Fresh Green Bean Casserole Recipe: covered in french fried onions is a creamy, crunchy, classic Thanksgiving side dish that nobody seems able to resist despite full plates and full bellies!
This is homemade green bean dish. At the very least, from scratch. There aren’t any green beans or cream of mushroom soup cans here. The only thing I don’t like is the french-fried onions.
There is really so much going on at Thanksgiving that even the most determined cooks are looking for ways to relax and make preparing the big meal easier. And when I have to choose where to spend my time getting ready for Thanksgiving, I’m not going to bother with french-frying onions. That’s fine with me. But if you’re up for it, these fried onions are a family favorite!
One of my favorite veggies is green beans. They are right up there with bell peppers, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and asparagus.
My friend Lisa introduced us to these delicious green beans with bacon and pine nuts many years ago when she brought them to our house for dinner after our oldest daughter was born. They are another great choice for Thanksgiving dinner, especially if you have gluten-free guests.
Classics like this rich, creamy, and crunchy green bean dish, on the other hand, make me feel so good.
We don’t just eat this green bean dish at Thanksgiving; it’s the BEST recipe ever. When we grill Santa Maria tri-tip or chicken, we love it even more.
Fresh Green Bean Casserole Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed and ends trimmed, then chopped in half
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounces baby bella or white button mushrooms, chopped (optional)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 6 ounces french fried onions
INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. I aim for about 1 ½ tablespoons of salt in a gallon of water, but usually just eyeball it. Prepare a large bowl with an ice bath for blanching the beans.
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Blanch the beans by adding them to the boiling water and cooking for 5 minutes. Then drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process so the beans don’t turn mushy. Drain and set aside.
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Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauteing for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the mushrooms (if using), salt and pepper and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
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Sprinkle the flour over the softened onions and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in the chicken broth to make sure there are no lumps, then the half and half. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until it has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
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Pour the sauce over the beans and stir to combine, then transfer to a large 9×13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and french fried onions. Â
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Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Cover the dish with foil if the onions start to brown too quickly. Â
Green Bean Casserole Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can make and assemble your green bean casserole, but hold off on topping it with the french fried onions. Cover and freeze until you are ready to bake. You can bake start from frozen without adding the onions until the casserole has already baked for about 20 minutes.
No, your green bean casserole should not be soupy. There should be just enough sauce to coat the green beans without it becoming a soup.
If you are finding that your green bean casserole is soupy, be sure to drain the green beans really well after blanching so you aren’t getting extra water in the casserole that way. Then make sure to thicken the sauce properly by letting the chicken broth and half-and-half simmer long enough to thicken.
Your green bean casserole is done when it is hot all the way through and the French fried onions on top are golden brown. You might also notice the casserole is bubbling around the edges of the pan.