Green Bean Casserole
This from-scratch green bean casserole trades canned soup for a silky homemade mushroom cream sauce, so every bite tastes fresh and savory rather than salty. Crisp-tender blanched beans stay bright and snappy under the sauce, while a double hit of golden fried onions — some baked in, most piled on at the end — keeps the topping shatteringly crisp. It is the classic holiday side, just better.
Blanch 900 g trimmed green beans in well-salted water for 4-5 minutes until bright and just tender, then shock in ice water and drain very well. Sauté 340 g sliced cremini mushrooms in butter until golden, add garlic, stir in flour to build a roux, then whisk in broth, milk, and cream and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon; season with soy sauce, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Fold the dried beans and a handful of crispy fried onions into the sauce, spread in a buttered 9x13 dish, and bake at 200°C/400°F for about 25 minutes until bubbling, then scatter the remaining onions on top and bake 10 minutes more until deep golden. Rest 5 minutes before serving.
- Blanch and then thoroughly dry the beans — wet beans and over-blanching are the top causes of a watery casserole.
- Simmer the sauce until it visibly coats the back of a spoon; it should look slightly too thick before baking, because the beans release moisture in the oven.
- Add most of the fried onions only in the final 10 minutes so they stay crisp and golden instead of turning soggy.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Colander
- Large skillet
- Whisk
- 9x13-inch baking dish
- Chef's knife
食材
Green Beans
- 900 g Fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
- 15 g Kosher salt, for the blanching water
Mushroom Cream Sauce
- 57 g Unsalted butter, plus extra for the dish
- 340 g Cremini mushrooms, sliced
- Garlic cloves, minced
- 24 g All-purpose flour
- 240 ml Low-sodium vegetable broth, or chicken broth if not vegetarian
- 240 ml Whole milk
- 120 ml Heavy cream
- 15 ml Soy sauce, for umami depth
- 5 g Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper, freshly ground
- Ground nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
Crispy Onion Topping
- 115 g French fried onions, divided
步驟
- 步驟01
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby. Add the trimmed green beans and cook for 4-5 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain, plunge into the ice water to stop the cooking, then drain again and pat thoroughly dry. Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- 步驟02
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, until they release their liquid and turn golden. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- 步驟03
Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw taste. Gradually whisk in the broth, then the milk and cream, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer, whisking often, for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with the soy sauce, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
- 步驟04
Remove the skillet from the heat and fold in the drained green beans and about one-third of the crispy fried onions until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust the salt.
- 步驟05
Scrape the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it level. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges and heated through.
- 步驟06
Scatter the remaining fried onions evenly over the top and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes, until the onions are deep golden and crisp.
- 步驟07
Let the casserole rest for about 5 minutes so the sauce sets slightly, then serve warm.
Make ahead
Blanch the beans and make the sauce up to 2 days ahead; combine them in the baking dish, cover, and refrigerate. Let the dish sit at room temperature while the oven heats, then bake as directed, adding the fried-onion topping only in the final 10 minutes so it bakes up crisp.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 180°C (350°F) oven until hot throughout, and refresh with a handful of extra crispy onions, since the original topping softens in the fridge.
Variations
Classic canned-soup shortcut
Skip the homemade sauce: toss the blanched beans with two 295 g (10.5 oz) cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup, 120 ml (1/2 cup) milk, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and one-third of the fried onions. Bake as directed, adding the remaining onions in the final 10 minutes.
Gluten-free
Swap the all-purpose flour for a 1:1 gluten-free blend, or whisk 2 tbsp cornstarch into the cold liquid instead of making a roux, and use certified gluten-free crispy onions. Everything else stays the same.
Bacon and Gruyère
Cook 4 slices of chopped bacon until crisp and stir the rendered bits into the sauce, then fold 60 g (1/2 cup) grated Gruyère into the beans before baking for a smoky, cheesy finish. Note this version is no longer vegetarian.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
常見問題
Can I make green bean casserole ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble it through folding the beans into the sauce, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Hold off on the topping — add the crispy fried onions only in the last 10 minutes of baking so they stay crunchy. If you bake straight from the fridge, add about 10 minutes to the first bake.
Can I use frozen or canned green beans?
Fresh beans give the best texture, but frozen work well: thaw them, pat dry, and skip the blanching step. Canned green beans are already soft, so drain them thoroughly and simply fold them into the warm sauce; your green bean casserole will be softer but still tasty.
Why is my green bean casserole watery?
Two culprits: beans that weren't dried after blanching, and a sauce that was too thin going in. Pat the beans completely dry and simmer the sauce until it clearly coats the back of a spoon — it should look slightly too thick before baking, because the beans give off moisture in the oven.
Can I freeze green bean casserole?
You can freeze the assembled, unbaked casserole without the onion topping for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then bake as directed and add the fried onions at the end. The beans soften a little more after freezing.
How do I make green bean casserole from scratch instead of using canned soup?
This recipe already is from scratch: a quick mushroom cream sauce built from sautéed mushrooms, butter, flour, broth, milk, and cream replaces the condensed soup. It takes about 15 extra minutes but gives a fresher, less salty result you can season exactly to taste.
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