Green Bean Casserole Recipe
A Homemade Green Bean Casserole recipe you’ll absolutely love. This version is made entirely from scratch with a creamy mushroom sauce, tender green beans, nutty parmesan, and crispy fried shallots. No cans here—just fresh, real ingredients. Perfect for holidays or any cozy dinner.
🕒 Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Yield: 8 | Category: Side Dish | Method: Stovetop, Baking | Cuisine: American
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Green Bean Casserole
This recipe takes the classic holiday favorite and makes it even better. Fresh green beans stay tender-crisp, mushrooms bring rich umami, parmesan adds depth, and the homemade fried shallots put it over the top. It’s a crowd-pleasing side dish that pairs beautifully with turkey, chicken, or roast beef.
Ingredients
For the fried shallot topping:
- 4 medium shallots, halved lengthwise & sliced into thin half moons
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- Creole Cajun seasoning (or seasoned salt), to taste
Homemade Green Bean Casserole (From Scratch)
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
From-scratch green bean casserole with a creamy mushroom sauce, nutty parmesan, and crispy homemade fried shallots. No canned soup—perfect for holidays and cozy dinners.
Ingredients
For the fried shallot topping:
4 medium shallots, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly into half moons
1 cup vegetable oil
Creole Cajun seasoning or seasoned salt, to taste
For the green bean casserole:
24 ounces fresh green beans, ends trimmed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced or paste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons dijon mustard (smooth or whole grain)
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, divided
Instructions
1. For the fried shallots: Place the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced shallots immediately and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 15–20 minutes. Lower heat if browning too fast.
2. Remove shallots with a slotted or fish spatula to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Season with Creole Cajun seasoning or seasoned salt. Strain oil through a fine sieve and reserve for future use.
3. For the green bean casserole: Preheat oven to 375°F.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain again and set aside.
5. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté until tender and lightly golden, 3–4 minutes.
6. Stir in flour until combined. Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring to remove any lumps and scraping up browned bits.
7. Stir in lemon juice, dijon, worcestershire, thyme, red pepper flakes (if using), nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer 2–3 minutes.
8. Stir in cream and half of the parmesan; cook 1–2 minutes until smooth.
9. Add blanched green beans to a 10×10-inch or 9×13-inch baking dish. Pour mushroom sauce over and toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
10. Bake 20 minutes. Remove, toss gently, and top with fried shallots. Return to oven 7–10 minutes until shallots are crisp but not burned.
11. Serve immediately.
Notes
Gluten-free: Replace all-purpose flour 1:1 with a gluten-free flour blend, or use arrowroot, tapioca, or cassava flour.
Make-ahead: Assemble up to 2 days in advance (with parmesan and shallots), cover, and refrigerate. Bake covered at 375°F for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake 7–10 minutes more until hot and shallots are crisp.
Optional flavor boost: Deglaze the mushrooms with a splash of dry white wine before adding broth.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Stovetop, Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 7g
- Fat: 24g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 16g
For the green bean casserole:
- 24 ounces fresh green beans, ends trimmed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced or paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard (smooth or whole grain)
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan, divided
Step-by-Step Instructions
For the fried shallots:
- Place vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced shallots immediately, no need to wait for the oil to warm.
- Cook shallots, stirring often, for 15–20 minutes until golden brown. If browning too quickly, lower the heat.
- Remove shallots with a slotted spatula and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Season with Creole Cajun seasoning or seasoned salt. Set aside.
- Strain oil through a fine sieve to remove debris and save shallot-infused oil for later use.
For the green bean casserole:
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add green beans and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, then transfer to an ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add mushrooms and garlic, sautéing until mushrooms are tender and golden, 3–4 minutes.
- Stir in flour until combined, then slowly add chicken broth, stirring to avoid lumps. Scrape any browned bits from the pan.
- Add lemon juice, dijon, worcestershire, thyme, red pepper flakes (if using), nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in cream and half of the parmesan. Cook until smooth, about 1–2 minutes.
- In a 10×10 or 9×13 baking dish, add blanched green beans and pour mushroom sauce over. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove, stir gently, then top with fried shallots. Return to oven for another 7–10 minutes until shallots are crisp but not burned.
- Serve hot.
Pro Tips and Tricks
- Make Ahead: Assemble casserole (with parmesan and shallots) up to 2 days ahead, refrigerate, then bake when ready.
- Gluten-Free Option: Swap all-purpose flour with gluten-free flour, arrowroot, tapioca, or cassava flour.
- Flavor Boost: Add a splash of white wine while cooking mushrooms for extra depth.
Nutrition Info (per serving)
Serving Size | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Fiber | Sugar |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 plate | 420 | 16g | 28g | 24g | 5g | 7g |
Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are estimated and may vary depending on ingredients and preparation. Please consult a nutritionist for exact values.
FAQs
Can I use canned green beans? Fresh beans give the best texture, but canned can be used in a pinch. Just skip blanching.
Can I substitute the shallots with fried onions? Yes, but homemade shallots add a fresher, less greasy crunch.
Can I make this vegetarian? Yes, simply swap chicken broth for vegetable broth.
Conclusion
This Homemade Green Bean Casserole brings freshness and flavor to the holiday table. With tender beans, creamy mushroom sauce, parmesan, and crispy shallots, it’s the perfect balance of comfort and elegance. Once you try this from-scratch version, you’ll never go back to the canned soup classic.