This homemade green bean casserole without canned mushroom soup is perfect for anyone that isn't a fan of mushrooms or canned soup. It is made with fresh beans, a simple bechamel sauce and of course a crispy onion topping. This is the perfect side dish for your holiday table!
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Why You'll Love This Green Bean Casserole!
This green bean casserole is one of my all time favorite recipes during the holiday season. Made with a delicious homemade creamy sauce, crisp-tender green beans and topped with crispy onions this is the perfect update to the classic green bean casserole.
While this recipe may involve a few extra steps because we are blanching our beans and making a sauce, it's actually a great make-ahead dish for those who like to start their holiday meal prep ahead.
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Equipment Needed
casserole dish- a 13x9 inch dish is perfect for this recipe, but any rectangular of oval shape dish will work.
Key Ingredients
green beans- frozen or fresh green beans can be used for this recipe. I like to cut mine in half to make them easier to eat. Also make sure the ones you buy have already been trimmed to help save time.
milk- whole milk adds a great flavor and creamy texture to the sauce.
French's crispy fried onions- while I opted to make the sauce from scratch I did buy already fried onions to save time.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Preheat oven to 375° F. If making ahead do not preheat oven until ready to bake. Coat a 13x9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the trimmed green beans and cook for 3-4 minutes. While beans are cooking prepare an ice bath. Drain the beans and plunge into a large bowl of ice water (this stops the cooking process so they do not over cook).
Shake off as much water as possible and add the green beans to the casserole dish. Pat the green beans dry with a paper towel to prevent the sauce from becoming watery.
Heat a large pot of water over medium heat. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter and sauté the garlic for a minute.
Add in the flour and cook in the butter for a couple minutes.
Gradually add in the milk while stirring. The flour will continue to thicken the sauce. Continue stirring and adding milk until mixture is smooth. Stir in the chicken broth, paprika, dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper.
Pour sauce over the green beans and stir to coat the beans. Bake the green bean mixture for 15 minutes without the fried onions.
Remove the casserole from the oven and top with the fried onions. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the onions are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling. Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Serving Recommendations
This classic recipe is perfect for special occasions. I like to serve my easy homemade green bean casserole with cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and mac and cheese for the ultimate holiday dinner.
Make Ahead Tips
This easy green bean casserole can be made ahead and baked the next day. Follow the steps through blanching the green beans, preparing the sauce and combining into a baking dish. Let this cool and then cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days ahead.
When ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and allow to come back to room temperature. Place the casserole uncovered in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes (because it is cold it may take longer to warm through).
Remove the casserole from oven and sprinkle with crispy onions. Return to the oven to bake an additional 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the onions are golden brown.
Substitutions And Additions
chicken broth- chicken stock or vegetable broth can be used in place of chicken broth.
cheese- a lot of people love adding cheese to their green bean casserole, so go ahead and grate a cup of fresh parmesan cheese to add to the cream sauce. It will melt perfectly into the sauce adding a great savory flavor.
green beans-while I do not recommend canned green beans you could use frozen green beans and skip the blanching process. Three 10 ounce packages will be close enough to two pounds. Thaw the beans in a strainer under cold running water and add to a baking dish. Follow the remaining steps as directed to make the sauce and bake.
Expert Tips
- While the original green bean casserole was invented using canned green beans they are already cooked and result in a mushy green beans. By blanching the green beans they stay crisp.
- Follow the make ahead tips when planning for the holidays.
Storage And Reheating
Store leftover green bean casserole in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat the casserole pop it in the oven until warmed through. This will also help crisp the fried onions if they get a little soft while in the fridge.
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Green Bean Casserole
Equipment
- large pot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans fresh or frozen see notes
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 and ½ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 6 ounces French's Fried Onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375° F and lightly grease a casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add trimmed and cut green beans to the pot of boiling water.
- Boil the green beans for 3-4 minutes. Drain beans and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Drain beans well and add to the prepared casserole dish. Pat dry with a paper towel to remove any excess water.
- Return pot to the stove top and heat over medium heat. Melt butter and add minced garlic to sauté for 60 seconds and fragrant.
- Add flour to the butter and stir to cook the flour for 2 minutes.
- Slowly drizzle milk into the butter mixture while continuously stirring. This gradual process will take several minutes. Make sure to scrap the sides of the pan to mix all of the flour into the milk.
- Stir in the chicken broth and stir. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with Dijon mustard, paprika, salt and pepper.
- Pour sauce over the green beans and stir to coat. If baking right away place casserole dish uncovered in preheated oven for 15 minutes or follow make ahead instructions (see notes below).
- Remove the casserole from oven and sprinkle with desired amount of onions. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until casserole is bubbling and onions are golden brown.
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