothing wrong with the traditional canned-soup version, but making the mushroom sauce yourself allows the green beans and mushrooms to play a much bigger role.
This version keeps the essential character of the original.
There are still green beans.
There are still mushrooms.
There is still a creamy savory sauce.
And there absolutely must still be crispy onions on top.
The difference is that fresh beans remain bright and tender, the mushrooms are browned until flavorful rather than disappearing into canned soup, and the sauce is made from butter, flour, broth, half-and-half, garlic, thyme, and a small amount of soy sauce for savory depth.
You can even make the crispy onions yourself—or use store-bought fried onions when Thanksgiving Day already has enough going on.
🫘 What Is Green Bean Casserole?
Green bean casserole is an American baked side dish traditionally made from:
- Green beans
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Milk
- Soy sauce
- Black pepper
- Crispy fried onions
Those simple ingredients became one of the most recognizable Thanksgiving side dishes in the country.
The casserole is creamy underneath and crisp on top, giving you an appealing contrast between tender beans, mushroom sauce, and crunchy onions.
Modern homemade versions usually preserve that same structure while replacing canned soup with fresh mushrooms and a cream sauce.
🕰️ Who Invented Green Bean Casserole?
This is one Thanksgiving dish whose origin is unusually well documented.
Dorcas Reilly, a recipe developer in Campbell’s Home Economics department, created the recipe at the company’s headquarters in Camden, New Jersey, in 1955.
It was originally called Green Bean Bake.
Campbell’s says the goal was to create a simple everyday side dish from ingredients many American households already had on hand.
The familiar formula paired green beans with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, and French-fried onions.
The recipe eventually appeared on Cream of Mushroom soup labels and became increasingly associated with Thanksgiving during the 1960s.
Decades later, Reilly’s original recipe card became part of the collection of the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
🍂 A Thanksgiving Classic with New Jersey Roots
Green bean casserole is sometimes described casually as a Midwestern invention because casseroles became so deeply associated with Midwestern home cooking and church suppers.
But the dish itself was developed in New Jersey.
Its eventual success was national.
That distinction makes the story more interesting rather than less.
A recipe created in a corporate test kitchen as an easy everyday vegetable side became one of the most recognizable foods on American Thanksgiving tables.
🥫 Is the Original Version Still Worth Making?
Absolutely.
The original Campbell’s version became famous for a reason.
It requires very few ingredients and takes only minutes to assemble.
If that is the green bean casserole your family expects every Thanksgiving, there is no need to retire it simply because homemade versions exist.
This recipe serves a different purpose.
It is for cooks who like the idea and flavors of classic green bean casserole but want:
- Fresh green beans
- More noticeable mushroom flavor
- A homemade sauce
- Greater control over salt
- Crispier beans
- Fresh herbs
- Homemade fried onions, if desired
It should still taste like green bean casserole.
It just tastes more intensely of the ingredients that inspired the original.
🛒 Ingredients
Serves 8–10
For the Green Bean Casserole
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into roughly 2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small yellow onion or 2 large shallots, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Small pinch freshly grated nutmeg, optional
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups crispy fried onions
For Homemade Crispy Fried Onions, Optional
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion, halved and very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Neutral frying oil, such as vegetable or canola oil
If using store-bought crispy fried onions, skip the homemade-onion section and proceed directly with the casserole.
🫘 Fresh Green Beans Make a Noticeable Difference
Canned green beans are part of the historic recipe.
For this from-scratch version, however, I would use fresh beans.
They have a firmer texture, fresher flavor, and brighter color.
The trick is not to completely cook them before they go into the casserole.
They still have half an hour of baking ahead.
Blanching should get them started—not finish them.
✂️ Trim and Cut the Beans
Trim the stem ends.
Cut especially long beans into pieces approximately 2 inches long.
You do not need every piece to be identical.
The goal is simply to make the casserole easy to serve and eat.
💦 Blanch for Only 3–4 Minutes
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
Prepare a large bowl of ice water beside the stove.
Add the green beans and cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
They should turn brilliant green and become slightly tender while retaining plenty of bite.
Campbell’s own instructions for using fresh beans in its classic casserole similarly recommend only 2 to 4 minutes of blanching.
Do not wait until the beans taste fully cooked.
❄️ Move Immediately to Ice Water
Drain the beans and transfer them directly into the ice water.
This rapidly stops the cooking process.
Once cold, drain them thoroughly.
Very wet beans can thin the sauce later, so shake off excess water and pat them dry if necessary.
🍄 Use More Than a Cup of Mushrooms
The older Pop & Thistle recipe used only 1 cup sliced mushrooms for 1 1/2 pounds of green beans.
That is not enough mushroom for a casserole whose defining sauce is supposed to taste like cream of mushroom.
This version uses 12 ounces.
The mushrooms will shrink considerably as they cook, so what initially looks like a large skillet full becomes a much more modest amount.
🍄 Cremini or White Button Mushrooms?
Either works.
White button mushrooms are mild and familiar.
Cremini mushrooms have a slightly deeper, earthier flavor.
I prefer cremini for homemade green bean casserole because the entire point of replacing canned soup is to let actual mushroom flavor come through.
You can also use a mixture of the two.
🔥 Brown the Mushrooms Properly
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the sliced mushrooms.
Spread them across the pan as evenly as possible.
Do not immediately add the onion, garlic, or flour.
Let the mushrooms cook for approximately 7 to 9 minutes, stirring occasionally.
At first they will release water.
Keep cooking.
Once that moisture evaporates, the mushrooms can finally begin to brown.
That browning creates much deeper flavor.
🚫 Don’t Stop When the Mushrooms Are Merely Soft
Soft gray mushrooms and browned mushrooms are not the same thing.
Mushrooms contain a lot of water.
If you make the sauce as soon as they soften, that water ends up diluting the casserole.
Wait until most of the visible liquid is gone and several mushroom surfaces have turned golden brown.
Food Network’s fresh green bean casserole recipes use the same general principle, browning mushrooms and allowing their liquid to evaporate before building the cream sauce.
🧅 Add Onion or Shallot
Reduce the heat to medium.
Add another tablespoon of butter.
Add the finely diced onion or shallots.
Cook for approximately 4 to 5 minutes, until soft.
Shallots create a slightly more delicate flavor.
Yellow onion is inexpensive, familiar, and completely appropriate.
🧄 Add the Garlic and Thyme
Add the garlic and thyme.
Cook for approximately 30 seconds.
That is enough time to release their fragrance.
Do not cook minced garlic for several minutes in a hot skillet.
Once it burns, its flavor becomes bitter.
🧈 Add the Final Butter
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter.
Once melted, sprinkle the flour over the vegetables.
Stir continuously.
The flour should absorb the butter and lightly coat the mushrooms and onions.
🌾 Cook the Flour Before Adding Liquid
Cook the flour for approximately 1 to 2 minutes.
This is a simple roux.
The short cooking time removes the raw flour taste while keeping the roux pale enough for a cream sauce.
You are not trying to make a dark Cajun-style roux.
🥣 Add the Broth Gradually
Pour in about 1/2 cup broth.
Whisk or stir until smooth.
At first, the mixture will become very thick.
Gradually add the remaining broth while continuing to whisk.
Adding liquid in stages is much less likely to produce flour lumps than dumping everything into the skillet at once.
🥛 Add the Half-and-Half
Pour in the half-and-half.
Add the soy sauce, black pepper, and nutmeg if using.
Bring to a gentle simmer.
Cook for approximately 4 to 6 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
🥫 Why Add Soy Sauce?
It may sound surprising in a Thanksgiving casserole.
It is actually part of the original Campbell’s flavor profile.
Campbell’s classic recipe still uses soy sauce today.
You do not need enough for the casserole to taste like soy sauce.
One teaspoon simply deepens the savory mushroom flavor.
🧂 Taste Before Adding Salt
The broth and soy sauce both contribute salt.
If you are using commercially prepared crispy fried onions, they may be salty too.
Taste the sauce before adding more.
A low-sodium broth gives you much greater control.
🌿 What About Nutmeg?
Nutmeg is optional.
A tiny pinch is common in creamy sauces because it adds warmth without becoming obviously identifiable.
Use very little.
If you can clearly say, “This green bean casserole tastes like nutmeg,” you have added too much.
🫘 Add the Green Beans
Fold the blanched, drained green beans into the mushroom sauce.
Coat them evenly.
The mixture should look creamy but not soupy.
There should be enough sauce to coat the beans generously without leaving an inch of liquid at the bottom of the pan.
🥘 Choose the Right Baking Dish
Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish.
A standard 9×13-inch dish works, although the casserole will be fairly shallow.
A slightly smaller 3-quart casserole gives you a deeper, creamier presentation.
Both are fine.
🔥 Bake Without the Onions First
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the casserole without the crispy onion topping for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and the center is hot.
This is one change I would definitely make from the old recipe.
The old method placed a full cup of fried onions on top before a 25- to 30-minute bake.
That gives delicate onions plenty of time to become overly dark.
Let the casserole heat first.
Add the crunch later.
🧅 Add the Crispy Onions Near the End
Remove the bubbling casserole from the oven.
Scatter 1 1/2 to 2 cups crispy fried onions evenly over the surface.
Return to the oven for another 5 to 8 minutes.
Watch closely.
The onions should be golden and crisp.
They should not become dark brown or burnt.
🥄 Why I Wouldn’t Fold the Homemade Onions Into the Sauce
The Campbell’s original famously mixes some fried onions into the casserole and uses the rest on top.
That works particularly well with commercially produced French-fried onions.
If you have gone to the trouble of making your own especially crisp fried onions, I prefer keeping them on the surface.
Buried onions lose their crunch almost immediately.
The mushroom sauce is flavorful enough without them.
🌡️ When Is the Casserole Done?
The sauce should be visibly bubbling.
The beans should be tender but not mushy.
The onion topping should be crisp.
If you are checking the internal temperature, USDA food-safety guidance calls for casseroles to reach 165°F.
Let the finished casserole stand for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
The sauce thickens slightly as it rests.
🧅 How to Make Homemade Crispy Fried Onions
Store-bought fried onions are one of the easiest shortcuts in holiday cooking.
Use them without guilt if Thanksgiving Day is already complicated.
But homemade onions are excellent when you have the time.
They are lighter, irregular, and intensely oniony.
🔪 Slice the Onion Very Thin
Cut the onion in half from root to stem.
Peel it.
Slice into extremely thin half-moons.
A mandoline makes this easy, but a sharp knife works.
Try to keep the pieces fairly uniform so they fry at roughly the same rate.
🥛 Soak in Buttermilk
Place the sliced onions in a bowl.
Pour the buttermilk over them.
Toss well.
Let stand for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
The buttermilk helps the flour adhere and gives the coating a little extra flavor.
🌾 Season the Flour
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
Lift small handfuls of onion from the buttermilk.
Allow the excess liquid to drip away.
Toss in the flour.
Shake off as much excess flour as possible.
Heavy clumps of flour can burn in the oil.
🔥 Heat the Oil to 350°F
Pour enough neutral oil into a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven to create approximately 1 1/2 inches of depth.
Heat to 350°F.
A thermometer is useful.
Oil that is too cool makes the coating greasy.
Oil that is too hot browns the flour before the onions become crisp.
⚠️ Fry in Small Batches
Lower a small handful of coated onions carefully into the oil.
Do not overcrowd the pot.
Fry for approximately 2 to 4 minutes, stirring gently, until crisp and golden.
The exact time depends on how thinly they were sliced.
They continue darkening slightly after leaving the oil, so remove them before they become very dark brown.
🧻 Drain and Salt Immediately
Transfer the fried onions to a paper-towel-lined tray or wire rack.
Season lightly with salt while hot.
Repeat with the remaining onions.
Let them cool completely before storing.
🧅 Can You Make the Fried Onions Ahead?
Yes.
Make them a day ahead.
Once completely cool, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
If they lose a little crispness, spread them on a baking sheet and warm them briefly in a 325°F oven.
Let them cool again before topping the casserole.
🛒 Store-Bought Fried Onions Are Fine
This deserves repeating.
Green bean casserole was built around convenience.
Using store-bought French-fried onions does not somehow invalidate a homemade mushroom sauce.
If you want to spend your Thanksgiving energy on the turkey, pie, and gravy, buy the onions.
The casserole will still be excellent.
😕 Troubleshooting Green Bean Casserole
💦 Why Is My Casserole Watery?
The most common causes are:
- Wet green beans
- Mushrooms that were not cooked long enough
- A sauce that did not thicken before baking
- Too much liquid
Drain the blanched beans thoroughly.
Cook the mushroom moisture away.
Simmer the cream sauce until it clearly coats a spoon before combining it with the beans.
Do those three things and watery green bean casserole becomes much less likely.
🧱 Why Is the Sauce Too Thick?
Add broth or half-and-half a few tablespoons at a time.
Remember that it will loosen slightly once mixed with the moist beans and heated.
Do not pour in another cup of liquid all at once.
🌾 Why Is My Sauce Lumpy?
The broth was probably added too quickly.
Add the first portion gradually and whisk thoroughly before adding more.
If lumps still develop, vigorous whisking can often smooth them.
🍄 Why Doesn’t It Taste Like Mushrooms?
You may not have used enough.
That is why this version increases the mushrooms from the original Pop & Thistle page’s 1 cup to 12 ounces.
You also need to brown them.
Boiled or steamed mushrooms have a much milder flavor than deeply browned ones.
🫘 Why Are My Green Beans Mushy?
They were probably cooked too long before baking.
Five or ten minutes of boiling plus half an hour in the oven is too much for many fresh beans.
Blanch for only 3 to 4 minutes and chill immediately.
They should still seem slightly underdone when they enter the casserole.
🫘 Why Are the Beans Too Firm?
Green bean texture is partly personal preference.
If your beans are unusually large or mature, they may need another minute during blanching.
You can also bake the casserole another 5 to 10 minutes before adding the onion topping.
🧅 Why Did My Onion Topping Burn?
It was in the oven too long.
Add crispy onions only during the final 5 to 8 minutes.
They are already cooked.
They need only enough heat to warm and toast lightly.
🧅 Why Did the Onions Become Soggy?
Steam and sauce are the enemies of crisp onions.
Do not cover the casserole after adding the topping.
Add the onions near the end.
And do not let the finished casserole sit tightly covered for an hour before dinner.
If necessary, keep the casserole warm and add/re-crisp the topping shortly before serving.
⏰ Can You Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead?
Yes.
This is one of the reasons it works so well for Thanksgiving.
Prepare:
- The blanched green beans
- The mushroom cream sauce
- The assembled casserole
up to one day ahead.
Do not add the fried onions.
Cover the casserole and refrigerate.
Keep the onions separately at room temperature in an airtight container.
🔥 Baking a Refrigerated Casserole
Take the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
Bake at 375°F.
Because the center starts cold, expect it to need approximately 30 to 40 minutes before it is thoroughly hot and bubbling.
Then add the crispy onions for the final 5 to 8 minutes.
Use the visual cues and, if desired, check that the center reaches 165°F.
❄️ Can You Freeze It?
You can, although I prefer refrigerating rather than freezing if Thanksgiving is only a day or two away.
Food Network has tested make-ahead green bean casseroles that can be frozen before the fried-onion topping is added.
If freezing, prepare the casserole without onions.
Cool completely.
Wrap well.
Freeze.
Thaw in the refrigerator when possible or follow an appropriate frozen-casserole reheating method.
Add the crispy onions only near the end.
🫘 Fresh vs. Frozen Green Beans
Frozen green beans are a useful shortcut.
Thaw and drain thoroughly.
You may not need to blanch them because they are already blanched as part of commercial freezing.
Their texture will be softer than fresh beans but still very good.
🥫 Can You Use Canned Green Beans?
Certainly.
That takes the casserole closer to the classic Campbell’s version.
Drain them very well.
Because canned beans are already tender, do not blanch them.
Fold them directly into the finished sauce.
The result will have the softer texture many people associate with childhood Thanksgiving dinners.
🥫 Fresh vs. Canned Is a Preference, Not a Moral Issue
Holiday recipes tend to inspire unnecessary arguments over convenience ingredients.
Fresh beans give you more texture.
Canned beans give you nostalgia and ease.
Frozen beans fall somewhere in between.
Choose the version your family actually likes.
A Thanksgiving side dish does not become more meaningful simply because it required an additional hour of work.
🍄 Mushroom Variations
🍄 White Button Mushrooms
The mildest option.
They recreate the familiar cream-of-mushroom character especially well.
🍄 Cremini Mushrooms
My first choice.
They are easy to find but bring a slightly deeper flavor.
🍄 Shiitake Mushrooms
Replace up to one-third of the mushrooms with sliced shiitakes.
Remove the tough stems.
They add extra savory depth.
🍄 Mixed Mushrooms
For a more luxurious Christmas or dinner-party version, combine cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms.
I would still keep some cremini or button mushrooms so the sauce remains recognizable as green bean casserole.
🌱 Vegetarian Green Bean Casserole
This recipe is easy to make vegetarian.
Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Everything else remains the same.
If making homemade fried onions, they are vegetarian as written.
🌱 Vegan Variation
For a vegan version, use:
- Olive oil or vegan butter
- Vegetable broth
- Unsweetened plant-based cooking cream or a suitable unsweetened plant milk
- Vegan crispy fried onions
Choose a neutral dairy substitute.
Vanilla-flavored plant milk would be disastrous here.
Because plant milks vary considerably in thickness, add the liquid gradually and make sure the sauce thickens before assembling the casserole.
🥓 Bacon Green Bean Casserole
Cook 4 to 6 slices bacon until crisp.
Remove and crumble.
Use a tablespoon of the bacon fat in place of some of the butter when browning the mushrooms.
Fold half the bacon into the casserole.
Scatter the rest over the top with the onions.
Campbell’s itself publishes bacon variations of the classic dish, so this is a very natural direction.
🧀 Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
Add:
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
or:
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
to the finished mushroom sauce.
Cheese makes the casserole richer and less like the original, but it is certainly popular.
If Thanksgiving already includes macaroni and cheese and potatoes au gratin, however, I would leave this casserole cheese-free.
Not every side needs another layer of cheese.
🌰 Green Bean Almondine-Inspired Casserole
Add 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds with the crispy onions.
The nuts provide another texture and echo the classic green-beans-amandine combination.
Campbell’s also suggests almonds as an upgrade to its traditional casserole.
🌿 Rosemary Variation
Replace the thyme with about 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary.
Use restraint.
Rosemary can overwhelm green beans and mushrooms quickly.
Thyme is softer and therefore remains my preferred herb.
🌶️ Add a Little Heat
Add:
- Pinch of cayenne
- Crushed red pepper
- A little black pepper
to the sauce.
The goal should be warmth, not a spicy casserole.
Thanksgiving already has enough competing flavors.
🍷 Add Dry Sherry
After browning the mushrooms, add approximately 2 tablespoons dry sherry.
Cook until almost completely evaporated.
Then proceed with the butter and flour.
Sherry and mushrooms are a classic combination and create a more elegant version without dramatically changing the dish.
🦃 Why Green Bean Casserole Works at Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving menus are heavy on soft textures.
Mashed potatoes.
Stuffing.
Sweet potatoes.
Gravy.
Dinner rolls.
Green bean casserole fits comfortably into that world but contributes something important when made with fresh beans: a little vegetable texture.
The crisp onion topping also gives the plate badly needed crunch.
That is why I would resist overcooking the beans or burying the onions in sauce.
Those contrasts are what make the casserole useful.
🍗 Serve with Herb-Butter Turkey
Green bean casserole is an obvious companion for roast turkey.
Its creamy mushroom flavor complements the meat without competing with the herbs in the turkey.
The crispy onions also provide contrast with gravy and mashed potatoes.
Your Pop & Thistle herb-butter turkey makes a natural holiday pairing.
🥔 Serve with Mashed Potatoes
Green beans and mashed potatoes have been sharing holiday plates for generations.
The mushroom sauce also mingles particularly well with potato and turkey gravy.
If you are already serving creamy potatoes au gratin instead, I would keep this casserole relatively classic and skip the optional cheese.
🥕 Add a Bright Vegetable Too
Green bean casserole technically contains vegetables, but it is also quite rich.
For a very large Thanksgiving menu, add something brighter such as roasted carrots or Brussels sprouts.
You do not need another cream sauce.
A simple roasted vegetable gives the plate more contrast.
🐖 Serve with Ham
This is not just a turkey side.
Green bean casserole works beautifully with:
- Baked ham
- Ham steak
- Pork roast
- Pork tenderloin
The mushroom sauce and salty crispy onions pair particularly well with glazed ham.
🎄 Christmas Dinner
Green bean casserole deserves a place beyond Thanksgiving.
Serve it at Christmas with turkey, ham, roast beef, or pork.
Because the homemade sauce feels slightly more elegant than the canned-soup version, it works particularly well when the holiday meal is a little more formal.
🐣 Easter Dinner
The casserole also works with Easter ham.
For spring, you can make the sauce slightly lighter by using more broth and less half-and-half.
Fresh thyme is especially nice.
🍽️ Sunday Dinner
There is no rule that green bean casserole must appear only on holidays.
Serve a smaller batch with roast chicken or meatloaf.
Using a from-scratch mushroom sauce makes it feel more like a general vegetable gratin and less like something that belongs exclusively on Thanksgiving.
📦 How to Store Leftovers
Cool leftovers promptly.
Transfer them to shallow covered containers or cover the baking dish and refrigerate.
USDA recommends refrigerating perishable foods within 2 hours.
Most cooked leftovers should be used within 3 to 4 days.
The onion topping will soften in the refrigerator.
That is normal.
🔥 How to Reheat Green Bean Casserole
Reheat in a 350°F oven until hot throughout.
USDA recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F.
For the best texture, add a fresh handful of crispy onions during the last several minutes.
That small addition makes refrigerated casserole feel much closer to freshly baked.
📱 Can You Microwave Leftovers?
Yes.
Microwave individual portions until steaming hot and 165°F.
The beans and sauce reheat well.
The onion topping will not remain crisp.
If crunch matters, add fresh fried onions after microwaving.
❤️ Why This Version Is Worth Making
The original green bean casserole succeeded because it solved a real problem.
It turned a vegetable into a fast, affordable side dish using products people already recognized.
That convenience made it repeatable.
Repeatability turned it into tradition.
A homemade version should respect that rather than turning the dish into an unrecognizable restaurant production.
So this recipe keeps the basic architecture intact.
Green beans.
Mushrooms.
Cream sauce.
Crispy onions.
The changes are mostly about letting those ingredients taste more like themselves.
The beans are briefly blanched rather than cooked into softness.
The mushrooms are browned until savory.
The sauce is thickened deliberately instead of coming from a can.
And the onions go on at the end, where they can remain crisp.
It is still green bean casserole.
Just a particularly good one.
🫘 Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Prep Time: About 25 minutes
Cook Time: About 35 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour
Servings: 8–10
Oven Temperature: 375°F
Ingredients
Casserole
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into roughly 2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small yellow onion or 2 large shallots, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Small pinch nutmeg, optional
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups crispy fried onions
Optional Homemade Crispy Fried Onions
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion, very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Neutral frying oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a bowl of ice water.
- Add the green beans and blanch for 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender.
- Transfer immediately to the ice water.
- Once cold, drain thoroughly and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 7 to 9 minutes, until their liquid evaporates and the mushrooms become browned.
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add another tablespoon butter and the onion or shallots.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the garlic and thyme and cook for approximately 30 seconds.
- Add the remaining tablespoon butter.
- Sprinkle in the flour.
- Stir continuously for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the broth, beginning with about 1/2 cup.
- Add the half-and-half, soy sauce, black pepper, and nutmeg if using.
- Simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring regularly, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Taste and add salt only as needed.
- Fold in the drained green beans.
- Transfer to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish.
- Bake without the fried onions for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and hot.
- Scatter the crispy fried onions evenly over the top.
- Return to the oven for another 5 to 8 minutes, watching carefully, until the onions are golden and crisp.
- The center of the casserole should reach 165°F if checked with a food thermometer.
- Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Homemade Fried Onion Instructions
- Soak the thinly sliced onion in buttermilk for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.
- Heat approximately 1 1/2 inches neutral oil in a heavy pot to 350°F.
- Lift small batches of onions from the buttermilk and allow excess liquid to drip away.
- Toss lightly in seasoned flour and shake off excess.
- Fry in small batches for approximately 2 to 4 minutes, until golden and crisp.
- Transfer to paper towels or a wire rack.
- Season lightly with salt while hot.
- Cool completely.
- Use approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups to top the casserole.
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