Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
Skip the canned cream or mushroom soup, the homemade mushroom cream sauce in this Green Bean Casserole from Scratch is so much better. Once you make this homemade version, you'll never want to serve green bean casserole any other way.
As Thanksgiving approaches, I'm eager to share this green bean casserole recipe. It's a staple side dish at my family's Thanksgiving dinner, as it is for many others. The combination of creamy filling and crunchy fried onions makes it a favorite for everyone. It's so popular that we rarely have leftovers!
Scratch Made Mushroom Cream Sauce
The flavor is so much better when made from scratch. The fresh taste of the mushrooms really elevates this dish. You will not want to go back to using canned cream of mushroom soup in your green bean casserole after you see how easy this recipe is to make.
I like to use button mushrooms for the sauce, because I always have them in my refrigerator. Portabella mushrooms would also work for this recipe. The key to making the sauce is sautéing the mushrooms and onions to bring out their flavor. I like to chop the mushrooms finely so that they are more of the same size as the mushrooms in the canned soup.
Larger sliced mushrooms would also work. By chopping them finely I am able to hide them better from the pickier eaters.
The rest of the sauce is made with good quality chicken stock and milk that is thickened with a roux.
Make it Ahead
Preparing green bean casserole in advance can save time. I typically prepare my green bean casserole the day before Thanksgiving to simplify my tasks on Thanksgiving Day. It can be prepared up to four days in advance.
Assemble the casserole fully, omitting the fried onions. Add the onions just before baking to ensure they remain crisp.
Check out these Thanksgiving favorites.
Traditional Green Bean Casserole made from scratch. This simple mushroom cream sauce will make this loved Thanksgiving Day side dish so much better.
- 24 oz green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3/4 Cup onion (small diced)
- 1/2 Cup button mushrooms (finely chopped)
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 Cup chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 tsp salt
- To Taste black pepper
- 3-4 oz fried onions (such as French's fried onions)
Preheat an oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
Bring a medium pot 3/4 of the way full to a boil. Add in the green beans, bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 6 minutes. Drain off the water and cool completely with cold water.
In a large skillet over medium heat add the olive oil, once hot add in the butter. Add in the onions and mushrooms and sauté until the onions are tender, approximately 6 minutes. If the onions start to brown turn the heat down a little.
Add the flour to the mushroom mixture and mix until well combined. Now slowly add in the chicken stock, whisking to prevent any clumps from forming.
Whisk in the milk and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
In a large bowl combine the mushroom sauce and green beans. Stir until well combined. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with fried onions.
Bake for 30 minutes covered. After 30 minutes remove the lid and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy!
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