This green bean casserole is made from scratch, with tender green beans in a savory sauce, topped with crispy fried onions. It’s a healthy side dish that’s perfect for a holiday feast or a casual family dinner.
Classic side dishes are pretty much my favorite things ever. In fact, I usually fill up my plate with cream cheese mashed potatoes, pasta salad, oven-roasted vegetables, and strawberry pretzel squares, then maybe take a small pinch of whatever the main dish is! If you’re at all like me, this delicious side dish is for you!
Easy Green Bean Casserole
Did you grow up eating green bean casserole? My family rarely ate green beans when I was growing up, and they weren’t a regular part of our holiday menu. When I married into my husband’s family, though, I discovered the joy of a good, fresh green bean casserole.
My husband’s grandma always makes the most amazing green bean casserole from scratch for every holiday and family dinner. Although her recipe is a closely guarded secret, this casserole is the closest I’ve been able to get to it after lots of experimenting at home.
It’s totally delicious, and packed with tender green beans, creamy mushroom sauce, and (of course!) topped by delicious and flavorful crispy fried onions. It’s everything you could want in a side dish!
Homemade Sauce
I know there are a ton of recipes out there that use condensed soups (and they are delicious!) but I love figuring out ways to make things from scratch.
For this recipe I decided to try making my own mushroom sauce. It turned out so good! I’m not sure I can go back to the canned stuff, to be honest.
The homemade mushroom sauce is simple and quick to make, and adds so much flavor to the casserole! I’ll include the recipe if you want to try it below.
If you’re looking for a shortcut to make things easier, use a can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. The green bean casserole will still be delicious, I promise! If you plan on using the canned mushroom soup, skip down to the 5th step.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
Prep – Before you get started, preheat the oven to 350 degree F. To make the mushroom sauce, start by melting the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Mushrooms – Next, add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook them for a couple minutes. You’ll want to stir them frequently until the mushrooms are soft and have reduced in size.
Sauce – Add in the flour and keep stirring until the flour has been absorbed into the butter. Then let the mixture cook for about 2-3 minutes. Finally, you’ll need to gradually whisk in the milk and cook it until the sauce has thickened.
Season – Remove the mushroom sauce from the heat and stir in the garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Green Beans – Add in the fresh green beans to the skillet and toss everything until they’re evenly coated.
Note – If you are using a can of Campbell’s soup, add the green beans and soup to a mixing bowl and mix until evenly coated.
Cook – Pour the green bean mixture into a 9 x 13 baking pan. Top the green bean casserole with fried onions (I love the French’s brand) and bake for 22 minutes.
Recipe Tips
- Make It Faster – I usually use frozen green beans in this casserole, but if you have fresh green beans on hand, they will work too!
- Blanch – It’s a good idea to blanch them (cook them in boiling water until they’re softened) for about five minutes before using them. They will cook the rest of the way in the oven.
Make Ahead & Storage
Make Ahead Of Time – You can make the green bean casserole itself a day in advance. Store everything in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook it. However, leave the fried onions off until you are ready to put it in the oven or they will get soggy. And let’s be honest, those crispy fried onions are the best part of this casserole!
Storing – Place any leftovers into an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. The casserole will stay fresh for about 5 days but the longer it’s in there, the soggier the fried onions will get. While it’s not a perfect remedy, after I reheat the casserole I like
More Easy Casserole Recipes
- Stuffed Pepper Casserole
- Omelet Breakfast Casserole
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Chili Cornbread Casserole
- Chicken Pot Pie and Biscuit Casserole
This casserole is one of our favorite side dishes for holidays or Sunday dinners! It really lets the flavor of the green beans shine, while still having all the goodness of comfort food. This dish is always a favorite!
Let us know if you make this green bean casserole by leaving us a comment below. Or tag us on social media so because we always love seeing you enjoy one of our recipes!
Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- (If using canned mushroom sauce, skip to step 4.)To make your own mushroom sauce – Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are softened and reduced in size.
- Add the flour to the skillet, and stir until all of the flour is absorbed into the butter. Cook 2-3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk, a little at a time, and cook until thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add the green beans to the skillet and toss to coat them completely.
- **If using canned mushroom soup – add the green beans to a bowl and mix with the cream of mushroom soup to evenly coat.**
- Pour the green bean mixture into a 9 x 9 (or equivalent sized) baking dish.
- Top with the fried onions. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the fried onions are brown and crisp. Serve warm.
Made this casserole for our family dinner and we absolutely loved it! It is so yummy and healthy as well. Thank you for this recipe. Definitely a keeper!
Thanks Natasha!
My family loved this casserole! I will definitely be making it again for our holiday dinners this year!
Oh good! This is my favorite side for Thanksgiving!
Delicious recipe! I absolutely love this recipe for green bean casserole! True story; I have eaten green bean casserole for breakfast. I am definitely looking forward to eating these leftovers tomorrow morning!
Good for you!
This is such a lovely side, and how nice that it’s all homemade! What a great dish to serve with a spring holiday meal!
Thanks Patricia!
This looks incredibly delicious! I love this! looks so good!
This is a must have for holiday brunch or dinner! So yummy!
This recipe has it all. Great taste, easy to find ingredients, not much prep, and it cooks really fast.Love it!
Thanks Bee, I’m so glad to hear you liked it so much!
Green Beans WOW! I love a good quick recipe! This one is healthy and colourful too 🙂
I love this made from scratch version! I think I will add this to my Easter dinner menu!
You should, it’s so easy to make! Let me know how it turns out.
I could eat green bean casserole every day! It’s so good!