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Believe it or not, my favorite Thanksgiving side dish is a bit of an unexpected one: green bean casserole! I know, I know, why choose green beans over mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, or even sausage and sage stuffing? But think about it, tender green beans coated in a rich mushroom sauce and topped with irresistible crispy fried onions! And this recipe takes the classic Thanksgiving green bean casserole even better with a homemade cream of mushroom sauce. Skip the canned stuff and spend just a few minutes making your own velvety sauce.
To be honest, I think the reason this is my favorite Thanksgiving side is because I have a picky family, and this is the one thing I get all to myself. My husband won’t touch green beans with a ten-foot pole, and my siblings will opt for mac and cheese over veggies every single time.
Fresh Green Beans
The key to a great green bean casserole is starting with fresh green beans! I’ve had many casseroles that were made with canned or even frozen green beans, and that is simply not the way to go. They get soooo mushy and watery, it makes for an unpleasant dish.
So start with a fresh pound of green beans. Rinse them off and trim the ends. Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the green beans for 3-5 minutes or until bright green. Now, drain the green beans and immediately place them in a bowl of ice water! This is to stop the cooking process and keep the beans from turning dull or brown.
Let the beans sit in the ice water for about 1 minute, then drain again and set aside.
Homemade Cream of Mushroom
Now I will start by saying there is nothing wrong with a good ole can of cream of mushroom soup, and this recipe works just fine with 1 1/2 10.5 oz cans of canned cream of mushroom soup. But if you want to really make it your own, make a simple cream of mushroom sauce yourself in just 15 minutes! Control the salt, flavor, and thickness with a homemade sauce
Start with 8oz of halved and sliced mushrooms (I used white button but baby bellas would work great too). Saute them over medium heat with 2 tbsp of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender. Add in 1 tbsp of minced garlic and cook another minute, or until fragrant.
Sprinkle on 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour and stir to coat. Add in 1 cup of low sodium chicken broth and bring to a simmer for 3 minutes or until thick and slightly pasty. Pour in 1 1/4 cup of half and half, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce is thick enough to coat. Taste again and season accordingly.
Toss in 1/3 cup of fried onions and the blanched green beans. Pour into a greased baking dish and top with 3/4 cup of fried onions. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes or until the onions begin to brown and the sauce bubbles. ALTERNATIVELY: if using canned cream of mushroom, bake an additional 5-10 minutes to warm through.
Want More Side Dish Ideas?
- White Truffle Mac And Cheese
- Roasted Parmesan Broccoli
- Lemon Caesar Asparagus
- Hawaiian Rolls
- Baked Mac And Cheese
- BLTA Pasta Salad
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh green beans rinsed and trimmed
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz mushrooms halved then sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1¼ cup half and half or 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup fried onions
Alternatively
- 1½ 10.5oz cans cream of mushroom soup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°
- In a large pot, bring heavily salted water to a boil. Add in green beans and cook for 4-5 minutes or until bright green. Drain and immediately add to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Cool for one minute and drain again. Set aside
- In a large saucepan, melt butter and add sauteed mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes or until tender
- Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat
- Add in chicken stock/broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until it is thick and pasty.
- Reduce heat to low and add in half and half. Gently simmer for 8-10 minutes or until thick enough to coat a spoon. Taste and season accordingly.
- Remove from heat and add in green beans and ⅓ cup of onions. Stir to combine.
- Pour mixture into a greased baking dish and top with remaining fried onions.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the onions are golden brown and the sauce is bubbling.
Alternatively
- Combine canned cream of mushroom soup with drained green beans and ⅓ cup of fried onions. Pour in baking dish, top with remaining onions, and bake 15-20 minutes
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