Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch is freshly made without any canned ingredients. Green beans are covered in a creamy homemade mushroom sauce, then topped with breaded and fried onions.

This green bean casserole is made entirely from scratch. If you despise using canned, high sodium ingredients in your casseroles, you’re going to love this recipe. 

You’ll be making a creamy mushroom scratch with just a few, easy to find ingredients. Plus, it tastes so much better than the canned soup version. 

I’ve topped this casserole with freshly made, crispy fried onions made with panko bread crumbs. They are so tasty, you may want to make extra for snacking while you cook!

How to Make Crispy Fried Onions

The onion topping is usually the favorite part of a green bean casserole. You’re welcome to buy store bought fried onion topping if you want to save some time. But, the homemade version is so crispy and delicious, I recommend you give it a try!

First, gather your ingredients. 

To make the crispy fried onions, you’ll need thinly sliced onions, buttermilk, panko bread crumbs, all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper.

First, combine all of your dry ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. This include your panko bread crumbs, flour, salt, and pepper.

Then, add about an inch or more of vegetable oil to a saucepan and warm over medium heat. 

Then, pour the buttermilk over your onions and toss to coat. Next, grab a handful of coated onions, allowing excess buttermilk to drip off, then toss into your panko mixture. Toss to coat, then toss directly into your hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

Repeat until your onions are gone. If you have a particularly large onion, you may need to make extra panko mixture, or use half of the onion.

Set your fried onions aside on a paper towel lined plate.

How to Make Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Making green bean casserole from scratch is easier than you think. While it does require a lot of little steps, each one is easy and simple. 

First, gather your ingredients.

For the casserole base, you’ll need fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half, diced mushrooms, half and half, butter, all-purpose flour, chicken broth, minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.

First, you’ll want to bring a pot of water to boil, add your green beans, and cook for five minutes. Then, place them in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Set them aside for now.

Next, you’ll make the creamy mushroom sauce. First, add your butter to a saute pan over medium heat. Then, add your diced mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then, add your minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. 

Add the flour to coat the mushrooms and garlic, cooking for an additional minute.

Then, add your chicken broth, half and half, thyme, salt, and pepper to the pan, whisking to incorporate and deglaze the pan.

Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer your sauce until it thickens slightly. This can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes.

Remove your pan from the heat and add the green beans, tossing to coat.

Pour your green beans into a prepared casserole dish, about 1.5 to 2 quarts in size. Then, top with your crispy fried onions.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until bubbly. Your casserole is ready to serve!

Make Ahead Green Bean Casserole

Need to make your green bean casserole ahead of time? No worries, you can easily do so. I like to make mine the day before Thanksgiving to save time.

Simply assemble your green bean casserole, leaving off your onions. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 days in the refrigerator. Store your fried onions in a separate container. When ready, top your casserole with the fried onions, then bake at 375 for 18-22 minutes.

You can also find these directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Looking for more Thanksgiving side dishes made from scratch? Check out my other recipes:

• Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• How To Make Gravy Without Drippings
• Green Beans and Onions
• Homemade Cranberry Sauce with Orange Zest
• Roasted Butternut Squash with Brown Sugar and Pecans
• Southern Cornbread Dressing
• Southern Sweet Potato Casserole

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch is freshly made without any canned ingredients. Green beans are covered in a creamy homemade mushroom sauce, then topped with breaded and fried onions.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: green bean casserole from scratch

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 182.34kcal

Author: Heather

Ingredients

Fried Onion Topping

• 1 small onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• canola oil

Green Beans and Mushroom Sauce

• 1 pound green beans trimmed and cut in half
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces button mushrooms diced into 1/2" pieces
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Fried Onions

• In a bowl, pour buttermilk over onions and toss to coat. Set aside. Combine flour, panko, salt, and pepper in a second bowl.
• Begin heating a saucepan with 1-2 inches of oil over medium-high heat on the stove top.
• A handful at a time, transfer onions from buttermilk into panko mixture (allow excess buttermilk to drip off onions first). Toss quickly to coat, and transfer into hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. Transfer to paper towels. Continue until all onions have been fried.

Green Beans and Mushroom Sauce

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 1.5 quart dish or 8x8 baking pan and set aside.
• Bring a gallon of water and a dash of salt to a boil over high heat on the stove top. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath (water and ice) in a large bowl and set aside. Add green beans to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Drain beans and immediately place into ice bath to stop cooking. Once cooled, drain again and set aside.
• In a sauté pan over medium heat, add butter to pan. Once melted, add diced mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes, until almost cooked through. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add flour and stir to coat mushrooms. Then add the chicken broth and half and half, stirring constantly. Decrease heat to medium-low. Add dried thyme, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens, about 7-8 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add green beans to mushroom sauce. Stir to combine, and pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle top with fried onions.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes, until mixture is bubbly. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Notes

• MAKE AHEAD TIPS: Prepare casserole as directed without baking or adding onions to the top. Cover unbaked casserole and refrigerate overnight, storing onions separately. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees, add onions to the top of your casserole, and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until bubbly and warmed through.
• To double this dish, serve in a 9x13 or 3 quart casserole dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 0g | Calories: 182.34kcal | Carbohydrates: 19.8g | Protein: 5.69g | Fat: 9.77g | Saturated Fat: 5.81g | Cholesterol: 27.16mg | Sodium: 611.91mg | Potassium: 357.21mg | Fiber: 2.86g | Sugar: 4.72g | Vitamin A: 814.03IU | Vitamin C: 13.9mg | Calcium: 109.32mg | Iron: 1.6mg