Green Bean Casserole Recipe From Scratch, With No Canned Soup

This green bean casserole recipe swaps the canned soup for a quick homemade mushroom sauce, so the beans stay bright and the sauce tastes of real mushrooms and cream. It still keeps the crunchy fried onion topping everyone expects, and it takes about 50 minutes from start to finish.

Below, you will find the full recipe, plus substitutions for frozen or canned beans, the classic canned-soup version, quantities for 12 or 20 people, and holiday make-ahead timing.

What Makes This Version Better Than the Can

Three small steps make the difference. First, blanching the beans briefly and chilling them in ice water keeps them vivid green and tender-crisp. Next, browning the mushrooms in butter develops a savory depth that canned soup cannot match. Finally, equal amounts of butter and flour thicken the broth and half-and-half into a velvety sauce that clings to every bean, so the casserole bakes up creamy rather than watery.

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Fresh green beans baked in a creamy homemade mushroom sauce and topped with crispy fried onions, with no canned soup.

Prep25 minutes mins

Cook25 minutes mins

Total50 minutes mins

Servings8 servings

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Equipment

• Large pot
• Large skillet
• 2-quart baking dish (11 x 7 inches)
• Bowl of ice water

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb fresh green beans trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 8 oz white or cremini mushrooms thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 3/4 tsp table salt plus more for the blanching water
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/3 cups French-fried onions divided

Instructions

• Heat the oven to 375°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set a bowl of ice water nearby.
• Boil the green beans for 4 to 5 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Drain, plunge them into the ice water, then drain again and pat dry.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until their liquid evaporates and they turn golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
• Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the broth, then the half-and-half, and simmer, stirring, until thick enough to coat a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Take the pan off the heat and stir in the soy sauce, salt and pepper. Fold in the green beans and ⅔ cup of the fried onions.
• Spread the mixture in a 2-quart baking dish and bake for 20 minutes, until bubbling at the edges.
• Scatter the remaining ⅔ cup of fried onions over the top and bake 5 minutes more, until golden. Let it rest 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

To make ahead, refrigerate the assembled casserole without the onions for up to a day.

Nutrition is estimated per serving from USDA FoodData Central values.

Nutrition

Per serving, estimated

Calories

190 kcal

Total fat

13 g

Saturated fat

6 g

Cholesterol

20 mg

Sodium

340 mg

Carbohydrates

15 g

Fiber

3 g

Sugars

5 g

Protein

4 g

Fresh, Frozen or Canned Green Beans

Fresh beans give the best texture, but frozen and canned beans both work in place of the 1½ pounds of fresh beans.

Canned beans are already fully cooked, so they become noticeably softer in the oven. Rinsing them also removes excess sodium from the canning liquid.

The Classic Canned-Soup Version

The classic version takes about 5 minutes to assemble. Stir together one 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, ¾ cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper. Then mix in 4 cups of cooked cut green beans and ⅔ cup of fried onions. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, top with another ⅔ cup of onions, and bake 5 minutes more.

Both versions taste good, but they differ more than you might expect. According to USDA FoodData Central values, each of 8 servings compares like this:

These are estimates, with the fried onions based on the median of many store brands. The homemade sauce is richer because of the butter and half-and-half, whereas the canned version carries considerably more sodium. For a lighter homemade version, substitute whole milk for the half-and-half.

How Much to Make for a Crowd

The recipe works out to about 3 ounces of fresh beans per person. Scale every other ingredient by the same amount, and choose a dish that keeps the casserole about 2 inches deep so it heats through evenly.

When baking two dishes simultaneously, rotate them halfway through and confirm the centers bubble before topping.

Make Ahead for a Holiday

Preparing the casserole a day early frees your oven and stovetop. Assemble it without the onions, then cover and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking the sauce. The next day, bake it straight from the refrigerator for 30 to 35 minutes, then add all the onions for the final 5 minutes.

For a buffet or potluck, the USDA temperature guidance recommends holding hot food at 140°F or warmer, because bacteria multiply rapidly between 40°F and 140°F. A warming tray or a slow cooker on its warm setting works well.

Variations

• Cheesy: stir ½ cup of shredded sharp cheddar or Parmesan into the sauce, then sprinkle another ¼ cup over the top with the onions.
• With bacon: cook 4 slices of chopped bacon first, then brown the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat instead of butter.
• No mushrooms: leave them out and cook a thinly sliced shallot in the butter instead, so the sauce still has a savory base.
• Dairy-free: use olive oil instead of butter and unsweetened oat or soy milk instead of half-and-half.
• Gluten-free: thicken the sauce with 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch whisked into the cold broth. Most store-bought fried onions contain wheat flour, though, so check the label carefully.
• Slow cooker: combine the blanched beans and sauce and cook on low for about 2 hours, adding the onions just before serving.

If you are out of half-and-half, the guide to cream substitutes shows what works in sauces. For the rest of the holiday table, these beans pair well with creamy mashed potatoes.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. The USDA leftovers guidance gives 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and 3 to 4 months in the freezer, and it says to reheat leftovers to 165°F. Freezing works, although the beans soften and the onions lose their crunch.

To reheat, cover the dish with foil and warm it at 350°F until the center is hot, then add fresh onions for the last 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bringing It Together

An excellent green bean casserole starts with crisp blanched beans and a creamy sauce built on browned mushrooms. Bake it at 375°F and reserve half the fried onions for the final 5 minutes so the topping stays crunchy. For a crowd, allow about 3 ounces of beans per person, and prepare it a day ahead if oven space is limited.

About this recipe: nutrition is estimated from USDA FoodData Central values, and the holding, storage and reheating guidance follows USDA food safety advice.