Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Ditch the condensed soup and make this Homemade Green Bean Casserole! It’s made completely from scratch with fresh green beans, a creamy cheesy sauce and irresistible crispy fried shallots!
Christmas ads and merchandise are everywhere but I’m not paying any attention to it. My mind is firmly planted on Thanksgiving and that’s where it will stay until it’s over.
Christmas is gonna have to wait!
I’ve been recreating some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes the past couple of weeks which you may have caught on my Instagram stories.
I served this Homemade Green Bean Casserole complete with crispy fried shallots last week with some spatchcock chicken and my sweet potato casserole. My family said it felt like a mini Thanksgiving dinner and it did.
This casserole includes fresh green beans, mushrooms and homemade bechemel sauce (no condensed soup here!). The clincher is the crispy fried shallots — they taste so much better than those canned onions!
This is a major upgrade on the classic. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This homemade green bean casserole recipe is everything you want it to be. It’s packed with fresh veggies, it’s made 100% from scratch, and those crispy shallots take it over the top.
- It’s a comforting, delicious side dish that’s the perfect addition to your holiday meals.
- The green beans can be prepped and cooked a couple of days in advance, and the casserole can be assembled a few hours in advance and baked when you’re ready.
Recipe ingredients
- Green beans. For best results use fresh green beans as they lend the best texture and flavor. You’ll need to blanch them until crisp tender, then rinse with cold water and drain well.
- Milk. Use whole milk for the richest sauce.
- Flour. You’ll need flour to thicken the sauce, and to coat the shallots before frying.
- Butter. Essential for creating a roux for the bechemel sauce.
- Cheese. Grated cheddar adds flavor and makes the sauce extra special! Sub the cheddar with grueyere, Monterey jack or your favorite cheese. You can also omit it if you prefer.
- Mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms add flavor and make this sauce reminiscent of the classic cream of mushroom condensed soup. If you’re not a fan, omit them entirely.
- Garlic. Adds flavor to the sauce.
- Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. These ingredients are optional, but provide the sauce with savory depth of flavor.
- Shallots. These make this casserole extra special! They have a mild onion flavor and are completely irresistible once they’ve been fried. Sub with breadcrumbs or french fried onions to save time.
- Oil. Use any high heat oil. I recommend avocado oil.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make green bean casserole from scratch
While there are a few components to green bean casserole from scratch, they’re all extremely easy and not at all time consuming.
Pro tip: Prep and cook the green beans 1-2 days in advance as a time saver. The entire casserole can be assembled up to a day in advance minus the crispy shallots.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
- Start things off my blanching your green beans until crisp tender. I like to run mine under cold water to stop the cooking process and set aside until the sauce the is ready.
- From there, cook the mushrooms in some butter, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the milk and cook until thickened for about 5 minutes.
- Next, stir the grated cheese into your sauce and stir the cooked green beans.
- Place the entire mixture into a greased 2 or 2 1/2 quart casserole dish.
- From here, you can cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 1-2 days or until you’re ready to bake it.
- Slice the shallots into 1/4″ slices.
- Toss them with a bit of flour and some salt and fry them in a sauce pan with about a 1/2″ worth of oil. Place the fried shallots on a paper towel lined plate and season them with a bit more salt.
- Top your casserole with the crispy fried shallots just before baking. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.
Recipe FAQs
I highly recommend using fresh green beans for the best texture and flavor. Frozen green beans can be used in a pinch, but the texture will vary.
Yes. Blanch the green beans in boiling water until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Place in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, which will help the green beans maintain their vibrant green color. Drain well.
There is no condensed soup in this homemade green bean casserole. The creamy cheese sauce consists of butter, flour, milk and cheese, and it takes mere minutes to make.
It also includes fresh mushrooms and garlic, dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce for added flavor.
If you prefer not to top this casserole with fried shallots, you can opt to use breadcrumbs tossed with melted butter or oil or store bought french fried onions.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Prep and cook the green beans 1-2 days in advance as a time saver. The entire casserole can be assembled up to a day in advance minus the crispy shallots.
- Use any high heat oil for the crispy shallots. I recommend avocado oil.
- If you’re not a fan of mushrooms simply omit them from the recipe.
- Substitute the fried shallots with store bought french fried onions to save time.
More Thanksgiving recipes you’ll love
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms stemmed and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 5 tablespoons all purpose flour divided
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce sub with coconut aminos or tamari
- 1.5 teaspoons dijon mustard sub with 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup oil the oil should come up about 1/2" from the bottom of the pan; see note
- 3 large shallots peeled and sliced into 1/4″ thick rings (you should have about 2 cups sliced)
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with water. Cover and place over high heat until the water boils. Add the green beans and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the beans for 3-5 minutes or until crisp tender. Place in a colander and rinse well with cold water to cool the beans down (this will help the beans retain their green color). Drain well and set aside.1 1/2 lbs. fresh green beans
- Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until softened and the liquid has evaporated, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and melt. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of flour evenly over the butter-mushroom mixture. Stir and cook for 1 minute or until the flour smells like shortbread.5 tablespoons all purpose flour
- Add the milk slowly while whisking constantly (be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan as well), then whisk in the dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Continue to whisk constantly and bring the milk to a boil. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened and it coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes more.2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1.5 teaspoons dijon mustard, 2 1/2 cups whole milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheese until melted, then stir in the green beans and toss to coat. From here, you can place the mixture in a bowl and store in the fridge until you're ready to top with the fried shallots and bake in the oven.1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 – 2 1/2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. Pour the green bean mixture into the baking dish and set aside.
- Place the shallot rings in a bowl and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour and about 1/2 teaspoon salt.3 large shallots
- Place the oil in a medium sauce pan and heat over medium high heat. When the oil is hot (not smoking), add about 1/4 of the shallots in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes until lightly golden brown. Place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all of the shallots have been cooked. Sprinkle with a bit more salt if necessary.1/2 cup oil
- Top the casserole with the shallots and bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly and heated through (this will take longer if the green bean mixture is cold). If the onions begin to brown too quickly, cover with foil.
- Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Pro tip: Prep and cook the green beans 1-2 days in advance as a time saver. The entire casserole can be assembled up to a day in advance minus the crispy shallots.
- Use any high heat oil for the crispy shallots. I recommend avocado oil.
- If you’re not a fan of mushrooms simply omit them from the recipe.
- Substitute the fried shallots with store bought french fried onions to save time.
- Store leftover green bean casserole in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
8 Comments on “Homemade Green Bean Casserole”
I love green bean casserole and this one is a must try! Looks so good! Can’t wait to try it!
Thanks so much Mira!
Talk about the perfect side dish! nice touch with the fried shallots! this will be perfect for thanksgiving, thank you for the recipe 🙂
Thank you so much!
I agree…it’s Thanksgiving time until it’s over, then we can focus on Christmas! Green bean casserole is my favorite side of Thanksgiving and I’m LOVING your version! Those fried shallots sound amazing! And I love how easy this is to make. Definitely a show-stopper!
Thanks so much Gayle!
Green bean casserole is my favorite Thanksgiving dish (even more favorite than pie). But I have yet to make it entirely from scratch! Maybe it’s time for just to do it. Thank you for the inspiration!
It’s so good I could probably skip the pie and go for more of this instead. haha Thanks Kelsie!