Crispy, cheesy green bean casserole from scratch! We make a classic green bean casserole even better with fresh green beans, a simple mushroom cream sauce, and homemade creamy shallots.
Our homemade green bean casserole recipe will knock the socks off anything made from a can. We use fresh green beans for the best texture and taste. I love the creamy, cheesy sauce made with mushrooms, milk, and cheese, which makes it much tastier than canned soup. Then, to top it all off, we made a crispy fried shallot topping. It’s easy, and they last a week, probably more!
We serve this classic casserole as a Thanksgiving side dish, but we love it throughout the holiday season. See our tips below for making ahead. For more Thanksgiving recipes, check out our best roasted turkey recipe, these creamy mashed potatoes, and our easy vegetable dip.
Key Ingredients
- Green beans: I like to use fresh green beans for my green bean casserole. Canned green beans are too mushy for me, and while frozen beans will work a little better, frozen beans have less crunch. If you don’t have access to fresh beans, use frozen green beans.
- Mushrooms, Garlic, and Shallots: Instead of canned mushroom soup, we make our own creamy sauce with lots of fresh mushrooms, garlic, and shallots. I like white button or cremini mushrooms in this recipe.
- Butter, Flour, and Milk: The base of the creamy sauce is similar to the cheese sauce used for macaroni and cheese. Butter and flour are cooked together to make a roux, which helps thicken our milk-based sauce. I use whole milk, but reduced fat milk is fine.
- White Wine: Choose a dry white wine that you enjoy. We usually look for dry, clean white wines like Pinot Grigio, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, and unripened Chardonnay. If you want to leave out the wine, use broth (chicken or veggie) instead.
- Cheese: I love Gruyère, but if you have a hard time finding Gruyère or find it too expensive, replace the Gruyère with another melting cheese like white cheddar cheese. White cheddar is also a great alternative to a green bean casserole.
- Crispy Shallots: For a crispy topping (a must if you ask me) try our recipe for crispy fried shallots, or use your favorite store-bought French onion. If you’ve never made crispy shallots before, get ready; you will find it hard to stop eating them! They are very sweet. We also add them to this simple green bean salad.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
Making green bean casserole from scratch is super easy, and I think it tastes better than making it from a can. You’ll start by blanching your green beans for 5 minutes in boiling salted water, making them bright green and crisp.
Next, you will make the cream of mushroom sauce. Thanks to the kilo of mushrooms, garlic, and shallots, our sauce has a lot of flavor. We cut the mushrooms into small pieces by hand, but you can blitz them in a food processor if you want to reduce the preparation time. Then, we cook everything in butter before adding wine, flour, and whisk in milk. You can stop there but fold in shredded cheese to take this casserole up a notch.
Add the blanched green beans, slide everything into the baking dish, and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Then, just before serving, add more homemade shallots or store-bought creamed onions.
Creamy Green Bean Casserole
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PREP
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TOTAL
Our homemade green bean casserole is made from scratch, starting with fresh green beans in a creamy sauce. The sauce is very flavorful, thanks to the mushrooms and melted cheese. Then, to take this casserole up a notch, we add more homemade shallots before serving.
Works 8
You will need it
1 ½ pounds (680g) green beans, trimmed and halved
1 kilogram (450g) crimini mushrooms, finely chopped
6 tablespoons (85g) butter
3 cloves of garlic, and pork, about 1 tablespoon of pork
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine, see notes
2 tablespoons (16g) all-purpose flour
2 cups (470ml) whole or reduced-fat milk
2 cups shredded (8oz or 225g) Gruyère cheese, see notes
1/2 teaspoon (3g) fine sea salt, or more to taste
Homemade fried shallots or store-bought fried onions
Directions
- Prepare Green Beans
1Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C).
2Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Set aside.
- Make the mushroom sauce
1Melt the butter in the pot used to cook the green beans over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and shallots. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat if the vegetables begin to brown quickly.
2Add the white wine and cook, uncovered, until completely reduced.
3Add the flour and cook until it no longer bubbles.
4Slowly pour the milk and bring to a boil.
5Add cheese until melted and sauce is smooth. Season with salt to taste, starting with 1/4 teaspoon.
- Bake the Casserole
1Add the cooked green beans to the sauce and toss until well coated. Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish.
2Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce is covered with green beans.
3Let the casserole rest 5 to 10 minutes after baking. Top with crispy shallots just before serving (adding them too soon can cause the shallots to burst and turn).
Tips from Adam and Joanne
- To save: This keeps in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. To reheat, slide into a 350°F oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. For a small portion, use the microwave (1 to 2 minutes should do the trick). Crispy shallots will lose their crispiness, so add more when reheated.
- Make advance tips: Blanch green beans and toss with homemade sauce. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Add 2 to 5 minutes to bake time when cooking from cold. We do not recommend freezing green bean casserole.
- Wine: Choose a dry white wine that you enjoy. We usually look for dry, clean white wines like Pinot Grigio, Albarino, Sauvignon Blanc, and unripened Chardonnay.
- Wine area: Use vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- Gruyère cheese: We love the taste and melting aspect of Gruyère but sometimes find it expensive. It’s not vegetarian-friendly because of the animal rennet, so to save on cost or make this casserole vegetarian-friendly, substitute Gruyère for your favorite white cheddar.
- The nutrition facts given below are estimates.
Food Per Serving
Serving Size
1 in 8 servings
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Calories
280
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Perfect Oils
you are 19g
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Saturated Fats
11.3g
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Cholesterol
57.5 mg
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Sodium
376.7mg
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Carbohydrate
13.4g
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Dietary fiber
3g
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Total Sugar
7.3g
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Proteins
13.8g
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