Are you ready to elevate a beloved holiday classic to a whole new level of deliciousness? To create a show-stopping side dish so creamy, so savory, and so packed with fresh flavor, it will banish the thought of canned soup from your kitchen forever? This incredible, “Best Ever” From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole is that perfect recipe. We’re talking crisp-tender fresh green beans, enveloped in a luscious, homemade creamy mushroom sauce with a secret umami bomb, all crowned with a magnificent, shatteringly crispy, golden-brown blanket of homemade fried onions.
This isn’t just another green bean casserole recipe; it’s your definitive guide to a modern, sophisticated, and stunningly delicious holiday masterpiece. We’ll show you the simple but crucial professional secrets to a flawless cream sauce, perfectly cooked green beans, and a crispy onion topping that will make this the undisputed star of your Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate “From-Scratch” Holiday Side Dish
What makes this Green Bean Casserole so spectacularly delicious is its incredible depth of flavor and its wonderful combination of textures, all achieved with fresh, simple ingredients. This recipe is a masterpiece of classic comfort food, made better. The star of the show is fresh, vibrant green beans, which are quickly blanched to a perfect, crisp-tender texture. The heart of the dish is the luscious, from-scratch creamy mushroom sauce—a simple Béchamel-style sauce made rich and savory with sautéed cremini mushrooms and a secret umami boost from rehydrated shiitake mushrooms. The final, and most important, show-stopping touch is a magnificent, crispy, crunchy topping of homemade, buttermilk-soaked fried onions.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 45 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 45 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8-10 |
The Holiday Pantry: The Essential Ingredients
This iconic dish uses a handful of high-quality ingredients to create its signature rich and comforting flavor.
- The Green Beans (Fresh is Best!):
- For the best, most vibrant flavor and a perfect, crisp-tender texture, it is essential to use fresh green beans.
- The Creamy Mushroom Sauce (The Flavor Powerhouse!):
- The Double Mushroom Secret: The number one secret to a sauce with an incredible, deep, and savory flavor is to use two types of mushrooms! Meaty cremini mushrooms provide a wonderful texture, while rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms and their soaking liquid add an intense, umami-rich depth.
- The Roux: A classic foundation of butter and all-purpose flour (a roux) is the key that thickens the sauce and gives it a stable, velvety texture.1
- The Crispy Onion Topping (The Crown Jewel!):
- The Homemade “Fried” Onions: The secret to the ultimate crispy topping! Thinly sliced onions are soaked in buttermilk (which tenderizes them and helps the coating adhere), then dredged in flour and fried to golden-brown perfection.2 It’s a brilliant, unbelievably more delicious alternative to the canned version.
The Casserole Masterclass: The Secrets to a Perfect Bake
This recipe uses two simple but brilliant professional techniques that guarantee a flawless, impressive result.
- The Blanch & Shock: The number one, restaurant-quality secret to green beans that are perfectly crisp-tender and a vibrant green is to “blanch and shock” them. By cooking the beans for just a few minutes in boiling water and then immediately plunging them into ice water, you are instantly stopping the cooking process. This is the foolproof key that locks in that beautiful, bright color and guarantees your beans will never be limp or mushy.
- The Perfect Crispy Onions: The secret to a perfect, evenly golden-brown, and crispy onion topping is the buttermilk soak. This simple step not only adds flavor but also helps the flour coating stick, resulting in a light, shatteringly crisp texture when fried. Be sure to fry them in batches to not overcrowd the pan.
Step-by-Step to the Best From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole
This elegant, festive side dish is a joy to prepare.
Part 1: The Art of the Crispy Homemade Onions
Step 1: In a medium bowl, soak your thinly sliced onions in the 1 cup of buttermilk for about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the 2 cups of all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of salt.
Step 2: In a large pot, heat 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil to $350^{\circ}F$.
Step 3: Working in batches, drain the onions, toss them with the flour, shake off the excess, and then carefully fry them for 4 to 6 minutes, until they are a beautiful golden brown. Drain the crispy onions on paper towels.
Part 2: The Perfect Green Beans and Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Step 1: While the onions are frying, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Have a large bowl of ice water ready nearby. Blanch your 1 1/2 pounds of fresh green beans in the boiling water for 7 to 10 minutes, until they are crisp-tender. Immediately transfer the green beans to the ice water bath. Let them cool completely, then drain them well.
Step 2: In a large Dutch oven over a medium heat, melt your 4 tablespoons of butter. Add your diced onion and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until softened. Add your sliced cremini and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, until softened and most of their liquid has evaporated.
Step 3: Sprinkle the 6 tablespoons of flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add your 4 cups of broth and the 1/2 cup of reserved shiitake liquid and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened.
Step 4: Stir in the 3/4 cup of heavy cream and season with 2 teaspoons of salt and pepper.
Part 3: The Final Assembly and Bake
Step 1: Preheat your oven to $400^{\circ}F$.
Step 2: Remove your cream sauce from the heat and stir in about 1/4 of your prepared crispy onions and all of your blanched green beans.
Step 3: Transfer the mixture to a 4-quart baking dish and top with the remaining crispy onions.
Step 4: Place the casserole in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. You will know it is perfectly done when the sauce is hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Ever Green Bean Casserole (Completely From Scratch!)
A classic, from-scratch recipe for ‘The Best Green Bean Casserole,’ a quintessential holiday side dish. This elevated version features fresh green beans in a rich and creamy homemade mushroom sauce, made with both fresh cremini and dried shiitake mushrooms for a deep umami flavor, completely avoiding canned soups. The casserole is topped with a layer of crispy, homemade fried onions for the perfect crunchy finish.
Ingredients
- For the Topping:
- 1 white onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- For the Casserole:
- 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 white onion, diced
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the Topping: Place the thinly sliced onions in a bowl with the buttermilk and let them soak for at least 5 minutes.
- Heat 2 to 3 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot to 350°F. In a separate bowl, combine the 2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Working in batches, remove the onions from the buttermilk, toss them in the flour mixture to coat, shake off the excess, and fry for 4 to 6 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
- Make the Casserole: Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl, cover with about 2 cups of boiling water, and let them steep for 20 minutes. Strain the mushrooms, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid, and slice them.
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until softened. Add the cremini and steeped shiitake mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes until softened and their liquid has evaporated.
- Sprinkle in the 6 tablespoons of flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the broth and the reserved mushroom liquid. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until thickened.
- Meanwhile, bring a separate pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain well and add them to the mushroom sauce.
- Stir in the heavy cream, 2 teaspoons of salt, and pepper. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the beans are tender and the sauce is thick.
- Transfer the green bean mixture to a 4-quart baking dish and top with the prepared fried onions. The casserole can be prepared up to this point 2 hours ahead.
- To serve, bake at 350°F for 30 minutes if reheating, then top with the fried onions and bake for 5 more minutes. If baking immediately, bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.
Notes
- This is a from-scratch version of the classic Thanksgiving side dish, made without any canned condensed soups for a fresher, more flavorful result.
- Rehydrating dried shiitake mushrooms and using their soaking liquid is a key technique that adds a deep, savory umami flavor to the sauce.
- The crispy onions are also made from scratch, providing a superior flavor and texture to the canned variety.
- The casserole can be made up to 2 hours ahead of time, with the fried onion topping added just before the final bake.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the ultimate make-ahead holiday side dish!
- Make-Ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dish! You can prepare and fully assemble the entire, unbaked casserole (but keep the crispy onion topping separate!) up to 2 days in advance. Simply cover the casserole and store it in the refrigerator. Store the crispy onions in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Storage: Store any leftovers, well-covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat this dish is to place it back in a 375°F oven for about 20-25 minutes, until it is warmed through and bubbly. You can refresh the topping by adding a few more crispy onions for the last 5 minutes.
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Frequently Asked questions (FAQs)
Q1: Why did my cream sauce turn out lumpy?
A lumpy cream sauce is almost always because the liquid was added to the roux too quickly. The secret to a perfectly smooth sauce is to add your broth and cream slowly, especially at the beginning, in a thin and steady stream, while whisking constantly.
Q2: Can I bake the onions instead of frying them?
Yes! For a simpler, hands-off method, you can toss your flour-coated onions with a generous amount of oil and bake them on a sheet pan in a hot, $425^{\circ}F$ oven for about 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are golden and crisp.
Q3: Can I use frozen green beans instead of fresh?
You can, but for the absolute best, most authentic crisp-tender texture, fresh green beans are highly recommended. If you do use frozen, you can skip the blanching step, but be sure they are completely thawed and patted very dry.
Q4: Can I make this vegetarian?
Of course! To make a delicious vegetarian version, simply substitute the chicken broth with a high-quality, flavorful vegetable or mushroom broth.
Q5: Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes! To make this recipe gluten-free, simply substitute the all-purpose flour in both the sauce and the onion coating with an equal amount of your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.