The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
This Green Bean Casserole is easy to make from scratch with no canned soup! It’s made with fresh green beans, but frozen or canned green beans work as well! You will love this incredibly flavorful filling and crunchy topping!
Be sure to try my Homemade Mashed Potatoes, Sausage Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce, and Dinner Rolls next!
Green Bean Casserole
One of my all-time favorite side dish recipes at a holiday dinner table is definitely Green Bean Casserole. I promise you, this recipe does not disappoint!
This dish is made entirely from scratch with a flavorful creamy mushroom filling that’s accompanied by a two-cheese combo and classic crispy fried onions!
Bonus: The entire dish can be made 2 days ahead of time! Be sure to check out my PRO tips below!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Boil green beans for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside. Sauté the mushrooms and garlic in butter.
Add more butter and flour to make a roux. Then add filling mixture. (Chicken broth, half and half, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings.) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer until thickened. Add the green beans.
Add Parmesan cheese, half of the cheddar, and half of the crispy fried onions. Stir to combine. Transfer to a lightly greased baking dish.
Add remaining cheddar and crispy fried onions. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes.
Make Ahead Method
- This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time.
- Assemble the casserole as outlined but don’t top with fried onions yet. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, cover and bake for 10 minutes, then add the fried onions and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.
Crock Pot Method
- Assemble as outlined. Heat in a crock pot on low for 2-3 hours.
- Pro Tip: Bake the fried onions on a baking sheet at 375° for 10 minutes, then sprinkle over the cooked casserole prior to serving.
Pro Tips
- Cheese: Shred/grate the cheese from a block as it will melt and taste much better than packaged cheese. I use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow and Belgioioso Parmesan.
- Baking Soda: Adding baking soda to the water helps maintain the vibrant color of the green beans!
- Using Frozen Green Beans: Let frozen green beans thaw and pat them completely dry. Boil for just 3 minutes instead of 5.
- Using Canned Green Beans: Drain the beans and pat them completely dry. No need to boil them first. Note that canned green beans contain sodium as well.
- An alternative topping option is 3/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers + 1.5 tbsp. melted butter.
- Check out all of my holiday recipes here!
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Leftover casserole does freeze/reheat well (aside from the crunchy topping doesn’t stay crispy).
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- Sharp Paring Knife– to cut the green beans
- Box Cheese Grater– Shredding your own cheese from a block yields the best results!
- Colander– to drain/rinse green beans after boiling.
- 9 x 13 inch baking dish
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Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
Green Beans
- 1 ½ lbs. fresh green beans, washed. See notes for frozen or canned.
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 Chicken bouillon cubes
Filling
- 8 oz. mushrooms, plus a pinch of salt for cooking
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, dried parsley, mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup crispy fried onions
Instructions
Prep Work
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Begin boiling water in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Once a boil is reached, add the baking soda and bouillon.
- Meanwhile, combine the chicken broth, half and half, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, parsley, mustard powder, salt, and pepper in a medium measuring cup with a spout. Set aside.
- Dice the mushrooms and cut the green beans in half or into thirds.
Boil the Green Beans
- Boil the green beans for 5 minutes. Set a timer to avoid overcooking, we don’t want them to be mushy. When they’re done, they’ll have softened but will still hold their shape nicely.
- Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop them from cooking further. Spread out on a clean dish towel to dry.
Make the Filling
- Use the same pot that you used to boil the green beans and melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Add the remaining butter along with the flour and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add the chicken broth mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. (Adding it slowly ensures that the mixture is thick and that the roux doesn’t break.)
- Bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it bubble gently for 4 minutes, or until desired consistency is obtained. Stir occasionally as it cooks.
- Remove from heat. It will thicken a little more upon standing.
Assemble and Bake
- Add the green beans and stir to combine. Stir in the Parmesan cheese along with half of the cheddar cheese and half of the crispy fried onions.
- Transfer to a lightly greased baking dish. (I used a 9x13-inch, but any size that holds the casserole is fine!) Top with remaining cheddar cheese and fried onions.
- Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, or until the top is brown and bubbly. Serve!
Notes
- Cheese: Shred/grate the cheese from a block as it will melt and taste much better than packaged cheese. I use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow and Belgioioso Parmesan.
- Baking Soda: Adding baking soda to the water helps maintain the vibrant color of the green beans!
- Using Frozen Green Beans: Let frozen green beans thaw and pat them completely dry. Boil for just 3 minutes instead of 5.
- Using Canned Green Beans: Drain the beans and pat them completely dry. No need to boil them first. Note that canned green beans contain sodium as well.
- An alternative topping option is 3/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers + 1.5 tbsp. melted butter.
- Check out all of my holiday recipes here!
Make Ahead Method:
- This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time.
- Assemble the casserole as outlined but don’t top with fried onions yet. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- To serve, cover and bake for 10 minutes, then add the fried onions and bake uncovered for 15 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.
Crock Pot Method:
- Assemble as outlined. Heat in a crock pot on low for 2-3 hours.
- Pro Tip: Bake the fried onions on a baking sheet at 375° for 10-15 minutes, then sprinkle over the cooked casserole prior to serving.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Leftover casserole does freeze/reheat well (aside from the crunchy topping doesn't stay crispy).
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. This recipe makes 8 servings.
I prepared this the day before Thanksgiving and I knew it was going to be amazing when I tasted the mushroom sauce before assembling it. Wow! The finished dish the next day was delicious, with its delightful variety of flavors and textures. I especially appreciate the fact that it doesn’t rely on canned condensed soup. The resulting difference in quality is worth every bit of the extra time and effort. Making it from scratch is truly a labor of love. Cheers!
Sounds like you really nailed it Dennis nice work! I love that you appreciate the homemade soup, it really does make such a difference. Thanks so much for the great comments and review!❤️
I was very excited to try a new Green Bean Casserole this year and it was very delicious! I followed the Make Ahead Method and had to increase my bake time. I loved the addition of cheeses. Can’t wait to make this again!
I’m so happy the Green Bean Casserole was a big hit Courtnie! Any time you can make a make ahead meal for the big day it’s huge! Thanks so much for the great review!❤️