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–+ servings

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. No cans in sight here!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Yields8 servings
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and rinsed
  • 1 to 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
  • 6 ounces brown mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
  • dash of nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated
  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

FRIED CRISPY ONIONS

  • 1 yellow onion, thinly slice
  • 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • vegetable oil, for frying

Instructions 

MAKE THE FRIED ONIONS

  1. To one bowl, make the wet batter. Combine buttermilk, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
  2. In another bowl, make the dry batter. Combine all purpose flour, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
  3. Add all the onions to the wet and allow them to sit submerged for 10 minutes.
  4. Take the onions out a handful at a time, letting any excess wet batter drip off and transfer to the dry batter. Coat each onion fully and transfer to a plate.
  5. Heat vegetable oil to 350°F. Add the onions in and fry until golden brown. Fry in batches so the onions are not overcrowded.
  6. Drain excess oil on a wired plate and set aside.

MAKE THE MUSHROOM CREAM SAUCE

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt down the butter and add the garlic and mushrooms. Saute for a minute or two.
  2. Add the all purpose flour, mix together, and then add the heavy cream and beef broth. Mix together until you have a smooth sauce.
  3. 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.
  4. Add the parmesan, cream cheese, and chopped parsley. Mix together until everything is incorporated and set aside. If you want a smoother sauce, add it all to a food processor or blender to cream the mushrooms!

BLANCH GREEN BREANS

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Add the greens beans and cook for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. To a casserole dish, add the blanched green beans. Pour the mushroom cream sauce on top. Add the shredded cheese to cover the top.
  3. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
  4. Remove the foil and pop back in the oven to roast for another 15 minutes.
  5. Finally, take out of the oven and add the fried onions on top. Roast again for just 5 more minutes.
  6. Serve warm!

Notes

Feel free to also cut the green beans into 2 to 3 smaller pieces instead of keeping them whole!
If you want a smoother texture to the casserole, you can add the mushroom cream sauce to a blender to puree the mushrooms into a soup and use that for a more traditional recipe!

Did You Make This Recipe?

If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and let me know how it turns out. I love hearing from you!