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. 
Hi Natasha, this is my favorite dish for Thanksgiving but my husband is not a fan of the actual mushroom chucks. He likes the flavor though. When this is fully cooked, are the mushrooms still in their form?
Hi Jenny, it should be in its form still. I’m not sure how it would turn out if you remove the mushrooms as I always make this with them but feel free to experiment.
I lost your grape jelly meatballs and want to do them for thanksgiving. Can you ‘print them again please.
I love9 your recipes.
Hi Pat, here’s my recipe for Easy Grape Jelly Meatballs. Hope you like it!
Hi Natasha, would I be able to put the canned onions on top instead of the Parmesan breadcrumbs. I would prefer the breadcrumbs, but I think the others would prefer the onions.
I haven’t tried that but feel free to test it out!
Well I thought of adding bacon to the casserole and onions. I really like this recipe though.
I would love to make this. Can I make this the night before thanksgiving? Or can I do few steps the night before? If so, which ones?
Hi Saira, Please see this note in the recipe for details: “Can You Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead?” I hope that is helpful to you.
So excited to make this recipe! You are always my go to when trying a new recipe. I know it’ll be fantastic! Quick question on this recipe, I see in the photos you’ve used a red onion. Do you recommend the red onion or does the yellow onion work as well?
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Maggie!
Natasha,
I had to give a review on the green bean casserole!! It was so delicious!! First time I made it and the family loved it!! This will be our go to recipe for all Holidays!! People you won’t be disappointed!! Try it!!
Sounds perfect, Kathleen! Thanks for the great review, we appreciate it.
I made this for Thanksgiving. My daughter does not like mushrooms so I omitted them and ingredients to prep them. I added 8 slices of chopped bacon. Used 1 teaspoon of bacon grease and 1 tablespoon of butter. It was delicious. Definitely will make again with the mushrooms and maybe add chopped bacon to the topping.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Diane! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Double the recipe! This is so good but note that the serving size is 6. If you want a full casserole dish, you need to at least double of not triple the recipe. But it’s definitely amazing. So easy and much better than the canned stuff.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Renee!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Is the parmesan cheese, shredded or grated? I can’t tell from the pics. Thanks!
Hi Erica, we finely grated fresh parmesan!
Have you ever tried swiss cheese in your green bean casserole? It’s so good!
Hi Wanda, I haven’t tried using swiss cheese yet but sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, I’ll try that next time.
I want to make this for Thanksgiving but we may be short on oven space. Any idea how this would turn out in a crockpot?
Hi Diana! I haven’t tested that in a crockpot to advise; I truly believe the oven is best. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I have made this twice and the flavor of the sauce is outstanding. Hint: i’m always afraid of overcooking the mushrooms but it’s essential to reduce the water to a minimum so the sauce thickens properly. This is great in bulk for buffet meals. I subscribe to your videos and I thank you for the guidance. Keep cooking!
Hello Christine, thank you for your review and tip! That is very useful, we appreciate it. I hope you’ll enjoy all the recipes that you will try.
I haven’t even made this yet and I’m just gonna give it a 5-star. Everything Natasha makes is a freaking home run. Whenever I’m looking for dinner recipes I always come here first. Thanks so much Natasha!
You’re the sweetest. I hope you can try it soon!
Can this be frozen prior to baking to allow more time to prepare in advance? Rather than just making it a couple days ahead and keeping it in the fridge? Thank you.
Hi Kate, I have not tested that and worry it will become soggy once thawed. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
First let me say I love your recipes. I for have a few questions about your green bean casserole.
1. If I make it in a 9×13 pan filled to the top how long would I bake it?
2. How do I know when it’s done? Bubbling?
3. Can it be reheated in the microwave as there will be no room in the oven?
Hi Carol, the pan used in the post above was a 1.5 qt and it fills a 9X13 to about 2/3. I haven’t tested increasing the quantity so I won’t be able to give you a precise bake time. The best doneness indicator is the topping color (as long as you use conventional bake mode and not convection). You might be able to see some bubbling. You can reheat in the microwave but the topping will soften and wont’ have that nice crispness to it if microwaved to reheat. I would not bake this initially in the microwave though.
The best green bean casserole I’ve tried so far!
Thank you so much for your awesome comments, Lana!
To make it 2 days ahead, I don’t bake it right? I just prepare?
Hi Susan, that’s right! Please see this note in the recipe for details: “Can You Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead?” I hope this helps!
Made this recipe for Christmas Dinner. Received many compliments – absolutely delicious. Followed recipe but used Panko instead of breadcrumbs.
So great to hear that it was a success!
Whats the difference between chicken stock and chicken broth?
Chicken stock tends to be made more from bony parts, whereas chicken broth is made more out of meat. Chicken stock tends to have a fuller mouth feel and richer flavor, due to the gelatin released by long-simmering bones. I’m sure you’ll be able to find more info on Google but I hope that helps!
What can you substitute vegetable or chicken broth with? I don’t have any of that at the moment
You may use water with more seasoning but the flavor will not be the same. I also have a homemade chicken stock recipe that you can use.
Do you have chicken bouillon cubes or ‘Better than Bouillon’ to dilute with water. Just follow directions on the container. Usually, one teaspoon per cup of water
First time making it from Scratch and not the generic Campbell’s recipe. I must say we will never ever go back. This was amazing! Everyone raved. I doubled the recipe. Did half cremini and half white mushrooms. I added a pinch of nutmeg & a pinch of Hatch Green Chile Powder. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Kate!