Green Bean Casserole Recipe from Scratch

Easy green bean casserole recipe made from scratch. A delicious classic side dish to accompany any Thanksgiving meal. You can make it in advance and pull it out at mealtime.

This crowd-pleasing French's green bean casserole is made of fresh string beans, freshly made mushroom béchamel sauce, and French crispy fried onions.

Absolutely delicious, and easy to make! This holiday side dish is the ultimate comfort food to feed a crowd. It's also the best green bean casserole for those of you who don't want to use canned products and want to take control of your sodium intake. You can adjust the amount of salt in this recipe according to your liking.

The Popular Side Dish for Thanksgiving:

The original Campbell's green bean casserole consists of canned string beans, cream of mushroom soup, and french fried onion. The recipe was created in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell Soup Company, and it has become one of the most popular traditional Thanksgiving side dishes ever since.

The Ingredients:

This casserole is made with canned soup or canned green beans! It's absolutely 💯 made from scratch, except for fried onions! The store-bought fried onion will help you cut down on your cooking time.

To make this tasty side dish for Thanksgiving dinner, you need the following ingredients:

1. Fresh green beans
2. Mushrooms
3. Chicken broth
4. Heavy cream
5. Dijon mustard
6. Onion powder
7. Garlic powder
8. All-purpose flour
9. Unsalted butter
10. Nutmeg

How to Make Green Bean Casserole:

This Thanksgiving side dish is very easy to prepare and to make. And, ... the result is phenomenal!

The preparation and cooking process is pretty simple. Here's how:

Step 1. Blanch the Green Beans

• First, wash fresh green beans thoroughly in clear, cool water. 
• After that, cook green beans in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of green beans or until bright green and halfway to tenderness. Working in multiple batches if needed.
• Quickly transfer green beans to an ice bath to cool, then drain well. Set aside.

If you are using canned beans, there is no need to blanch them.

Step 2. Make Homemade Creamy Mushroom Sauce

• Sauté mushrooms for 4-6 minutes.
• Make a roux by combining an equal amount of fat and flour, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until roux is golden brown and smells mildly nutty.
• Add spices and stir for 1 minute.
• Add chicken broth and heavy cream, simmer for 7-10 minutes or until the sauce is thickened.

Step 3. Bake

• Pour the mushroom sauce over green beans then transfer the mixture to a large baking dish.
• Sprinkle with a generous amount of French crispy fried onions.
• Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 375°F.

How to Avoid Watery Green Bean Casserole:

There is nothing worse than a watery and mushy casserole. Here are some important tips to follow:

#1. Tender Green Beans

The green beans should be tender but not mushy. After blanching, toss the green beans into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and drain well!

#2. Thick Sauce

The finished mushroom sauce should be really thick and smooth, and actually not resemble soup. The sauce may look like it's not enough to cover the beans but don't worry, just mix everything and the sauce will get more coverage and saucier as it bakes. 

#3. Use Enough Thickener

Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole:

If you are a fan of make-ahead recipes, this recipe is perfect for you. Here's how to make it a day ahead:

1. Prepare the green beans; clean, blanch, and drain.
2. Make creamy mushroom sauce
3. Pour the mushroom sauce over green beans then transfer the mixture to a large baking dish.
4. Let the casserole cool to room temperature.
5. Wrap the baking dish well with plastic wrap and foil.
6. Cover with foil and refrigerate.
7. To serve, remove the foil and add the remaining onions before baking.

How to Store Leftover Green Bean Casserole:

Properly stored, the leftover can last up to 5 days in the fridge.

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