No Thanksgiving table is complete without a creamy green bean casserole, but for an even more decadent dish, skip the canned green beans and soup and opt for homemade ingredients. One taste of this from-scratch, homemade green bean casserole, and you’ll never go back.
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Green bean casserole has always been one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes, and that was even with those canned ingredients. But then I tried making my own from-scratch green bean casserole, and the world changed before my eyes.
Dramatic? Arguably but it’s true.
Honestly, I’m not dragging canned green bean casserole because it is tasty. The homemade version simply blows away that canned soup mix. Plus, from-scratch green bean casserole is so easy to make. There’s no reason not to make the switch. And, yes, homemade green bean casserole requires a few more steps, but when you taste that rich sauce, you'll be happy you took the time to make this from-scratch recipe.
Ingredients
Let’s put together our ingredients. Here’s everything you need to make this green bean casserole.
- Fresh green beans
- Fresh mushrooms
- Garlic
- Butter
- Flour
- Chicken or vegetable stock
- Heavy cream
- Nutmeg
- Worcestershire sauce
- Soy sauce
- Pepper
- Parmesan
- Water chestnuts
- Fried onions
The water chestnuts might seem random, but they’re one of my favorite parts of this casserole. My mom always added water chestnuts to her green bean casserole, and they add such a wonderful crunch. Generally, I can find water chestnuts in the Asian section of the grocery store in case you have trouble finding them.
Also, please, please, please do not use canned Parmesan. Only real Parmesan will do here. Canned Parmesan doesn’t melt, and you’ll be left with a grainy sauce. No good.
Best Topping
While this is a homemade green bean casserole, I still opt for French's Crispy Fried Onions. Yes, I know plenty of homemade green bean casserole recipes call for making your own fried onions, but I have a soft spot for French's product. And, no, I'm not getting paid to say that. I just love those little onions with all my heart.
In fact, I recommend buying an extra can on French’s Crispy Fried Onions: one for the casserole and one for snacking. I nibble on so many of these onions while I'm cooking that sometimes I worry about having enough for the casserole.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Let’s jump into it. To start, we prepare our fresh greens by trimming the ends, cutting them in half or even into thirds for the excessively long ones.
Now we drop the green beans into boiling water for five minutes and then transfer them to an ice bath. This stops the cooking process.
Note: This process is blanching. For a more detailed guide, you can check out this resource on how to blanch green beans.
For our decadent cream sauce, we start by cooking sliced mushrooms in a generous dose of butter. We use a lot of butter in this recipe, and I have no regrets. Go with it.
Once our mushrooms are browned and reduced in size, we move them from our pan and start on the roux by cooking more butter and flour. We then slowly add our stock and heavy cream along with a little soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, pepper and the cooked mushrooms.
Now we pour ourselves a glass of wine —- an important step —- and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes. At the end of cooking, we stir in some Parmesan cheese, green beans, water chestnuts and fried onions. We pour the mixture into a casserole dish until bubbly, top with more fried onions and bake for another five minutes.
See? How easy was that? Totally worth the few extra steps.
Related: For more holiday side dishes, try my croissant stuffing, smoked mac and cheese, and sweet potato soufflé.
How to Make Ahead of Time
Making green bean casserole ahead of time is a great idea for easy entertaining, and I have a couple options for you. One make-ahead method is to store the homemade cream of mushroom soup and green beans with water chestnuts in separate airtight containers.
I like this method because it saves valuable refrigerator space. When we’re ready to bake, we mix it all together, add the fried onions, pour it into our casserole dish and pop it in the oven.
The other option is to pour everything but the fried onions into the casserole dish, cover and refrigerate. Like the first method, we stir in the fried onions before baking.
For both methods, I recommend pulling the ingredients out early and letting them come to room temperature. If the casserole goes into the oven cold, it adds to the time it takes to properly bake. This step is especially important if storing everything premixed in a casserole dish. A cold ceramic or glass casserole dish could crack if it goes into a hot oven.
Perfect Pairing for Thanksgiving Dinner
Normally, I like to give pairings for the specific recipe, but I suspect most of y'all will enjoy this green bean casserole with Thanksgiving dinner. I figure overall Thanksgiving dinner pairings are likely more helpful.
With that in mind, I recommend a biere de garde for the beer lovers. Biere de garde is one of those beers that pairs well with so many different foods, and it especially shines with herb-forward dishes and roasted poultry.
If wine is more your speed, a pinot noir is a great option for red lovers. Pinot noir is fruity enough that it complements the cranberries and sweet potatoes, but it also has an earthiness that's perfect with turkey and your more savory sides.
For the white wine lovers, grab a dry riesling or sauvignon blanc. And, of course, you can't go wrong with Champagne, which goes well with everything.
If you want to take your Thanksgiving dinner to the next level, I hope you try this homemade green bean casserole.
Cheers!
Looking for More Recipes to Grace Your Holiday Table?
- Spiced-brandied cranberry sauce
- Cranberry-apple cider holiday sangria
- The best brown butter mashed potatoes
- Maple-braised turkey legs and thighs
- Bourbon-pumpkin ice cream
If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Green Bean Casserole (With Make-Ahead Directions)
Equipment
- Large skillet
- 13-inch-by-9-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- Salted water
- 1 pound fresh green beans trimmed and cut in half
- Ice
- ½ cup butter divided
- 1 pound fresh mushrooms sliced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock see note
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- A dash or two Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch ground nutmeg preferably freshly grated
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan see note
- 1 (8-ounce) can of sliced water chestnuts halved
- 2 ⅓ cups French's Crispy Fried Onions divided
Instructions
For Immediate Baking
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for five minutes. While the green beans cook, fill a bowl with ice and add water. When the green beans finish cooking after five minutes, drain and immediately add the green beans to the ice water to stop the cooking process.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt ¼ cup of the butter. Add the sliced mushrooms, stir to coat and cook until reduced and browned, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add remaining butter to the skillet and melt. Whisk in the flour. Continuously whisk for about three minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in stock and heavy cream. Whisk until the mixture smooths out. Stir in soy sauce, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and ground nutmeg and add mushrooms back to the sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Add the Parmesan, stirring until it melts into the sauce. Turn off the heat and stir in the green beans, water chestnuts and 1 cup Crispy Fried Onions if baking right away. See below for make-ahead instructions. Pour into a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Place in 350-degree oven and bake until bubbly on the edges, about 15 minutes. Top with remaining Crispy Fried Onions and bake for another five minutes. Take out of the oven and allow it to set for about five minutes and serve. Enjoy!
For Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole
- Bring salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for five minutes. While the green beans cook, fill a bowl with ice and add water. When the green beans finish cooking after five minutes, drain and immediately add the green beans to the ice water to stop the cooking process.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt ¼ cup of the butter. Add the sliced mushrooms, stir to coat and cook until reduced and browned, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add remaining butter to the skillet and melt. Whisk in the flour. Continuously whisk for about three minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in stock and heavy cream. Whisk until the mixture smooths out. Stir in soy sauce, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and ground nutmeg and add mushrooms back to the sauce. Simmer for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- Add the Parmesan, stirring until it melts into the sauce. Turn off the heat and pour into an airtight container. In a separate airtight container, store the green beans with water chestnuts and keep both in the refrigerator for up to two days. This is helpful is refrigerator space is an issue. Alternatively, you can go ahead and pour the mushroom sauce and green beans into a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish, cover and store in the refrigerator.
- Before baking in a 350-degree oven, let the mushroom sauce and green beans sit in room temperature for an hour or two. Pour the mushroom sauce into a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish and stir in the green beans, water chestnuts and 1 cup Crispy Fried Onions.
- Place in 350-degree oven uncovered and bake until bubbly on the edges. Since this won't be warm off the stove, it will take longer to get to the bubbly stage. Start checking it after about 25 minutes, but it could take longer if the mixture is on the colder side. Once bubbly, top with remaining Crispy Fried Onions and bake for another five minutes. Take out of the oven and allow it to set for about five minutes and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- I like the flavor of chicken stock best, but you can use vegetable stock if it needs to be 100 percent vegetarian.
- Make sure you use freshly grated Parmesan and not anything canned or bagged, which won't melt properly and leave you with a grainy texture.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ramona says
Oh, beans old beans, I love them and I cook them at least 3-4 times a week - I LOVE this recipe and will be making it as soon as tonight. Thanks for sharing - it looks absolutely delish.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
You’re so welcome! Sounds perfect for you!
Katie says
This sounds crazy good,I've never had a green bean casserole before, just plain old green beans. I can't wait to try this out!!
Katie xoxo
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I think you’ll love it! ❤️
Emily says
Love that you can make this casserole ahead of time! Perfect for holiday meals!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Totally! Makes entertaining so much easier.
Kari Heron says
I have always used and only had string beans in light dishes. Never thought of pairing this with heavy cream in a casserole. But, Thanksgiving is not a Jamaican tradition so that may be it. It looks like a yummy meal on its own, without any need for anything else. Maybe a slice of steak 🙂
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
It’s not the healthiest way to eat green beans, but it is tasty for a holiday treat!
Jenni LeBaron says
Green bean casserole is my absolute favorite Thanksgiving side dish so I am jazzed to try your version! This will be devoured at my house!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I certainly hope so and am confident it will! ?
Milena says
You made green beam casserole look incredible! Thank you for the make ahead directions - definitely a huge factor in decisions related to menu planing:) I am going to need one of your cocktails too - hosting Thanksgiving meals always stresses me out, I am so much better at being a guest, lol.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Haha, it can be stressful, but with a cocktail in hand and plenty of make-ahead dishes, it's definitely easier! ?
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
I have seen green bean casserole everywhere lately, but I have never actually tried it! If it's that popular, I have got to try it! Looks so good!!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Oh, wow, you totally should try it! It's so comforting and delicious.
Jacqui Debono says
I have to make a Thanksgiving dinner, and this will definitely be on my meal plan! I love that it uses fresh ingredients!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Can't beat fresh! ?
Deborah says
Always looking for an awesome green bean casserole for Thanksgiving. I will use veggie stock and am wondering what I can substitute for heavy cream? I don't do dairy. Any advice?
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Hi, Deborah! I haven't tried it with almond milk, but that should be a good option.
Leanne says
My husband and I don't often agree on vegetable sides (he doesn't like many) but green beans are always a hit. We would both enjoy this green bean casserole. And I absolutely love that you included make ahead instructions. Perfect for the busy holiday season!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
For sure! Anything that can be made ahead is a big positive for me.
Alena says
I love the addition of mushrooms! I feel like this is such a unique and flavorful recipe compared to most green bean casseroles!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thanks, Alena! It's so good. ?
Kacie says
This looks insanely good; especially with those crispy fried onions on top! And I agree - there is no substitute for authentic Parrmesan, or Parmigiano-Reggiano!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Totally! Real Parmesan is the absolute best.
Stine Mari says
Yass, you know how I feel about this green bean casserole, it looks AMAZING! Next time I'm having green beans, this will be it.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Yay! Hope you love it.
Jere Cassidy says
I never grow tired of a good green bean casserole, especially when fresh green beans are used.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Right? It's amazing the difference they make!
Ann says
I love green bean, but for some reason I always cook it according to one recipe - stew it with onions and carrots in tomato sauce ... Your recipe seems very original to me, I will definitely try to cook green bean this way. I think it will be a dish for tomorrow's dinner. Thank you for the idea.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
You're so welcome!