Green Bean Casserole is a staple at Thanksgiving tables everywhere—its creamy sauce and crunchy fried onions are a comforting reminder of home and holiday, and Fresh Green Bean Casserole keeps the tradition alive with an updated version that has fresh and rich flavors, better texture, and brighter color.
Cream of mushroom soup is usually the base in green bean casserole recipes, but using fresh mushrooms, onions, and garlic in a homemade cream sauce will have your guests asking for more. Instead of canned green beans, this green bean casserole uses blanched or steamed fresh—or frozen, if fresh is unavailable—green beans for improved flavor, texture, and color.
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What you need to make Fresh Green Bean Casserole
- fresh or frozen long slender green beans
- mushrooms
- onion
- garlic
- French fried onions
- butter
- heavy cream
- flour
- salt
- pepper
Gluten-free Adaptation
If you're gluten-free and missing one of your favorite holiday dishes, you'll be thrilled to learn that you can purchase gluten-free fried onions from Amazon (affiliate link) or from stores such as Sprouts or Whole Food. You can also make your own at home.
A cornstarch slurry can be used to thicken the sauce instead of flour if you need to keep this dish gluten-free. For this substitution, omit the flour. After adding the heavy cream, mix a slurry of 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1-½ tablespoons of cool water. Add the cornstarch mixture to the dish and simmer until sauce thickens.
How to make Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Start by sautéing the sliced mushrooms in butter with a chopped onion and minced garlic in an oven-proof skillet. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can use a regular skillet and transfer to a baking dish before adding the French fried onion topping.)
When the mushrooms and onions are tender and starting to brown, add a tablespoon of flour and mix well. The flour added to the vegetables cooked in butter will be the thickening agent for the sauce. Heat for about one minute, stirring gently, then add a cup of heavy cream. Stir gently and add salt and pepper to taste.
Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce starts to thicken.
Add the steamed or blanched green beans and mix well.
Top with French fried onions and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF or until heated through and the onions are starting to brown.
Tips
Trim the green beans if necessary—even some trimmed green beans still have a few stems that were missed.
Be sure not to overcook the green beans when blanching or steaming. They should be just pliable but not limp.
Recipe
Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 24 ounces fresh or frozen long slender green beans, blanched or lightly steamed
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups French fried onions
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Slice 8 ounces mushrooms. Chop 1 onion. Mince 1 clove garlic.
- Steam or blanch 24 ounces fresh or frozen long slender green beans.
- Sauté the sliced mushrooms in 1 tablespoon butter with the onion and garlic in an oven-proof skillet. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can use a regular skillet and transfer to a baking dish before adding the French fried onion topping.) When the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, add 1 tablespoon flour and mix well.
- Heat for about one minute, stirring gently, then add 1 cup heavy whipping cream. Stir gently and add 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sauce starts to thicken.
- Add the steamed or blanched green beans and mix well.
- Top with 1 ½ cups French fried onions and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350ºF or until heated through and the onions start to brown.
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