Our Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Cheese Crumble is made fully from scratch with a few twists like fresh green beans, dijon mustard in a simple cream sauce with mushrooms and a panko-parm dusting before the crispy fried onions.
Confession: neither Philip nor I grew up eating green bean casserole. In fact, the first time we had it was at a Thanksgiving potluck a few years ago – and our rule at any potluck is to try a little bit of everything. Intrigued by this old-school casserole dish, we didn’t know what to expect from green beans, onions, and a mushroom canned soup mix.
First reaction (since we’re confessing): mushy. Second reaction: at least we’re getting veggies in. Third reaction: it’s not that bad. We completely understand the nostalgic comfort this dish promises.
Inspired by this beloved Thanksgiving side dish enjoyed by many, our take on Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Cheese honors the classic using fresh green beans, a mushroom cream sauce, and of course, crispy fried onions. But it’s our addition of a homemade mushroom cream sauce, a spoonful of Dijon and a panko-parm topping that makes this traditional side dish one of the newest additions to grace our Thanksgiving table.
Serve with other holiday favourites including Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad, Twice-Baked Potatoes or Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup.
Ingredient List
- Fresh Green Beans
- Fresh Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Onions
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Flour
- Chicken Broth
- Heavy Cream
- Dijon Mustard
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe Steps
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Blanch the Beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Clean and trim the beans then place in the boiling water. For small beans, blanch for 2-3 minutes and for larger beans, blanch for 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice cold water. Drain and transfer the beans to the ice water and once cool, drain them and set aside.
Fry the Onions: In a medium bowl, toss onion rings with flour and a pinch of salt until coated.
Place a large, oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and once it is hot, spread the onions evenly in the pan. Fry for 6-7 minutes, tossing often, until lightly browned and crispy. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Brown the Mushrooms: Using the same large skillet. Melt butter on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with a good pinch of salt, and sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are deep brown and beginning to crisp.
Make the Cream Sauce: Sprinkle flour over top and stir until the mushrooms are coated. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the chicken stock. Stir until the stock absorbs the flour, then mix in the cream and dijon. Season with fresh pepper, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Make the Panko-Parm Topping: While the mushroom cream sauce is thickening, combine breadcrumbs, butter, Parmigiano, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Add the Beans: Add the blanched beans to the skillet. Using tongs, carefully toss the beans until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Top and Bake: Sprinkle the top of the skillet with the breadcrumb topping. Arrange fried onions over top, then place the casserole in the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
Serve: Our homemade version of green bean casserole is most certainly best served family style. Bon appetit!
FAQ's
Is Green Bean Casserole Vegetarian? Because our homemade green bean casserole recipe uses chicken stock, it’s not vegetarian, however, you can swap it with vegetable stock to make this dish fully vegetarian.
What is Blanching Green Beans? Blanching is a cooking technique where you briefly immerse food in hot liquid, then transfer it to an ice bath to stop the cooking process. This shocks the beans, resulting in a less mushy, bright green color, that you wouldn’t otherwise get from adding the beans into the casserole completely raw.
Can you Use Frozen Beans? Yes, frozen beans will work, just skip the blanching portion of the recipe.
Can you Make Green Bean Casserole the Night Before? Yes. To make the casserole the night before, complete all steps, with the exception of making the cheese crumble and topping the casserole. The onions can be left out overnight in a covered bowl. The next morning, pull out the casserole, preheat the oven to 400°F. Top the green beans with the crumble and onions then bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the cream sauce is bubbling.
Substitutions
- Butter - butter can be replaced with any butter-like substitute such as coconut oil, vegan butter, or olive oil.
- Cream - full-fat coconut milk will work as a replacement for the heavy cream. Half and half can be used to make the dish slightly lighter.
- Chicken Broth - swap with vegetable stock for a vegetarian green bean casserole.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano - any hard cheese will work as a substitute for Parmigiano-Reggiano. Cheddar cheese is also a good alternative.
Storage
Fridge - store the casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
Related Recipes
Make our homemade green bean casserole along with One-Pot Chicken and Stuffing, Twice Baked Potatoes, Carrot or Creamy Cauliflower Soup, and Pumpkin Pie for a delicious Thanksgiving or holiday dinner.
If you’re looking for other Thanksgiving side dishes, try our Brussel Sprouts Gratin, Christmas Morning Wife Saver, Breakfast Strata or Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad.
Recommended Tools and Ingredients to Make this Recipe
Below are affiliate links to our favorite products that will assist you in making our Green Bean Casserole recipe.
- Duralex Glass Bowls
- Maldon Sea Salt
- Lodge Cast Iron Skillet
- Global Paring Knife
- All-Clad Tongs
- Microplane
Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
For the fried onions:
- 2 medium onions thinly sliced into rounds
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the casserole:
- 1½ lbs fresh green beans rinsed and trimmed
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon dijon mustard
- Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
For the Cheese Crumble:
- 1½ cups freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 4 tablespoon salted butter room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Clean and trim the beans then place in the boiling water. For small beans, blanch for 2-3 minutes and for larger beans, blanch for 4-5 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain and transfer the beans to the ice water and once cool, drain them and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, toss onion rings with flour and a pinch of salt until coated. Place a large, oven-safe skillet on medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and once it is hot, spread the onions evenly in the pan. Fry for 6-7 minutes, tossing often, until lightly browned and crispy. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Using the same large skillet. Melt butter on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with a good pinch of salt, and saute for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are deep brown and beginning to crisp.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the mushrooms are coated. Cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the chicken stock. Stir until the stock absorbs the flour, then mix in the cream and dijon. Season with fresh pepper, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- While the mushroom cream sauce is thickening, combine breadcrumbs, butter, Parmigiano, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Add the blanched beans to the skillet. Using tongs, carefully toss the beans until all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Sprinkle the top of the skillet with the breadcrumb topping. Arrange fried onions over top, then place the casserole in the oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown.
- Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving family style.
Notes
- Butter - butter can be replaced with any butter-like substitute such as coconut oil, vegan butter, or olive oil.
- Cream - full-fat coconut milk will work as a replacement for the heavy cream. Half and half can be used to make the dish slightly lighter.
- Chicken Broth - swap with vegetable stock for a vegetarian green bean casserole.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano - any hard cheese will work as a substitute. Cheddar cheese is also a good alternative.
Leave a Reply