This classic Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole marks the official commencement of Thanksgiving 2019 here on RecipeTin Eats!! Tender green beans smothered in a homemade creamy mushroom sauce topped with crispy golden brown onions, it’s a wickedly addictive combination of flavours and textures.
PLUS my tried and tested for the BEST way to make green bean casserole ahead of time!
Green Bean Casserole
I have some opinions about Thanksgiving food.
Firstly, I’m of the view that marshmallow has no place in anything that appears before dessert. (yes, I’m glaring at you Mr Sweet Potato Casserole topped with marshmallows!!).
Secondly, I believe that everyone should get to eat what they want they want on Thanksgiving, traditional or otherwise. Which totally contradicts #1 above. But hey – I said I have opinions. I didn’t say I had logical reason!
Thirdly, there shalt never be any canned soup near my green beans*. Not at Thanksgiving, not at Christmas, not ever. The creamy mushroom sauce is simple to make, tastes better and for the cherry on top – it’s completely devoid of all things artificial. 🙌🏻
* To the doe-eyed innocents reading this, there are many quick ‘n easy recipes “out there” involving not much more than dumping canned mushroom soup, canned green beans and canned fried onions into a baking dish.
What goes in Green Bean Casserole
For such a highly coveted classic Thanksgiving dish, there’s actually not that many ingredients required!
My one tip is to use Panko breadcrumbs instead of normal breadcrumbs. Larger crumbs = superior onion crunch.
How to make Green Bean Casserole
And here’s a summarised visual and description of how to make it. The short recipe video above the recipe card is also useful for this recipe!
Onions – tossed in flour and panko then deep fried just until light golden and quite crispy (but not fully crispy, will become fully crispy in oven);
Blanch beans to your taste, then pat dry (otherwise creamy sauce goes watery);
Creamy mushroom sauce – starts by cooking the mushrooms, then add flour which will thicken the broth/stock and cream. TIP: When you can draw a path across the back of the spoon, the sauce is the right thickness; and
Assemble & bake! Toss the beans in the mushroom sauce, top with onions then bake until bubbly and onions are crisp!
Those crispy onions!!! They’re everything!
(PS this recipe makes extra onion. Buffer for frying practice runs + snacking. You’ll thank me later)
Some Practical Tips
Best way to make Green Bean Casserole ahead of time – blanch the beans, make the sauce, store these in the fridge for 2 – 3 days (possibly longer, I just did 3 days). Fry the onions the day before, let them cool 100% completely before placing in a container. Do not refrigerate! Then on the day of, mix the beans with sauce, place in baking dish, COVER then bake to heat up. Remove cover, top with onions then bake for 20 minutes to crisp the onions up and make them golden!
Freezing – not recommended for this one, sorry to say! Sauce will split, onions will be dismal when it defrosts and gets watery.
Don’t want to fry? Buy ready made Crispy Fried Onions (French’s in the US, Asian aisle in Australia). No one is allowed to judge – frying is not for everyone!
NEWBIES: Plan for extra onions – Frying the onions is the hardest part. Not because frying itself is hard, it’s just that if you don’t fry regularly, you might struggle to get the oil temp right or pull the onions out at the right time, or you try to cook too much in one go etc etc. Preparing the onions for frying is super simple – so if you really want to be the Green Bean Casserole Queen (or King), just make extra onion then use the best ones for the casserole! (Leftovers make great snacking)
Frying FAIL?! It’s the big day, and you’ve had a frying disaster…. Don’t fret! Melt some butter and mix into 3/4 cup panko with 1/4 cup parmesan and pinch of salt. Taste (more salt? Add it!), sprinkle and bake 20 minutes or until golden. Been there, done that, SO GOOD!
Don’t stress about the creamy mushroom sauce – it’s so easy to salvage / adjust. Lumps can be whisked out, if it gets too thick you can thin it, if it’s too thin just keep cooking. If it’s a bit too brown who cares – the most important thing is does it taste delish, and if you follow the recipe quantities, IT WILL!!!
And that, my friends, is all I have to say about Green Bean Casserole! This recipe has been a long time coming, probably since my early 20’s when I had it at one of the very first Thanksgiving celebrations I attended here in Sydney (and I will never reveal how long ago that was, a woman’s age should remain a mystery, always!).
Ahh, memories of the turkey not fitting into the tiny apartment oven, the weird lumpy textured pumpkin pie and the dry homemade bread rolls that were my offering to the feast. We spatchcocked the turkey, bought bread rolls and salvaged the pie by chopping it up and serving it as a sundae with cream and ice cream (deeeelish!).
And really, so much wine had flowed by 5pm, we would’ve eaten anything.
Thankfully, my cooking skills have somewhat improved since then! – Nagi x
PS All my Thanksgiving-centric recipes here. I plan to do some Thanksgiving housekeeping in the coming days, will let you know when I do! ❤️
Watch how to make it
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Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 750g/ 1.5lb green beans , trimmed and halved
Crispy Fried Onions:
- 2 large yellow onions , peeled, halved and thinly sliced (or 3 medium)
- 1/4 cup (35g) flour (plain/all purpose)
- 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 4 cups / 1 litre (approx) vegetable oil , for deep-frying (or peanut, canola oil Note 2)
Creamy Mushroom Sauce:
- 3 tbsp (50g) butter , unsalted
- 360g /12 oz mushrooms , chopped 1cm / 1/3" pieces
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 3 tbsp (35g) flour (plain/all purpose)
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) vegetable or chicken broth/stock , low sodium
- 1/2 cup (125ml) cream , heavy/thickened
- Pinch nutmeg (or sprinkle of freshly grated)
Instructions
Beans:
- Boil the green beans for 3 minutes until just tender (or to your taste), then drain and run under cold tap water (to stop cooking further). You could also steam.
- Transfer to clean tea towel and pat dry. Set aside.
Crispy Onions:
- Line tray with 3 – 4 layers paper towels.
- Toss onions with flour, panko, salt and pepper.
- Heat about 2cm / 3/4″ oil in a heavy based skillet over medium high heat. Dip the end of one onion in – it should sizzle satisfyingly immediately.
- Add some onions, not too many (see video), then fry for 1 1/2 minutes or until LIGHT golden brown.
- Transfer to tray, spreading out (don’t pile up). (Note 3)
- Repeat with remaining onion (5-6 batches). Set aside to cool, DO NOT cover.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce:
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 1 minute.
- Add salt and pepper, cook until mushroom starts to soften (1.5 minutes) then add garlic and cook for 1 minute until garlic is golden.
- Turn heat down to medium, add flour and mix until you can’t see flour anymore.
- While stirring constantly, gradually pour in half the broth. When flour lumps are dissolved, pour in remaining broth and cream, stir.
- Add nutmeg, stir.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring casually at first then regularly as it thickens, until sauce thickly coats back of wooden spoon and you can draw a path across it (see video). Sauce will not thicken further in oven.
Assemble & bake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 180°C (160°C fan).
- Pour beans into pot they were boiled in (or use bowl). Pour over Mushroom Sauce, stir.
- Pour into 2.5 quart / 2.5 ltr casserole dish (Note 4), smooth surface.
- Sprinkle with onions (might not use all!), then bake for 15 minutes until bubbling on the edges and the onions are deep golden. CHECK at 10 minutes to ensure onions are not burning (Note 5).
- Serve immediately! (See notes for make ahead)
Recipe Notes:
- Will crisp bit more when cool, and fully crisp and brown in oven. Important to drain excess oil to ensure oven crisping (if soggy with oil, may not crisp).
- Store bought French Fried Onions or Crispy Fried Onions (Asian aisle) – for an easy way out, use store bought onions. Sprinkle on dish then bake!
- Makes more than you need – some practice runs plus snacking!
- Alternative topping – Frying FAIL?! It’s the big day, and you’ve had a frying disaster…. Don’t fret! Melt some butter and mix into 3/4 cup panko with 1/4 cup parmesan and pinch of salt. Sprinkle and bake 20 minutes or until golden. SO GOOD!
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Gazes longingly at a raw green bean like it’s a juicy streak…. then…
…rejects it!
If you want that puppy to eat a green bean. Same as getting a dog to not spit out a pill. Oven dry(or dehydrate) chicken hearts.stuff a pill (or a piece of green bean) in the hollow centre of the dried heart; making a small slit. True!😃
Love this idea!!
Hey Nagi! We can’t find fresh green beans, would frozen work as a substitute in this casserole? Thanks for letting us know!!
Very tasty!! It did take a bit longer to make than the recipe stated, but it was worth it!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Bethany!
I will never make green bean casserole any other way. Made ahead per instructions and it was soooo good! Family loved it!
I’m so glad you loved it Cathy!
Amazing again – my partner has family in USA so I did this and the crack bread as a portable shiftworker meal and ate mine here. Both are in my Tin now!! Thank you x
Wahoo!!!!
Hi! I have half and half instead of heavy cream. Do you think that’ll substitute just fine in this?
Hi Alexis, that will be fine, you may need a tsp more of flour to help it thicken – N x
Thank you! This went over very well today, lots of people really liked it. Sadly I got a cold and could not taste anything wahhhhh! Saddest Thanksgiving feast ever for me!
Your mushroom sauce for the green bean casserole was amazing…I actually put the mushrooms in a processor and processed to almost a paste ( my grandkids will not eat anything that looks like a mushroom ( what they don’t recognize won’t bother them😉)
Sneaky!!! I love it! – N x
Nagi – thank you for another fabulous recipe!!
I made a 1/2 size test batch to see how it would work. Loved it! Could not get over how wonderful the mushroom sauce is.
Only tweak for me – to use a little less garlic.
Can’t wait to make it again.
I could have that mushroom sauce on ANYTHING Darlene 😂
I love your website; the recipes are consistently tasty and I enjoy your writing. I’m thankful for you. <3
Thanks so so much Tammy!!
Hi there, last Thanksgiving your slow cooker turkey was a big hit. This time I will also try to make your green bean casserole. Did you add parmesan? I see parm in the photo but not on the list of ingredients.
Hi, I would love to double this recipe, what size dish and baking time would you recommend? Thanks in advance!
Hi Selina, just double the ingredients and use a dish double the size that’s stated. It may only need slightly longer to cook, just keep an eye on it – N x
Is it sad that I did a practice run before Thanksgiving using frenches?? THIS IS THE ONE PEOPLE!! Finally a bean casserole with enough sauce with great flavour that’s not thin and watery!!
Awesome Sam!!
High Five on the marshmallow business. Marshmallows on sweet yams… barf. Was that someone’s idea of gourmet cooking back in 1946, right up there with the carrot gelatin salad.
Your bean salad looks wonderful. I have a huge index of your recipes saved on my hard drive. Thank you.
I seriously can’t imagine who thought it was a good idea – and how it caught on!! 😂
Dozer darling – you do not care for beans, I do not deep-fry or use cream ! I know Mommy’s dish looks awfully nice but perhaps we could quietly disappear for a meal together down the road ? My shout and I promise to walk you back . . . ?
Ha! off you two go then! 😂
It gives you pleasure to pick on Dozer. Wish he could talk and tell you toBUZZ OFF…As for bean casserole YUM, YUMI, am making this one as we are again having COLDweather and Icy blast tomorrow. Nagi are you safe and far from fires?? Ok, be good.Ciao!
It’s his job to keep me amused! 😂
Did Dozer eat the green bean? Mine spits them out! Wonderful upgrade for this recipe.
Ha ha he totally spat it out!!
Many of your recipes made an appearance during the holiday period last year, and this year will be no different! This is one of the most amazing green bean casseroles I’ve ever seen. How do you make everything looks so good? I want to make everything!!!
Thank you Laura! I’m so pleased you’re enjoying them 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi!
I love green bean casserole and your version looks amazing!
I used to make it every year, but had to stop because it was to Valerie laden. I missed it so much that I modified the recipe. I took out the cream (aka cream of mushroom soup). I made a roasted version instead. It had green beans, mushrooms, shallots, mushrooms & I added potato. Then added fresh rosmary, thyme, salt & pepper and a little olive oil. To give it a bit more of a Thanksgiving flavor I added a plight dusting of poultry seasoning. I roasted it all on a baking sheet. I have to say, I didn’t miss the soup.
Hi Deborah! To reduce the calories just switch the cream for milk, and skip the fried onion topping and use breadcrumbs instead! it’s sooooo delish still, that’s what I did for a shortcut healthier version last week 🙂 N x
Valerie was supposed to be calorie.