Green Bean Casserole

Green beans baked in a creamy mushroom sauce make for a delicious side dish packed with vegetables! It’s a Thanksgiving classic made completely from scratch – even the fried onions! It’s a bit more work but of course for a lot more flavor in return.

If you look at a lot of recipes online for Green Bean Casserole, you’ll begin to notice a theme! Most recipes call for using cream of mushroom soup from a can and French’s fried onions which are also from the store in a jar. The goal for this recipe was to make it all from scratch so it tastes fresh and packed with flavor. So if you typically do not like green bean casserole, I think you should give it one more try with this recipe!

How to Make the Crispy Fried Onions

There are four parts to making the crispy fried onions!

First up, THE ONION: I like to use yellow onion because it has a more mild and sweet taste. However you can use white onion if you prefer a more pungent taste.Thinly slice into circular pieces and then separate each strip. You can keep them circular or cut them in half so they resemble crescents.

Second up, the WET BATTER: To a bowl, whisk together buttermilk, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Add the onions to the wet batter and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Third up, the DRY BATTER: In another, combine all purpose flour, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Transfer the onions from the wet batter to the dry batter, a handful at a time. Make sure the onions are fully coated before transferring to a plate next.

Fourth up, FRY THE ONIONS: Heat vegetable oil to 350°F. Add the battered onions in batches so they’re not over crowded. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Transfer to a wire rack for excess oil to drain and set aside.

The Mushroom Cream Sauce

Now it’s time to make the mushroom cream sauce! The process is very similar to making a béchamel so if you’re made that before, this will be pretty straight forward.

To a saucepan over medium heat, melt down the butter and add the garlic and mushrooms. Saute for a minute or two.

Add the all purpose flour to create a roux. It will be a bit difficult to do with the mushrooms in there but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Mix together and then add the heavy cream and beef broth. Mix together until you have a smooth sauce.

Season with salt, black pepper, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne. Mix together and bring to a simmer for 5 to 6 minutes to reduce and thicken.

Add the parmesan, cream cheese, and chopped parsley. Combine together until everything is incorporated and set aside. Taste and adjust anything to your liking.

If you want a more smooth sauce, add it all to a food processor or blender to get a creamy mushroom texture!

Assembly & Baking

The last step before the oven is blanching the green beans! The purpose of this step is so the green beans have a beautiful vibrant green color instead of dull and yellow looking.

To blanch the green beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the greens beans and cook for 2 minutes – no longer! Drain immediately and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

To a casserole dish, add the blanched green beans. Pour the mushroom cream sauce on top. Add the shredded cheese to cover the top. The shredded cheese on top is completely optional!

Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and pop back in the oven to roast for another 15 minutes. Finally, take out of the oven and add the fried onions on top. Roast again for just 5 more minutes. Serve warm!

If you tried this recipe and loved it, drop by down below and let me know how you liked it with a rating and comment! Feel free to also leave a question there about this recipe and I’ll get right back to it.

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