Best Green Bean Casserole
User Reviews
4.7
42 reviews
Excellent
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Prep Time
30 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
8
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Calories
292 kcal
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Course
Others
Best Green Bean Casserole
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Best Green Bean Casserole - A healthier, modern, fresher take on classic green bean casserole! No processed soups nor canned ingredients and instead made with fresh green beans, mushrooms, red onions, and a cheesy crispy breadcrumb topping that will have the whole family going back for seconds! Put this on your Thanksgiving, Christmas, and holiday entertaining menus!
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans ends trimmed and halved* (See Notes)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 1 cup Red Onions thinly sliced vertically (loosely laid into the measuring cup)
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms thin sliced (white button mushrooms may be substituted or use a combo of the two)
- 4 to 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk 2% or whole strongly recommend** (See Notes)
- 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth I use low or reduced sodium
- ½ teaspoon thyme finely minced (fresh strongly recommended as opposed to dried thyme)
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or black pepper
- 1 cup White Cheddar Cheese shredded*** (See Notes)
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs not regular bread crumbs
- ½ cup fresh parmesan cheese finely shredded**** (See Notes)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely minced for garnishing
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (unless you are making this in advance, then don't) and spray a 2 to 3-quart casserole dish or 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray; set aside.
- Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. After it's boiling, add the green beans and cook them for 3 to 4 minutes (this is known as blanching). Get a large bowl of ice and water waiting (ice bath).
- Drain the beans with a colander and immediately transfer them into the ice bath. Let them rest there while you move on making the sauce.
- To a large sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons butter, red onions, and sauté them over medium to medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to soften; stir frequently. Take care not to overcook them so they don't lose their pretty red color; set aside.
- To a separate large sauté pan or Dutch oven, add the mushrooms, remaining 4 tablespoons butter, and sauté over medium-high for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms have softened; stir frequently.
- In the final 1 minute of cooking, add the garlic, and cook until fragrant; stir constantly.
- Even sprinkle the flour over the top, and cook for about 2 minutes to ensure you don't taste raw flour in the finished dish; stir constantly.
- Slowly add the 2 cups of milk into the mushrooms and flour, and stir nearly constantly for about 3 to 5 minutes to create a thickened gravy texture; move patiently and slowly so that lumps are not created and the sauce stays smooth and creamy.
- Add the chicken broth, thyme, salt, pepper, and stir frequently until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- After it has thickened, add the shredded white cheddar cheese, and stir until the cheese has completely melted and the sauce is smooth and of uniform texture; take it off the heat and set it aside.
- Take the green beans from the ice bath, transfer them into your casserole dish, and if you'd like blot them off with paper towels after they're in the baking dish.
- Evenly drizzle the cheese sauce with the mushrooms over the green beans; smooth it as necessary with a spatula.
- Evenly top with the red onions.
- Evenly sprinkle the panko bread crumbs over the top.
- Evenly sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Tip - If you're making this dish in advance, stop here. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. You could also freeze it for up to 3 months although finding that much freezer space for that long could be tricky. When you're ready to bake it, thaw at room temp on the counter and then bake as directed in step 16.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until bread crumbs and Parmesan are lightly golden browned; start checking at 15 minutes and rotate pan midway through if your oven doesn't bake evenly so the topping doesn't burn. Tip - If you're baking this with other items in the oven that need a higher oven temp, that's fine. Cover it with foil and in the final 5 minutes of baking, take the foil off so the topping crisps up and the cheese lightly browns.
- Evenly sprinkle with the parsley to garnish and serve. Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week and in the freezer for up to 3-4 months, noting that in either situation the topping will lose its crispness and if freezing, the green beans will undergo a texture change and will be mushier, which is inevitable with freezing fruits or vegetables.
Notes
- *I strongly recommend that you use fresh green beans for a green bean casserole. After all, the beans are the star of this dish! You will need to trim them, halve them, and then boil them, or blanch them, for 3 to 4 minutes in boiling water, and then add them to an ice bath. Shocking them in ice water stops the cooking process so that they don’t get mushy. Plus, it helps preserve a brighter green color in the final green bean casserole. If for some reason you can’t find fresh green beans, you could use frozen. You can skip the blanching and ice bath process if you’re going with frozen green beans. I don't recommend canned beans.
- **Use 2% or whole milk for best results. Do not use skim at all costs. I have not experimented with plant-based milks and am not sure how they would work. The only one I think you may have some success with is unsweetened cashew milk (Silk brand in a refrigerated carton) although I haven't personally tried. Do not attempt with rice milk, as it's way too thin.
- ***If you can’t find white cheddar cheese (look for it in a block too and shred it yourself), you can use regular cheddar. Although I do highly recommend searching for white cheddar cheese.
- **** You need fresh, shredded Parmesan cheese. This is not the time for the green can of “Parmesan” cheese. Look in the more gourmet cheese section of your grocery store. Often you can buy small amounts of cheese from the deli or gourmet cheese area and since all you need is a half cup, that’s a good trick.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1
Calories
292kcal
(15%)
Carbohydrates
25g
(8%)
Protein
12g
(24%)
Fat
17g
(26%)
Saturated Fat
10g
(50%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
6g
Cholesterol
48mg
(16%)
Sodium
541mg
(23%)
Fiber
5g
(20%)
Sugar
9g
(18%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 292 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 292kcal | 15% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 12g | 24% |
| Fat | 17g | 26% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 6g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 48mg | 16% |
| Sodium | 541mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 5g | 20% |
| Sugar | 9g | 18% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
42 reviews
Excellent
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