It’s difficult to imagine any holiday table without a Creamy Green Bean Casserole (from scratch) with a crunchy, crisp topping. Green Bean Casserole is a classic Thanksgiving side dish and this one is made entirely from scratch and uses a homemade cream of mushroom soup. P.S. It can be made 2 days ahead!
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There are a handful of sides that consistently show up at our holiday table and Green Beans are always on the menu! We love serving Green Bean Casserole with Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Casserole, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts all paired with a stunning Prime Rib Roast or Juicy Roast Turkey for the ultimate feast!
Homemade Green Bean Casserole:
This recipe is a staple at Thanksgiving dinner and the holiday itself. Everyone loves a classic green bean casserole and this one is made from fresh real ingredients: Green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce baked under a crisp bread crumb and cheese topping.
What is Green Bean Casserole?
This traditional green bean casserole is essentially a green bean gratin. It was invented in the US by Dorcas Reilly in 1955 who developed it with Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. This green beans casserole is baked in a homemade cream of mushroom soup and there is nothing quite like homemade! The green beans are more vibrant and the sauce is so flavorful.
The Best Green Bean Casserole Topping:
Rather than using the deep-fried canned onion rings, this recipe has a crisp and flavorful parmesan garlic crust. The contrast of the creamy beans and the crunchy savory crumb topping is delicious.
Making a green bean casserole from scratch is really easy and so much better than canned beans cooked in canned cream of mushroom soup and topped with pre-made deep-fried onions. You will feel so good about serving this to the people you love!
How to Make Green Bean Casserole from Scratch:
Using fresh green beans makes the beans extra sweet, tender and vibrant. You can’t match that same texture or flavor with beans that come out of a can. To make green bean casserole with fresh green beans:
- Trim and blanch the beans for 5 minutes for firmer beans or 8 minutes if you prefer softer beans
- Make the mushroom sauce and combine with green beans
- Top with the Parmesan herb and garlic breadcrumbs
- Bake immediately or store in the fridge to bake on the day of the feast
Can You Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead?
During the busyness of the holidays, it’s wonderful to have some make-ahead recipes up your sleeve. You can make this green bean casserole recipe up to 2 days ahead, covered and refrigerated until ready to bake. If baking at a later date, top with the Parmesan breadcrumb mixture immediately before baking to ensure a crisp topping.
If I could describe this green bean casserole, I would say it tastes just like the original but better. The homemade mushroom sauce still holds the same savory punch of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup but tastes more wholesome, and therefore infinitely more delicious.
Our Favorite Thanksgiving Side Dishes:
- Festive Red Cabbage Slaw
- Roasted Parmesan Broccoli with Sun-dried Tomatoes
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Brussels Sprouts in Alfredo Sauce
- Easy Stuffing Recipe
What are your go-to Thanksgiving side dishes? You can explore more of our favorite Thanksgiving recipes here.
Green Bean Casserole (from Scratch)
Ingredients
For the Green Bean Casserole
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz mushrooms, (cremini, baby bella, or white)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
For the Parmesan Herb and Garlic Breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder, (or 1 tsp garlic flakes)
- 1 tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat Oven to 375˚F. Set a large pot with water over high heat and bring to a boil then add trimmed green beans. Cook/blanch them for 5 minutes for firmer beans or 8 minutes for softer beans. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, Place a large pan over medium/high heat and add 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil, then add sliced mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until the mushroom liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are golden.
- Move mushrooms to one side of the pan and add chopped onion. Saute onions over low heat for a couple of minutes then stir them together with mushrooms and saute until onions are soft (6-8 min). Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer while stirring.
- Add 2 Tbsp flour and stir until the flour turns into a paste. Continue cooking 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until it smells slightly nutty, being careful not to burn the mixture.
- Add the 1/2 cup chicken stock and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula. Add 1 cup heavy cream, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 Tbsp soy sauce and cook over low until sauce has a creamy and gravy-like consistency (it thickens more as it bakes). Season with salt to taste.
- Add blanched green beans to the mushroom sauce and stir to combine then transfer to a 1.5 to 2 qt casserole dish.
- In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp dried parsley. Sprinkle over the green bean casserole. Bake uncovered at 375 F for 20 minutes then broil for 2-3 minutes until topping is golden.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
I will never make Green Bean Casserole with cream of mushroom soup ever again. This recipe is wonderful and I enjoyed making it. Was worried that it wouldn’t taste right but the taste was so much more and a huge hit on our Thanksgiving!!!! I will have to say that during this time I have discovered your site and made at least 20 of your recipes and and they have all been so wonderful, I am thankful that I have your help in my kitchen and I look forward to cooking many more of your recipies!!!
Wow, that makes me so happy! I am so glad that you have loved the recipes that you have tried from me so far. Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Simone.
Tried your casserole recipe.
Came out great ..
Thank you 🥰
Awesome, glad you enjoyed it!
You are my Go To recipe site. Everything is always good when I make it. Your directions are easy to follow. I decided to make green bean casserole and looked on your site for the recipe. I made it and to say it was a hit was an understatement. Let me tell you, everyone said this was the best green bean casserole they have ever had. I agree. It was so full of flavor and savory… Thank you for your awesome recipes.
Hi Heather, thank you so much for your kind words and great feedback. We appreciate you sharing your experience with us!
Hi Natasha, what can I substitute the Worcestershire because I don’t have it?
Hi, I haven’t tested any other substitutions, but using a little more soy sauce could work (just not a full Tbsp since soy sauce can be saltier). Here is a good article I found online on substitutes for Worchestershire sauce.
How many qt was your casserole dish
Hi Lola, It was a 1.5 qt and it fills a 9X13 to about 2/3.
Natasha,
I really enjoy your recipes. However I am a horrible cook, and like do most cooking before sit down time. Big problem is how to reheat. I need what temp, covered or not, how long to reheat etc. Any advice you have for this amateur, I would greatly appreciate . Thanks in advance.
Hi Bob, to reheat in the oven, cover the casserole with foil then heat for about 20-30 minutes at 350º or until hot.
Hey Natasha! I just made the best green bean casserole! My family and myself were speechless after the first bite. Thank you so much for the fancy and easy recipe!
-Josue
That is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing your great feedback with us.
What could I could use as a substitute for the mushrooms? I’m cooking for someone with a mushroom allergy. Thanks in advance!
Hi Alison, the mushrooms do impart a nice flavor and are difficult to replace flavor-wise, but you could omit the mushrooms, and the recipe will still work.
Would a bag of frozen green beans work? And, aren’t the frozen beans already blanched?
Hi Nyoka, Frozen green beans would work, but I would still blanch the green beans for 3-5 minutes until crisp-tender to get the best texture. Fresh green beans would take a little longer to blanch while frozen take less time and you can blanch them from frozen (no need to thaw)
Absolutely love this. Make a head and cook later. As I am on my own and cook for 1, it was nice to make separate dishes for individual meals. Much better than Cream of mushroom soup and canned green beans for sure. Winner.
Thanks for your great feedback, Nola. I’m glad you loved this recipe!
Natasha I enjoy watching you cook and bake and I get amazing recipes and tips. Thank you very much for sharing.
Amazing !!!!!
I separated the cooking of onion and mushrooms because I didn’t trust adding each one to each other
But I’ll try it the next time and see if it makes a difference
And I made the rooo separately
Ingredients made a perfect green bean casserole
Thank you
You’re welcome, Claudine! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Do you think i could add bacon to this recipe?
Oh yeah! I would brown the bacon first then remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and sautee the veggies in the bacon fat. Would be delicious then you could either stir in the bacon bits or use them as a topping.
I wanted to double the recipe. Do you think I Should make 2 separate batches or could I make one in a larger casserole dish? Thank you
Hi Andra, you could make one in a larger casserole dish but increase the baking time slightly if you are going to be layering them taller in the dish.
This looks very good do you think I can freeze it? I am trying to make as much a head of time as I can now. We are having so many house guests. I feel it is easier to cook when they are not in the house.
Hi Lynne, I have not tested that and worry it will become soggy once thawed. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
I have greatly enjoyed your recipes too and have added many to my “file”! My sun is gluten intolerant. How can I make the sauce with using the 2 T flour?
Hi Sharon, you could also try this with a GF flour substitute – a 1:1 GF flour such as the Namaste brand one would work fine.
I have used cornstarch as a replacement before. Love your recipes
Thank you so much for sharing that Sherri!
I’m hoping Natasha will do a cookbook , it’s hard to save the recipes , without running out of storage .
Thank you, Jackie! We are working on one, but it is a time-consuming process. Stay tuned!
I agree, I will be the first to buy one of her cookbooks. C’mon Natasha you need to make one!
Hi Deana and Jackie. I am currently working on a cookbook, watch out for it. Thank you for your patience!
Hi Natasha. You’re too adorableand your recipies are great! What can I use in place of the mushrooms? Not a fan of them.
Hi Melissa, the mushrooms do impart nice flavor are are difficult to replace flavor-wise, but you could just omit the mushrooms and the recipe will still work.
Natasha you are so good and super cute, you make cooking so enjoyable, i got all the recipes you posted, thank you!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I have always looked for a good green bean casserole, and now I found one, thank you Natasha, you are super. I will make this on Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review Marie!
Wow! Wow! Wow! This casserole is just perfect!!!! I thought that 1 tbsp of Worcestershire will be far too much but dear oh dear…how wrong was I!!! My guests were so impressed! Thank you for this recipe. Definitely a keeper.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I’m a foodie and I’ve always hated green bean casserole. In my opinion it was the most bland, unappetizing dish ever. This recipe blew me away! I absolutely love this green bean casserole, it actually has flavor and the texture is amazing! Also, its really easy to make which is a plus.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Anna! 🙂