Homemade Green Bean Casserole
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Nothing says comfort food like Homemade Green Bean Casserole! Fresh green beans baked in a rich, creamy sauce and topped with golden, crispy fried onions. It’s the perfect side dish to bring to your holiday table.
Let’s be honest, who has had Green Bean Casserole on a holiday? I’m willing to bet almost everyone has had the traditional casserole on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
There’s nothing wrong with it. I love the green beans in the creamy sauce that is topped with fried onions. It’s a great dish but it’s not really great for you.
Plus there are so many other great holiday vegetable side dishes. One of my favorites is Maple Roasted Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash. Another side dish that works for the holidays or any time is Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese Bake. When i’m running short on time Quick and Easy Green Bean Skillet is usually a hit.
While I enjoy this Green Bean Casserole I’d rather make it without the creamy canned soup. It doesn’t take long to make your own cream sauce and it’s so much better for you!
I also like to use fresh green beans. It gives the casseroles a better texture because everything isn’t mushy. It also adds a brighter color and a fresher flavor.
Can I use canned or frozen green beans?
You can certainly use canned or frozen green beans in place of the fresh green beans in this recipe. However, your casserole won’t be as bright or as fresh.
I’ve made a homemade green bean casserole recipe before that was ok but I felt it needed a little work. Since I’m helping with Thanksgiving dinner this year I set out looking for the perfect Green Bean Casserole recipe.
This Green Bean Casserole recipe is really easy to make. It’s made with fresh green beans, bacon, mushrooms, and onions. The sauce is simply made of milk, cornstarch, and butter. I mean, if it’s that easy to make your own creamy sauce why would anyone use the canned stuff?
So this casserole basically starts by frying up the bacon. Then the vegetables are added into the bacon grease for flavor. Then comes the milk and cornstarch to thicken it up and make the sauce.
That’s about it! The entire mixture is poured over top of the fresh green beans and is baked in the oven. The fried onions are placed on top and it’s time to serve it.
Ingredients:
- fresh green beans
- bacon
- fresh mushrooms (I use button or crimini)
- garlic cloves
- whole milk (or half and half)
- cornstarch
- salted butter
- salt and pepper
- dried rosemary
- crunchy fried onions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blanch the green beans and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside. Cook the bacon for 3-4 minutes per side and drain on a paper towel.
Remove all but a small amount of bacon grease. Then saute the onions, mushrooms, and garlic in the bacon grease for 4 minutes. Combine the milk and cornstarch in a bowl then pour into the saute pan with the vegetables. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the butter, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Pour sauce over top of green beans. Bake for 15 minutes, top with fried onions, and bake for 15 additional minutes.
The results are that this casserole is so much better then the one made from canned soup. The green beans are fresh, crisp, and flavorful. The bacon adds a bit of saltiness and flavor. The cream sauce is light and delicious. The fried onions are simply the crunchy finish on the top.
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can make it up to 24 hours ahead of time. Just put everything but the fried onions in the pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove plastic wrap and bake as directed.
I plan on making this version of Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving. You should think about making it too! Even if you used frozen green beans in this recipe it would be so much better then what your parents used to make.
If you’ve tried my Homemade Green Bean Casserole or any other recipe on Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. I love hearing from you! You can FOLLOW ME on:
Homemade Green Bean Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
- 4 slices bacon
- 1/2 cup onion chopped
- 6 ounces mushrooms sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 cup fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Trim the green beans and toss them in a pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and pour the green beans into a 9 x 13 pan. Set aside.
- Cook the bacon for 3-4 minutes per side in a saute pan over medium heat Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.
- Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pan. Return the pan with the bacon grease to medium heat and add in the onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.
- Combine the milk and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Slowly pour the milk into the saute pan while stirring constantly. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Mix well.
- Pour the sauce and vegetables over top of the green beans.
- Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with fried onions. Continue cooking for 15 additional minutes.
- Serve hot and top with more fried onions if desired.
Notes
- Homemade Green Bean Casserole by Hezzi-D’s Recipe Box
- Baked Pumpkin Rice Casserole by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Sweet Potato and Leek Gratin by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Smashed Sweet Potatoes and Apples by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Keto Vegetarian Eggplant Rollatini by Sneha’s Recipe
- Pear Compote by Art of Natural Living
- Creamy Baked Orzo by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Cheese Stuffed Garlic Rolls by Magical Ingredients
I love fresh green beans and this casserole looks fantastic!
I’ve never had green bean casserole, it just never called to me. But this looks fresh and fantastic, plus you can never go wrong with bacon!
Love that you’re doing a favorite classic with all natural ingredients!
Everything looks so fresh. I actually never had the traditional green bean casserole until a work potluck. We always had fresh green beans or peas. This sounds like the perfect way to serve it to make everyone happy.
I am not a big fan of the traditional green bean casserole, but I would love to try this version…perhaps, I’ll be a convert.
The famous green bean casserole was not a tradition in our family when I was growing up — my mother never jumped on the can-of-soup bandwagon — but I had it at friends’ houses. Your version sounds much better! Oddly enough, though I of course prefer fresh green beans, I like canned green beans more than frozen. It’s the only canned vegetable I can think of that I prefer over the frozen version. (The commentluv was hanging up my comment, so here’s the link http://www.delightfulrepast.com/2016/11/make-ahead-turkey-gravy-and-broth.html)
Thanks! I’ll check it out. It sounds yummy!