Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

Our family, like every other family at Thanksgiving, is no stranger to green bean casserole, with its crunchy fried onion topping and rich, creamy filling. Truth be told, it’s one of my favorites, along with the jellied cranberry sauce.

But over the years, I have come to expect more from my green bean casserole than just opening up a few cans of beans, soup, and sprinkling on some prepared fried onions.

Here is my totally from-scratch version – you’ll never look at green bean casserole the same way again.

Frying your own onions gives them a crunchy texture that can’t be beat by anything from a can. The onions are soaked in buttermilk and then coated with crispy Panko crumbs, herbs, and flour before being fried to a golden crisp.

I also make my own mushroom cream sauce. Button and Crimini mushrooms are always a good choice here, but try buttery Chantrelles if you want something a little more decadent. Mixing up the mushrooms is one way to give this dish a different flavor and make it stand out.

This dish can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge until ready to heat. To keep the fried onions crispy, store them separately in an airtight container on the counter. Wait to top the casserole until just before baking .

It’s hard to go back to the canned version after this!

Green Bean Casserole from Scratch Recipe

 

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Make-ahead: Store the fried onions in an airtight container at room temperature and refrigerate the prepared filling. Wait to top the casserole with the onions until just before baking. Cooking time may be slightly longer.

Ingredients:

For the fried onions:

• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Panko crumbs
• 2 tablespoon mixed dried herbs - parsley, dill, thyme, whatever you want!
• Salt, for seasoning
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the casserole:

• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) regular salted butter
• 1 pound crimini or button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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