Fresh Green Bean Casserole
on Oct 12, 2018, Updated Jul 17, 2024
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Green Bean Casserole from scratch! An updated version of a favorite holiday side dish.
If you’re ready to level up your green bean casserole, you are in the right place. This version uses fresh green beans, a homemade sauce, and from-scratch crispy shallots. It’s a gorgeous and modern version and will reframe how you feel about green bean casseroles on Thanksgiving and for any holiday meal.
There are some people who absolutely love the traditional green bean casserole made with condensed soup, canned beans, and packaged fried onions. Some of this love is born of nostalgia, some because people really and truly love this classic casserole. Then there are some of us who get the nostalgia part, but that doesn’t make us love it. But the basic concept of this timeless casserole is a winning one — tender green beans enveloped in a creamy sauce and topped with crispy, crunchy, oniony bits. That we get can down with.
Serve this updated creamy casserole with a Roast Turkey, Cajun Turkey, or Beef Tenderloin for a holiday feast.
Table of Contents
Green Bean Casserole From Scratch! An updated version of a classic favorite holiday side dish.
Ingredients
- Shallots – For the crispy shallot topping, thinly sliced.
- Oil – Canola or vegetable for frying the shallots.
- Haricot verts – The base for this delicious casserole. Make sure you trim the ends before preparing. You can use regular fresh green beans instead.
- Butter
- Mushrooms – Any kind of mushrooms, button, cremini, wild, whatever you like. Wiped clean and roughly chopped.
- Flour – Helps thicken the casserole sauce.
- Broth – Chicken or vegetable broth will work, whatever you prefer (vegetable broth yields a vegetarian casserole).
- Half-and-half – Gives this dish its signature creamy and rich flavor.
- Parsley – To garnish (optional); you can also use chevril.
Variations
- If shallots aren’t available to you, you could use onions or leeks instead if you like.
How to Make Fresh Green Bean Casserole
- Trim the beans: Snap off both ends using your fingers
- Fry the shallots. Transfer the fried shallots to paper towels to allow the excess oil to drain off, and keep the shallots crispy. Set aside to top the casserole.
- Blanch the beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the beans for about 4 to 7 minutes, depending on how thick they are. Drain the beans and transfer them to an ice-water bath. Allow to cool, then drain again, shaking off any excess water.
- Sauté the mushrooms. Add shallots and flour. Add the liquid.
- Add the blanched green beans. Stir to coat with the sauce.
- Bake: Turn the mixture into a casserole dish and bake in a preheated oven until hot and bubbly.
- Add topping and serve: At the end, the fried shallots are added to the top of the casserole to re-crisp and heat through. Serve warm.
FAQs
Blanching just means quickly boiling, then draining and plunging into ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the color of the food. It’s perfect for when you want to partially cook a veggie before preparing and cooking it further — just like in this fresh green bean casserole! We blanch the green beans first so they become tender when you bake them in the oven.
Pro Cooking Tips
- You can pinch off the ends of the haricots verts or green beans with your fingers or slice them off with a knife. This is a great task to delegate to a kitchen helper who doesn’t want to take on a more challenging task — also great for the kids!
- Thin haricot verts will take less time to blanch, about 4 minutes. Thicker green beans will take longer, about 7 minutes.
- When mushrooms are sautéed, they often release water. The key to nicely caramelized mushrooms is to allow any water that is released to fully evaporate and then to cook the mushrooms further until they have browned.
- Toasting the flour in the hot skillet before you add the liquid takes the “raw flavor” out of the flour. Then, the flour will thicken the sauce once the liquid is added.
- In this contemporary casserole, a combination of broth and some sort of milk or cream (your choice) create the sauce, so it is light and just a bit creamy. The sauce will bind the casserole together and give it body.
Leftovers and Storage
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered with foil, until hot throughout, about 15 minutes, or rewarm in the microwave.
What to Serve with Fresh Green Bean Casserole
More Fresh Green Bean Recipes
- Honey Mustard Green Beans
- Green Bean Salad with Clementine Oranges and Feta
- Sautéed Haricot Verts with Red Onions and Shallots
- Green Beans with Chervil Vinaigrette
- Sautéed Green Beans and Oyster Mushrooms
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Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
For the Crispy Shallot Topping:
- 5 shallots, (very thinly sliced)
- Canola or vegetable oil (for frying)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
For the Green Bean Casserole:
- 2 pounds haricot verts (ends trimmed)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound mushrooms (wiped clean and roughly chopped; any kind of mushrooms, button, cremini, wild, whatever you like)
- 3 shallots (minced)
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- Fresh parsley or chervil (to garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. Butter a shallow 3-quart casserole. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Line a plate with paper towels. Place the sliced shallots in a small saucepan and pour in canola or vegetable oil to cover. Place the pan on the stove, turn the heat to medium, and allow the shallots to cook, with the heat barely at a simmer, stirring occasionally until they turn medium brown, about 5 minutes. Drain them in a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the oil for another use, then turn the shallots onto the paper-plate lined plate and blot with another paper towel. Sprinkle with salt
- Fill a large bowl with water and some ice. Plunge the haricot verts into the pot of boiling water, and cook for about 5 minutes, just until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge the partially cooked green beans into the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet. Sauté the mushrooms until browned, and any liquid they have released has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add the chopped shallots and sauté for another 2 minutes until the shallots are slightly softened. Sprinkle over the flour, and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes until the flour coats the mushrooms well and turns golden. Slowly pour in the broth while stirring. Stir in the half-and-half, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid thickens.
- Add the partially cooked green beans. Turn into the prepared casserole. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle over the crispy sliced shallots and bake for 2 to 3 more minutes until shallots are hot and re-crisped. Serve hot, with the parsley or chervil if desired.
Notes
- You can pinch off the ends of the haricots verts or green beans with your fingers or slice them off with a knife. This is a great task to delegate to a kitchen helper who doesn’t want to take on a more challenging task — also great for the kids!
- Thin haricot verts will take less time to blanch, about 4 minutes. Thicker green beans will take longer, about 7 minutes.
- When mushrooms are sautéed, they often release water. The key to nicely caramelized mushrooms is to allow any water that is released to fully evaporate and then to cook the mushrooms further until they have browned.
- Toasting the flour in the hot skillet before you add the liquid takes the “raw flavor” out of the flour. Then, the flour will thicken the sauce once the liquid is added.
- In this contemporary casserole, a combination of broth and some sort of milk or cream (your choice) create the sauce, so it is light and just a bit creamy. The sauce will bind the casserole together and give it body.
Can this be prepped ahead of time? Maybe combine it all and have it ready in the fridge except for the crispy topping?
I think that should work!