Fresh Green Bean Casserole

5 from 12 votes
12 Comments

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This Green Bean Casserole is made with fresh green beans and a homemade creamy sauce. No cream-of soups or canned onions in this dish!

Dish of Green Bean Casserole with a wooden spoon.

Fresh Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole is one of those Thanksgiving sides that you may feel obligated to make, but nobody really loves, and why should they? Most green bean casserole recipes are made with canned beans, cream of mushroom soup, and those canned crispy onions. But this green bean casserole recipe is made with FRESH green beans and a creamy mushroom sauce that doesn’t taste at all like the canned stuff. Trust me, it’ll be a holiday side dish your guests rave about!

Table of Contents
  1. Fresh Green Bean Casserole
  2. Ingredients in Green Bean Casserole
  3. Tips and Tricks for this Recipe
  4. More Classic Thanksgiving Recipes
  5. Frequently Asked Questions about Green Bean Casserole
  6. How to Make Fresh Green Bean Casserole
  7. Fresh Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Fresh green beans in a pot of hot water for Green Bean Casserole.


Ingredients in Green Bean Casserole

No canned stuff here! From homemade French fried onions to the freshest beans, you’ll love how tasty this simple green bean casserole recipe is! Here’s all you need:

For the Fried Onions

  • Onion – one large yellow onion should be perfect for this recipe. Slice it nice and thin. You could also use a shallot which has a bit more of a sharp bite to it. Fried shallots are delicious!
  • Buttermilk – you’ll soak the onion slices in buttermilk for ultra crispiness. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding a tablespoon of either lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk.
  • All-purpose flour – dredge the milk-soaked onion slices in flour mixed with the following spices:
  • Cayenne pepper -this super spicy pepper has a slightly sweet flavor that is so delicious with the onion.
  • Paprika – also a sweeter spice, the red color is so pretty!
  • Black pepper – about a teaspoon or so to taste.
  • Oil – use vegetable oil or even olive oil for frying.
Pan of Green Bean Casserole sauce.

Green beans and sauce

  • Fresh green beans – about a pound for this recipe. Make sure to rinse and trim the ends off. You can halve them if you want.
  • Bacon – about ten slices, or more if you have a husband like mine who snatches the bacon faster than I can cook it!
  • Flour – this will be used to thicken the sauce.
  • Chicken broth – there are low sodium and gluten-free options at the grocery store that are delicious!
  • Half and half – don’t skimp on this. The creamy texture is what really makes the sauce good.
  • Pepper – to taste.
  • Cheddar cheese – this is optional, but my kids love it!
Spoon full of Green Bean Casserole with onions and bacon.

Tips and Tricks for this Recipe

  • If your holiday seems overwhelming and you need to cut some corners, you can. For instance, you can use onion straws from the grocery store if you don’t have time to make your own. You can also find pre-cooked and pre-chopped bacon (NOT bacon bits) in the meat area of the store.
  • For extra flair and flavor, add sautéed mushrooms to the sauce. My husband doesn’t like mushrooms, so I usually leave them out. But this is a versatile dish so you can really make it to your liking.
  • If you are worried about presentation and want your dish to look like the picture above, just combine the beans and sauce, put them on an oven-safe ceramic platter, then top with the bacon and onion straws.
  • However, if you want to keep things simple, just do it all in a glass baking dish. I assure you that is what I will be doing on Thanksgiving! I made the gravy slightly thinner for the version depicted in the photo and didn’t add cheese so you could really see the vibrant color of the green beans. Normally I wouldn’t do that, but for picture’s sake, I wanted it to look pretty.
Baked Green Bean Casserole in a dish.

More Classic Thanksgiving Recipes

If you’re looking for a few more ways to dress up your dressing, or serve after the main meal, check out our Best Recipes for Thanksgiving Dinner.

Frequently Asked Questions about Green Bean Casserole

How do I keep my casserole from being runny?

This is where your flour mixture comes in handy. Combine flour or cornstarch with a little bit of cold water in a cup, then add to the sauce as it simmers in the saucepan. It should thicken right up!

How far in advance can I make green bean casserole?

You can make the bulk of this casserole up to three days ahead of time. Bake, then cover with aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator. Then, warm uncovered in the oven until it’s hot all the way through, and the onions are crispy on top.

Can you freeze Green Bean Casserole?

Yes! Once the casserole is baked and cooled, wrap in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to two weeks. To serve, uncover the casserole and heat in the oven until it’s warm.

How to Make Fresh Green Bean Casserole

Side view of Green Bean Casserole in a serving dish.

Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans

5 from 12 votes
This Green Bean Casserole is made with fresh green beans and a homemade creamy sauce. No cream-of soups or canned onions in this dish!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 8

Video

Equipment

  • 9×13 inch pan

Ingredients

For the onion straws:

For the beans and sauce:

Instructions

For the onion straws:

  • Separate onions and place them in a large Ziploc bag. Pour buttermilk over the onions, squeeze the air out of the bag, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
    Sliced onions and buttermilk in a Ziplock bag for Green Bean Casserole topping.
  • In a pie pan or shallow dish, combine flour, salt, cayenne, paprika, and pepper.
    Bowl of flour mixture for Green Bean Casserole onions.
  • Heat oil in a skillet or deep pan to 375 degrees. Using tongs, dredge the onion rings a few at a time and place them in hot oil for 2-3 minutes, or until onions become nice and golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towels. Set aside.
    Bag of onions, flour mixture, fryer with onions and onion, paper towel with fried onions for Green Bean Casserole.

For the beans and sauce:

  • Bring a pot of salted water to a boil (as if you were boiling pasta). Add beans and boil for about 5-6 minutes or until beans become crisp and tender (boiling time depends on how crisp or soft you like your beans, check them before removing). Drain and place in ice water to prevent further cooking. Drain and set aside.
    Green Beans in a bowl of ice water for Green Bean Casserole.
  • Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat and cook bacon completely. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Set aside.
    Pan of bacon cooking with tongs on the side for Green Bean Casserole.
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and drain all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the skillet (or you can drain it all and just use 2 tablespoons of butter). Sprinkle flour over the remaining bacon grease (or butter) and stir, forming a roux. Whisk in chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
    Pan with a whisk making a roux for Green Bean Casserole sauce.
  • Whisk in half-and-half a little at a time until the sauce thickens. You want it to be a gravy-like consistency.
    Pan with whisk mixing Green Bean Casserole sauce.
  • Add a little milk if needed to thin the sauce. Heat for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce barely starts to simmer. Add pepper to taste.
    Pan of Green Bean Casserole sauce.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a casserole or oven-safe dish, combine beans, sauce, cheese (optional), and half of the bacon.
    Casserole dish with Green Been Mixture. Wooden spoon on the side.
  • Sprinkle onion straws and remaining bacon over the top and bake for about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
    Casserole dish of unbaked Green Bean Casserole.

Notes

Prep time does not include the one hour of marinating the onions in buttermilk.  Please allow extra time for this.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 508kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 21gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 765mgPotassium: 411mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1116IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 346mgIron: 1mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I was just thinking the other day that the only way to improve upon green bean casserole would be to add bacon. This is perfect! I can’t get enough! I’ll be making this again for Thanksgiving!

  2. 5 stars
    Yummy! This is my favorite Thanksgiving side dish. Can’t wait to make it this year. The bacon onion straws sound amazing.

  3. 5 stars
    Like you I’ve never loved canned green beans in this type of casserole. I do LOVE how you’ve made it with fresh beans. And those onion straws are delish!

  4. 5 stars
    This was an awesome side dish with dinner last night! Looking forward to serving this again with Thanksgiving dinner!

    1. Yes, you can prepare the sauce ahead of time. You canprepare the onion straws ahead and store them in an airtight container until ready to use. The fresh beans can be snipped and halved ahead of time as well. Hope this helps! Thank you for asking!