Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

Green bean casserole from scratch made with fresh green beans and mushrooms, cream, and fried onions is much better than anything you could make from a can.

When I was a kid, I thought the only redeeming quality of a green bean casserole was the French fried onions on the top. When my parents would forcibly make me put a serving on my plate during the holidays, I usually tried to get away with just eating the topping.

I’ve grown and my tastes have changed. I have actually grown to like green bean casserole. However, I have never been crazy about the fact that its main ingredients come straight from a can. So when I ran across a recipe for green bean casserole from scratch in my latest issue of, I tagged to recipe for “To Try Immediately.”

Granted, this recipe does require a little more work than dumping a couple cans into a casserole dish and pouring another can of French fried onions over top. But honestly, it doesn’t require that much more work. And believe me when I say, the little bit of extra effort is well worth it. The green beans are crisper, the cream is creamier, the mushrooms are meatier, and the onions are tastier. Once you go scratch, you’ll never go back.

Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

Green bean casserole from scratch made with fresh green beans and mushrooms, cream, and fried onions is much better than anything you could make from a can.

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Course: Sides

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Author: Lisa B.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
• 2 large onions cut into 1/8-inch-thick rings
• ½ cup plus 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour divided
• 2 lb. green beans trimmed and halved crosswise
• 2 oz. 4 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 pound cremini or white button mushrooms sliced
• 2 Tbs. medium sherry
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.
• Place onion slices in a large bowl or resealable plastic bag. Add the flour. Thoroughly coat the onion rings with the flour.
• Working in batches, fry the onion rings in the hot oil until they begin to turn golden brown. Remove from pan and drain on a layer of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Steam green beans either in the microwave or on the stovetop in a steamer basket until beans are crisp-tender, about 4-6 minutes.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Saute until most of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms begin to turn brown. Add the sherry and continue to sauté until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the remaining three tablespoons of flour over the mushrooms and stir to coat.
• Slowly whisk in the broth and cream. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook until the liquid begins to thicken, about 10 minutes. Add the green beans to the pan along with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
• Pour the green beans into a prepared 9 x 13 x 2 –inch glass baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes until the sauce around the edge of the casserole begins to bubble. Remove pan from the oven and stir to redistribute the sauce.
• Top with fried onions.