Classic Green Bean Casserole with tender green beans smothered in a creamy mushroom sauce topped with crispy fried shallots, all from scratch.
A classic Thanksgiving must-have recipe that your family will request again and again. With tips on how to make it ahead of time for a hassle-free holiday dinner.
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From Scratch Classic Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole
Classic Green Bean Casserole is a staple on many holiday tables made with canned green beans, canned mushroom soup, and canned fried onions.
While I love a quick and easy dish, Green Bean Casserole made from scratch is so much better. Even if you substitute just one or two of the canned components with homemade, it will make a noticeable difference.
Why make Green Bean Casserole from scratch?
- The fresh beans are tender and bright green.
- The rich, creamy mushroom sauce is all natural and full of fresh mushrooms.
- The fried shallot topping is crispy and so delicious.
These crispy fried shallots are everything!
Homemade fried shallots are so crispy and so delicious! Crispier and much more flavorful than canned. Frying the shallots brings out their sweet, caramelly goodness. You can also use onions instead of the shallots.
Make in advance for a hassle-free Thanksgiving dinner
Green Bean Casserole can be made in advance to free up some holiday time.
The fried shallots can be made a few weeks in advance, cooled thoroughly, and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. (Refrigerating will make them soggy.)
The beans and creamy mushroom sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance. On the day of the dinner, mix the beans and mushroom sauce together.
Or, the assembled casserole can be made and stored up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
It may need a little extra baking time since it’s starting out cold. Let it rest at room temperature while oven preheats. Bake covered, without putting on the fried shallots until hot and starting to bubble, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle on shallots, and bake until nice and bubbly, about 10 more minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on the shallots and cover them with a tented piece of foil if they start to over brown.
Ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:
- Fresh green beans
- Butter
- Mushrooms – use your favorite. I use Baby Bellas but any kind of white or brown will do.
- Salt and pepper
- Garlic
- Flour
- Chicken broth
- Half and half – makes the mushroom sauce rich and creamy
- Parmesan cheese – for that yummy umami flavor
- Shallots or onions – homemade fried shallots or onions are incredible!
- flour
How to make
Fry the shallots
Slice the shallots (or onions). Toss with flour and salt. Fry in batches in 350° F oil until golden, light brown. Drain on paper towels.
Cook the beans
Trim the ends off of the beans and cut in half.
Cook in salted, boiling water until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Immediately plunge into a bowl of ice water and let chill. Drain.
The easy way to chop mushrooms
This is the easiest way I've found to chop mushrooms and definitely the most satisfying.
Squash the mushrooms with the bottom of a pan. This breaks them into unevenly sized pieces which is perfect in this mushroom sauce.
Chop any too large pieces with a knife.
Make the creamy mushroom sauce
Sauté the mushrooms in butter. Cook with a lid on for the first few minutes so they release their moisture, then remove the lid and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.
Sprinkle in flour and stir while cooking for about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half and half.
Bring mixture to a simmer and let simmer a few minutes until thickened. If you run a finger along the back of the cooking spoon, it should leave a path.
Turn off the heat and slowly whisk in parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste.
Put it all together and bake
Combine the mushroom sauce and the green beans and toss to evenly coat. It’s optional, but I like to crunch up a handful of the fried shallots and stir them into the beans.
Sprinkle with crispy fried shallots (or onions).
Cover with a sheet of foil and bake 20 minutes, uncover and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes longer.
Recipe
Green Bean Casserole
Green Bean Casserole with tender green beans smothered in a creamy mushroom sauce topped with crispy fried shallots, all from scratch. A classic, Thanksgiving must-have recipe!
Ingredients
For the fried shallots:
- 1 lb shallots (or onions) sliced thin (See Note 1) 454g
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour 35g
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups vegetable oil for deep-frying (peanut, canola, sunflower) about 1 liter
For the beans:
- 2 lbs. fresh green beans, ends trimmed, halved 907g
For the mushroom sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter 57g
- 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned (can use any kind of brown or white mushrooms, I used Baby Bella.) 454g
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 27g
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth 341g
- 1 ½ cups half and half 341g
- ½ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese 45g
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the fried shallots (onions):
- Line a tray with 3 - 4 layers of paper towels.
- Toss onions with flour and salt.
- Heat about one inch of oil in a heavy skillet or large pan to 350° F. (See Note 2)
- If you don’t have a thermometer, to test the oil put in 1 shallot ring. If it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.
- Fry the shallots in about 4-5 batches, don’t overcrowd the pan. Fry until light golden brown. (The time will depend on the heat of the oil, the type of pan, and the size of the shallots, about 2 minutes.)
- Transfer to paper towel covered tray in a single layer, spread out. Let cool completely without covering or putting into a closed container.
- The shallots can be made a few weeks in advance. Let them cool completely then store in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
To cook the green beans:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook green beans until just tender, about 5 - 6 minutes, or to your taste. Meanwhile fill a large bowl with ice water.
- Drain green beans and put into the bowl of ice water. Once chilled, drain green beans well from ice water.
To make the creamy mushroom sauce:
- In a large skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté. Cook with a lid on for the first few minutes so they release their moisture, then remove the lid and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute longer.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir while cooking for about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and half and half.
- Bring mixture to a simmer and let simmer a few minutes until thickened. If you run a finger along the back of the cooking spoon, it should leave a path.
- Turn off the heat and slowly whisk in parmesan.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
To finish the casserole:
- Combine the mushroom sauce and the green beans and toss to evenly coat.
- Optional: Crunch up a handful of the fried shallots and stir them into the beans.
- Sprinkle with crispy fried shallots (or onions).
- Cover with a sheet of foil and bake 20 minutes, uncover and bake until bubbly, about 10 minutes longer.
- If the fried shallots begin to get too brown, tent a piece of foil on top of the casserole dish.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- I’ve used shallots, but feel free to use onions. You can either slice them into circles, or cut the shallot (onion) in half and then slice, creating half-moon shapes.
- I try to separate the slices into individual rings for more even cooking, however this isn’t necessary. If you don’t separate them into individual rings some may brown faster than others. Cutting the shallots (onions) in half first makes it easier to separate into individual pieces.
- Using bigger shallots makes this much easier.
- Slice the shallots into thin slices, thicker or thinner as you like. The ones showed above are cut into ¼ inch slices. ⅛ inch makes a nice thin ring.
- A pan with higher sides makes less mess on the stove and prevents any oil from bubbling over.
Nutrition
Enjoy, friends!
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Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
My husband would be all over this Kelly! Those crispy shallots look amazing! A wonderful addition to the Thanksgiving table! Pinned!
Kelly says
Our family loves it! Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
Valentina says
This recipe is truly spectacular. From the bright green of the beans to creamy mushrooms, I love each element. I could seriously eat an entire bowl of theose shallots alone! 🙂 ~Valentina
Kelly says
We love it! So much better than the canned version! Thanks so much, Valentina!
Laura says
I love green bean casserole from scratch,, Kelly! I’ll never again make the from the can kind! This is beautiful and i imagine so tasty! Thanks for the recipe. And brilliant to fry shallots instead of onions!
Kelly says
We grew up on the version from the can and this one is so much better! Thanks so much, Laura!
Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl says
Wow, Kelly! This looks seriously amazing!!! Those photos are making my mouth water! The sauce - so creamy! The crispy fried shallots - SO smart! I think I could eat an entire plate of those alone....delicious! I want this at my Thanksgiving table!
Kelly says
It's a big hit with all the family, Haylie! Thanks so much!
Leanne says
I love that this casserole is made from scratch! That mushroom sauce looks amazing and I could snack on those crispy fried shallots! This would be a most welcomed side dish to our holiday table!
Kelly says
Leanne, the mushroom sauce is so good. I'd love to thin it and eat it like a soup! Thanks so much!
David @ Spiced says
This seriously looks like one of the best green bean casseroles I've ever seen! All too often green bean casseroles are just cans of soup mix and cans of fried onions. I much prefer this homemade version! Green bean casserole has never been a staple on our holiday table - but after seeing this post I might need to rethink that one. Also, great tip about the shallots vs. onions, too.
Kelly says
David, the canned version was on our table every year growing up so it's definitely a staple on the holiday table. The first year I made it from scratch, everyone raved - it was so much better! We don't have many veggies on the Thanksgiving table, but everyone makes room for these green beans! Thanks so much!
Andrea says
Dear Kelly, what a gorgeous dish - I couldn't agree with you more on the 'from scratch' philosophy. While it is nice to go the 'canned route' every once in a while, if you prepare (most of) your components fresh, you will certainly end up with a more flavorful and healthier version.
This recipe looks outstanding, I'm loving the layers of fresh beans, creamy mushroom soup and crispy fried shallots (which I also prefer to onions).
Thanks for a great recipe and all those helpful tips!
Kelly says
I personally love things from scratch, but I definitely understand that not everyone has time to spend in the kitchen. It's nice to try to make time for special meals on holidays, though, since we dream about that meal all year long! Thanks so much!
Cheyanne says
Oh WOW! Now THIS is the green bean casserole of my DREAMS!!! I absolutely love that this casserole is made from scratch (I'm not a fan of cream of whatever soups - yuckie)!!! That creamy mushroom sauce sounds heavenly! And, that crispy fried shallots topping is perfection! I love your tip for easily chopping the mushrooms! I've never tried hitting them with the bottom of the pan, but you can bet I'll be doing that next time! A little aggression therapy never hurt in the kitchen LOL! Fantastic post! Definitely adding this dish to my holiday menu! Pinned!
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Chey! It's a must have dish on our holiday table! The sound and feel of squashing the mushrooms is therapy! I'm going to have to eat mushrooms more often!
Neil says
I haven't heard of this dish before Kelly but it looks absolutely amazing! I'm definitely one for making everything from scratch too, rather than any cans of stuff so I'm glad your recipe is all about it being completely home made. That mushroom sauce looks so creamy and delicious!
Kelly says
Neil, the original dish was first created in 1955 by the Campbell Soup Company. The inspiration for the dish was to create a quick and easy recipe around two things most Americans always had on hand in the 1950s: green beans and Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. It was a staple on our Thanksgiving table for all of my childhood. Now I make it from scratch and it's incredibly better! Thanks so much!
Nancy Buchanan says
This recipe definitely leaves the traditional one in the dust! I have to say, I absolutely LOVE your tip about chopping mushrooms - brilliant!!!!
Kelly says
Nancy, there is something so satisfying in squashing the mushrooms! And it's so fast and easy - no mushrooms rolling off the cutting board. Thanks so much!
Mimi says
Oh my goodness. I nearly fainted when I saw this recipe name. I remember the first time I heard about green bean casserole, and what went into it. I didn’t even know about those “cream of...” soups until I got married. Anyway, obviously, yours is from scratch, and it actually sounds spectacular. I love your mushroom sauce, and the shallots are gorgeous! I’d make it this Thanksgiving except my husband has to have creamed peas!
Kelly says
Mimi, it's funny how the original Green Bean Casserole from Campbell's became such a staple on the holiday table with its cans of this and cans of that. I would think a holiday dinner should be the most extra special meal of the year, the time to put away the cans. It was a huge hit, though.
In any case, this from scratch version is wayyyy better, and it's not that difficult to make. The creamed peas sound wonderful! Thanks so much!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
Yum, this is truly delicious! I love your tip for squashing the mushrooms too - what a fantastic idea. Those crispy shallots look absolutely moreish!!
Kelly says
The fried shallots are the best part! Thanks so much, Alexandra!
In Good Flavor says
Your photos are mouthwatering, Kelly!! I can fill up on just this casserole alone. The fried shallot, I can snack on it like a bowl of popcorn!
Kelly says
Aw, thanks so much, Thao! It's definitely a family favorite on the holiday table! The fried shallots make it irresistible!
angiesrecipes says
This must have tasted amazingly delicious. That mushroom sauce is the bomb!!
Kelly says
Angie, the mushroom sauce was so amazing! I wanted to thin it a bit and eat it as a soup! Thanks so much!
David Scott Allen says
Now THIS is a green bean casserole I would happily devour! Beautifully done and the tutorial is prefect
Kelly says
David, when I was young, we ate the original canned version. The from scratch version is something you can be proud of to set on the holiday table and all the family raves about. Thanks so much!