Tender green beans and velvety mushroom cream sauce baked until hot and bubbling then topped with crispy, golden-brown fried onions! This heavenly Green Bean Casserole is the holiday side dish you don’t want to skip!
Out with the old and in with the new! Green Bean Casserole has always been my *second* favorite Thanksgiving side dish, after stuffing of course! While I usually love a semi-home made dish or store-bought hacks, I think we need to retire the Campbells Soup version of this classic recipe. Besides, Green Bean Casserole is so easy to make from scratch, and the flavor is 1000 times better than the canned soup version.
When creating and testing this recipe, my biggest priority was perfecting the sauce to green bean ratio. I wanted my version to be… saucy! Thanksgiving foods tend to be prepped a day ahead, reheated and even eaten as leftovers through the weekend. I wanted to make sure this recipe would hold up to advanced preparation and reheating while still remaining creamy and luscious!
If you’re looking for more Thanksgiving recipes look no further! I’ve got everything you need right here!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to whip the creamiest Green Bean Casserole: Green beans, mushrooms, chicken stock, cream, butter, shallot, garlic, white wine, flour, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and crispy fried onions.
Recipe Step by Step:
Step 1. Blanch the Green Beans
This step is very important! In order to have soft, yet bright and vibrant green beans you will need to blanch them. Bring a heavily salted pot of water to a rapid boil, drop in your beans. After three minutes drain them through a colander then immediately transfer to an ice bath to “shock” them, or halt the cooking process. As soon as they’re completely cool transfer the beans to a clean kitchen towel to dry.
Step 2. Make the Sauce
Sauté the mushroom, garlic and shallot until golden brown then add in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Next, add the white wine and reduce by about half then pour in the cream, chicken stock, thyme and Worcestershire.
Step 3. Bake
Add the green beans to the sauce. *If you’re prepping this recipe a day ahead stop here, cover the casserole with foil and store in the refrigerator.* Bake, covered for 25 minutes then uncover, sprinkle on the onions and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered or until golden brown and bubbling!
FAQs and Expert Tips
Absolutely! Follow all instructions then stop just before baking. Instead of baking the casserole cover it with foil and store in the refrigerator overnight. The next day proceed on to baking and topping with onions.
Yes, if you want to make this recipe gluten-free substitute a gluten-free flour blend like Cup4Cup. You will also want to use gluten-free fried onions.
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Creamy Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs green beans stems trimmed, cut in half
- 6 tbsp butter
- 1 lb assorted mushrooms like button, shitake, maitake thinly sliced
- 1 large shallot minced
- 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
- ¼ c flour
- ½ c dry white wine
- 1 ½ c heavy cream
- 1 ½ c chicken stock
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 c crispy fried onions like French's
- salt and freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Bring a heavily salted pot of water to a rapid boil, drop in your beans. After three minutes drain them through a colander then immediately transfer to an ice bath to halt the cooking process. As soon as they’re completely cool transfer the beans to a towel lined plate to dry. Set aside.
- Place a large sauté pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the butter to the pan then, then the mushrooms, garlic and shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are golden brown and the shallot and garlic are fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Next, sprinkle in the flour and a generous pinch of salt, cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently then pour in the white wine, cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Whisk in the cream, chicken stock, thyme and Worcestershire. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking frequently until the sauce is thick and bubbling then turn off the heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the green beans in an oven-safe baking dish then pour the mushroom sauce overtop. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes then uncover, sprinkle on the onions and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling!
Notes
- Mushrooms: you can use all button mushrooms or a variety like creminis, hen of the woods, shiitakes etc.
- Flour: for gluten-free green bean casserole use a gluten-free flour blend. Be sure to use gluten-free fried onions as well!
- Chicken Stock: Veggie or mushroom stock will also work just fine.
- Fresh Thyme: substitute 1 tbsp dried time.
- Follow steps 1-4 then stop just before baking. Instead of baking the casserole cover it with foil and store in the refrigerator overnight. The next day proceed on to baking and topping with onions.
- Leftover green bean casserole can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave. Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen up the sauce as needed.
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