What’s Thanksgiving without a homemade Green Bean Casserole?…a pretty sad turkey day if you ask me! That creamy mushroom sauce, tender green beans, and fried onion topping are a match made in heaven. But while I’m all for a good kitchen shortcut, I’m not a fan of casseroles made with canned soup. So, I’ve created a from-scratch version that’s just as easy (even for a novice cook!) and even more delicious. Although, I did make an exception for those crispy fried onions. They’re still my fave. ;)
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What Is Green Bean Casserole?
Green bean casserole is a classic American side dish often served during Thanksgiving. It’s a seriously budget-friendly recipe made from green beans in a creamy sauce and topped with French-fried onions. But did you know it actually made its debut all the way back in the 1950s after being created by an employee at Campbell’s Soup Company?! However, there are many variations nowadays, and my from-scratch version skips the canned soup and uses simple, everyday pantry staples for an EVEN tastier result!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy green bean casserole recipe (with no canned condensed soup):
- Mushrooms: I use fresh mushrooms to infuse the creamy, gravy-like sauce with flavor. Baby Bellas are my favorite mushrooms to use in this recipe, but button mushrooms are just as good.
- Garlic Cloves & Garlic Powder: I double-dose the sauce in this recipe with fresh garlic and garlic powder! It tastes so good, not overpowering or too strong at all.
- Flour & Salted Butter: I make a roux with equal parts butter and flour. A roux is a thickening agent used as the base for many sauces and gravies. It’s important to cook it long enough so there’s no “raw” flour taste left.
- Vegetable Broth & Whole Milk: I almost always use Better Than Bouillon to make broth because it’s already well flavored and salted. Mixing it with milk also adds just the right amount of creaminess to the casserole.
- Cream Cheese: Makes the sauce extra creamy and decadent.
- Green Beans: I use frozen green beans for convenience, but you can use fresh if you prefer. If using fresh, I suggest steaming them first to make sure they cook through properly. I prefer French-cut green beans because I like how they combine with the sauce, so you get a nice bean-to-sauce ratio in every bite.
- Fried Onions: I can’t get enough of these crispy little bites! So, I mix them into the casserole filling AND sprinkle them on top for that crispy finish.
- Salt & Pepper: A little salt and pepper always helps make the flavors POP.
- Olive Oil: For sautéing the mushrooms and minced garlic.
Can I Use Canned Green Beans?
For a really stellar green bean casserole, I suggest using either fresh or frozen green beans. Canned green beans tend to be too mushy, and their flavors are a bit muddy. I highly recommend steering away from the canned green beans just this once, but hey, it’s your kitchen and your preference! Just note the texture of the finished casserole won’t be nearly as nice if made with canned green beans.
The Secret to a Good Green Bean Casserole
Nope, it isn’t canned soup (sorry, Campbell’s). It’s CREAM CHEESE. I know this might seem unconventional, but this is one of those times you’ve got to trust me.
The cream cheese adds the most amazing creaminess and makes the sauce extra rich. It also helps to stabilize the casserole for baking so the sauce doesn’t separate or curdle. But if you’re still a little skeptical, just check out all the 5-star reviews from happy readers below! This secret ingredient is definitely not a secret anymore. ;)
Variations to Try
The classic version of this casserole is great, but if you want to make it a little more fancy, here are some fun toppings or add-ins I think you’ll love:
- Bacon crumbles (mixed in or sprinkled on top)
- Cheddar cheese or Parmesan (for topping or mixing into the sauce)
- Buttered breadcrumbs or crushed potato chips (in place of the fried onion topping)
Make it Ahead!
You can prepare this creamy green bean casserole one day ahead of time (minus the onion topping), cover it in plastic or foil, and refrigerate it. I’d add the fried onion topping the next day and bake as directed, slightly extending the baking time to account for the casserole being cold.
Why it’s a great recipe for new cooks
Green Bean Casserole is an absolute staple of the holidays. If you’re attending a family function or potluck, you will be the star of the show when you show up carrying this dish! It was one of the first recipes that I mastered for the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, and I’ve been making it ever since. It’s truly simple to make from scratch, and I never regret doing so.
Green Bean Casserole
Servings 6 (about ¾ cup each)Ingredients
- 8 oz. mushrooms ($2.49)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.12)
- 3/4 tsp salt, divided ($0.04)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, divided ($0.02)
- 4 Tbsp salted butter ($0.56)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour ($0.04)
- 1 cup vegetable broth ($0.17)
- 1 cup whole milk ($0.26)
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 4 oz. cream cheese ($1.09)
- 24 oz. frozen French-cut green beans* ($3.58)
- 1 cup crispy fried onions, divided ($1.16)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Roughly chop the mushrooms into small pieces. Mince the garlic.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium. Once hot, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms until soft, then add the minced garlic and continue to sauté until the liquid in the skillet evaporates.
- Add the butter and flour to the skillet. Stir to melt the butter and allow the butter and flour to create a paste that coats the bottom of the skillet. Continue to stir and cook over medium for one to two minutes, or until the flour begins to turn golden on the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the vegetable broth, milk, and garlic powder to the skillet. Whisk to combine and dissolve any browned flour off of the bottom of the skillet. Allow the liquid to come up to a simmer, at which point it will thicken.
- Add the cream cheese to the skillet and whisk over medium heat until the cream cheese has fully melted into the sauce.
- Add the frozen green beans to the sauce and stir to combine. Continue to heat over medium, stirring occasionally, until the green beans have heated through and the sauce comes up to a gentle simmer. Let the green beans simmer for a few minutes. Give them a taste and add salt and pepper to your liking (I added about ½ tsp salt and another ⅛ tsp pepper).
- Stir ¼ cup of crispy fried onions into the green bean mixture. Pour the green beans into a 2-quart casserole dish and top with the remaining ¾ cup crispy fried onions.
- Bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes, or until the fried onions have turned deep golden brown and the sauce is bubbling up around the edges.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Green Bean Casserole – Step by Step Photos
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Wash 8oz. button mushrooms and roughly chop them into small pieces. Mince two cloves of garlic. Heat a large skillet over medium, add 1 Tbsp olive oil, and swirl to coat the skillet. Pour in the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and pepper to the skillet and sauté until the mushrooms become soft. Add the minced garlic and continue to sautè until all of the moisture in the skillet evaporates.
Add 4 Tbsp salted butter and ¼ cup all-purpose flour to the skillet. Continue to sauté the mushrooms with the butter and flour until the flour begins to coat the bottom of the skillet and turn golden brown. This toasts the flour and prevents that floury flavor.
Whisk 1 cup vegetable broth, 1 cup whole milk, and ⅛ tsp garlic powder into the skillet, making sure to dissolve all of the flour off the bottom of the skillet as you whisk. Allow the liquid to come up to a simmer while whisking, at which point it will thicken.
Cut 4 oz. cream cheese into chunks, add it to the sauce, and whisk until it has fully melted in.
Add 24oz. French-cut frozen green beans. Stir the green beans into the sauce and allow them to heat through and the sauce comes up to a gentle simmer. Allow them to simmer for 2-3 minutes. At this point, you want to taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper (I added about ½ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper).
Stir ¼ cup of crispy fried onions into the skillet.
Transfer the green beans and sauce to a 2-quart casserole dish and top with ¾ cup of crispy fried onions.
Bake the casserole in the preheated 350ºF oven for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through and the fried onions have become golden brown.
Once you try this from-scratch green bean casserole with cream cheese, you’ll never go back to the canned soup version again!
I made this tonight after a decade of going without green bean casserole. It’s better than the recipe with the cans of soup. The only change I made was adding a little bit of lemon juice instead of adding more salt.
Oh my! This recipe is **chef’s kiss**! I was thrown off by the cream cheese but I shouldn’t have been! We gave this recipe a try on Thanksgiving and have made it 2 more times since then😂 So delish!
Just made this for Thanksgiving. My SIL said this was the best green bean casserole she has EVER had. 100% agree with her.
I used rice flour, as I have Celiac Disease (need to eat gluten free.) Also used chicken broth, instead of vegetable broth, as I had some I needed to use up.
I followed your recommendation in the post for using fresh green beans. Blanched them for 5 minutes before adding the cream sauce. Only change I would make – I wish I would have cut the fresh green beans in half to make it easier to serve.
Baked it covered with foil for 25 minutes, and then uncovered for 7 to crisp up the topping.
Absolutely wonderful and will make again.
I’m so glad it turned out so well for you!
Does this recipe double well?
Yes, that should work great. :)
As an update – This recipe DOES double well. I made it for a large gathering in a 9 x 13 baking dish. The only thing I changed – I put half the green bean mixture in the pan then sprinkled some Mexican shred cheese blend on top along with the fried onions, then repeated with the remaining beans, onions and cheese. They loved it!
Awesome!! Thank you for updating us. I know a lot of people will find that helpful. :)
It definitely does! I just did it.
I made this for a Christmas gathering today. It came together quickly. I doubled the recipe and used a 9×13 glass baking dish. Because mine was hot going into the oven, I baked it for 23 minutes. I added 1½ t. salt for a double recipe which was perfect for us. The flavor surprised me because of the rich, delicious flavors. I used chicken broth and milk. I really liked that I was able to make it in one pot and then just pour into the pan. The full flavor was such a lovely surprise. I used thawed from frozen green beans and thought they were wonderful.
I copied this recipe before your Nov 2023 update so….
I’m commenting on using 3T butter and flour and I didn’t use garlic powder and i used 20 oz green beans. I loved the slightly soupier texture than I think this current version would make.
Can you use 2% milk instead of whole? That is all I have on hand. Please and thanks
Yes, it will be slightly less rich, but it will work. :)
This recipe is a keeper. I’ve been making it for Thanksgiving for several years now. I didn’t grow up eating green bean casserole & was so happy to have found a fresh version made from scratch (the canned thing grosses me out). I use fresh green beans & yes it takes forever to snap the stems but there’s a certain pleasure that comes from it too. I don’t precook them either as I like the crunch factor. This dish is now a staple at Thanksgiving.
Hi! Going to try this recipe out for Thanksgiving 2023 but wondering; Can I substitute the cream cheese for Heavy whipping cream? If so, does that mean I do not add the milk or still add the milk?
Thank you for the awesome recipe! xoxo
Unfortunately, I’d need to test that substitution before offering a suggestion because the two ingredients are very different in both texture and flavor.
Is there a way to use fresh green beans?
From the post: Should I Use Fresh or Frozen Green Beans?
I really like Green Bean Casserole with fresh green beans because I think it the dish at least a little prettier, but you can use frozen cut or French-cut green beans if you’d like. Both fresh and frozen green beans are preferable to canned green beans. Canned green beans tend to be much too soft in both texture and flavor, and over-salted. If using fresh green beans, just blanch them in boiling water for about 3-5 minutes, or just until they turn bright green and lose their raw edge (they should still be firm), before adding them to the casserole.
Fresh green beans, baby bella mushrooms, an extra garlic clove, and a little extra better than bouillon and this dish was a hit at Friendsgiving! Simple but delicious
Superb! I made it exactly except subbed 1/2 c plant based whipping cream and 1/2 c almond milk for whole milk and plant based butter (I did use dairy cream cheese but hopefully there’s an affordable alternative soon). Turned out amazing. Yet again, my husband enjoyed the Budget Bytes version of a good he normally dislikes!
Outstanding, Beth. Thank you so much for this recipe. It was easy to make and so delicious. This will be my go to recipe from now on.
A little tip if you don’t like mushy green bean casserole, use Aldi’s extra fine frozen green beans. They stay a little crisp after baking and so do the leftovers reheated the next day. I used a bag plus 4 ounces to equal 20 ounces.
Green Bean Casserole is delicious and it’s the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving. It’s simple to prepare and I’m looking forward to enjoying leftovers. Thank you, Beth!!!! 🙂
My family loved it for Thanksgiving. I prepped it the night before and it turned out lovely. Thanks!
OMG! Just made this for Thanksgiving. I’m never going back to canned soup again! Layers of flavor. Sooo good!
I have never made green bean casserole before and this year it was my dish. This is so good! I know this was probably written before the New Mushroom better (4 tsp to cup of water )than bouillon but I used it instead of vegetable and it is so mushroom flavor. I can not thank you enough for such a great recipe! No more can for me and goes for other dishes that ask for it. So easy why not make your own!
can you make this a day ahead?
Yes. Just read the paragraph titled “CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD”.
Sassy. I love it.