Let’s have a moment of truth: green beans? Honestly, not even close to my top 10 veggies. I know, I know—hot take! Most years, I could happily sail right past the green bean aisle. But my hubby is a genuine green bean fan (he practically cheers for them next to the turkey on Thanksgiving), and the rest of the family expects tradition: sweet potato casserole, pumpkin pie, turkey, and—of course—green bean casserole. So, duty called.
I used to think fresh green beans tasted like the aftermath of mowing the lawn—haha, that’s a flavor I never craved, especially alongside cranberry sauce and charcuterie boards! But this year, I got creative. I went crusty, crunchy, and saucy, and I ended up with a Thanksgiving side dish I actually love. Game changer?
The onions, crispy French onions, take green beans to new heights. I even caught myself enjoying a second bowl. It’s September, and I’m eating green bean casserole. Well, my family is happy because I had to make a few to get the recipe right for you.
This homemade green bean casserole recipe is my green bean redemption story: health-conscious, still classic, and tested so many times that I finally fell for green beans.
Fresh, crunchy, tender green beans, a luscious cream sauce, and homemade crispy onions—all made with real ingredients like chicken broth and fresh cream. Give me a chance, and I’ll turn you into a green bean believer, too, if you are not one already.
The History: How Green Bean Casserole Became a Thanksgiving Tradition
Green bean casserole wasn’t originally created as a Thanksgiving dish. In fact, it was developed in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly, a home economist at Campbell Soup Company, as a simple, everyday side dish using ingredients commonly found in American pantries.
The recipe combined green beans with cream of mushroom soup and French-fried onions, designed for quick and easy preparation.
Its rise as a Thanksgiving classic really took off in the 1960s when Campbell’s started printing the green bean casserole recipe right on their cream of mushroom soup cans.
This clever marketing move introduced millions of households to the cozy, savory dish, helping it find a special place on holiday tables across the United States. Since then, it has become an iconic and nostalgic part of many Thanksgiving dinners, valued for its comforting flavors and ease of preparation.
Today, many cooks like myself, update the recipe by using fresh green beans and homemade cream sauces, but the casserole’s place as a beloved Thanksgiving staple remains unchanged — a true nod to convenience, tradition, and deliciousness all rolled into one.
Why You’ll Love This Green Bean Casserole
Cream sauce made with chicken broth, fresh garlic, fresh cream and milk for the richest, creamiest flavor.
Fresh green beans blanched to tender perfection—never soggy, mushy canned green beans!
Crispy homemade French-fried onions, coated with quinoa flour and fried in extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, bring a crunchy texture that’s a classic hallmark. Which means, even your gluten free friends can enjoy it. Or you can stick with regular all purpose flour and vegetable oil ofcourse.
You can buy the French fried onions and skip the trouble of making them if you are short on time.
Easy ingredient swaps: vegan cream and butter for the sauce if you want a dairy-free option.
Make-ahead friendly with airtight container storage — just add crispy onion topping right before baking time!
Perfect portioning for eight hungry guests or individual portions for meal prep.
What Makes This Recipe Different
This green bean casserole recipe skips the cans and whipped cream fakery for the best results: fresh vegetables, a homemade cream sauce thickened with a little flour, and the top of the casserole layered with crunchy, golden onions. It’s the best green bean casserole for anyone wanting the classic Thanksgiving taste — with none of the canned version’s heaviness or preservatives.
Here’s The Ingredients You Will Need For This Green Bean Casserole.
Step-By-Step: Making The Best Green Bean Casserole.
Crispy French Onion Topping
Step 1: Soak 3 medium or 2 large thinly sliced onions in buttermilk made by combining 2 cups milk with 3 tbsp lemon juice (or use room temperature coconut milk for a dairy-free version). Let soak 15-20 minutes in a bowl of water.
Step 2: You need to slice the onions really thin, as thin as you can so the flour sticks to it better and they will crisp up. Around 1 inch (2.5mm) is great if you can get it that thin, or slose to it. I find using a slicer like this one helps a lot. But you can do it with a knife too, just a little more time-consuming.
Step 3: Combine 1½ cups of quinoa flour (or all-purpose flour), 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and optional paprika or nutritional yeast for extra savory flavor.
Step 4: Heat about ½ inch of extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil in an iron skillet or any deep skillet/frying pan over medium-low heat until shimmering. To test if the oil is hot enough, stick the other end of the wooden spoon in and see if the oil is foaming around it, that means it’s ready.
Step 5: Dredge the onions in the flour mixture, then fry in batches, about 2-3 minutes, until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towels and season lightly.
Shortcut: If you prefer to buy crispy French onions instead of making them from scratch, here are the best ones I have tried, you can grab them on Amazon. And here’s the gluten free, flourless version.
Preparing the Green Bean Mixture
Step 1: Trim and halve 2 lbs of fresh green beans into small pieces, or you can leave the beans whol if you prefer. Blanch in salted boiling water for 5 minutes, then plunge immediately into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and keep the tender green beans vibrant. Drain well.
Step 2: Sauté 2 chopped medium onions and 3 cloves of fresh garlic in 3 tbsp butter over medium-low heat in a large saucepan until tender and fragrant.
Step 3: Stir in 4 tbsp flour, cook a minute to remove raw taste. Gradually whisk in 2 cups chicken broth, a cup of whole cream milk and a cup of heavy cream (or plant-based alternatives).
Step 4: Simmer gently, stirring constantly until the cream sauce thickens — about 8-10 minutes — then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 5: Toss the blanched green bean mixture in the creamy mushroom sauce and stir well to coat the beans. Transfer the beans with sauce inito a baking dish, 10×10 inch or 9×13 inch will work well for this recipe.
Step 6: Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil to prevent the green bean casserole from burning.
Step 7: Bake covered for 20 minutes in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C).
Step 8: Remove the foil, then sprinkle crispy French-fried onions or panko breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese over the top.
Step 9: Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until the top of the casserole is golden brown.
Extra Tips to Nail Your Green Bean Casserole
Blanch fresh green beans just right. Overcooking will make them mushy, while undercooking can leave them tough. Exactly 5 minutes in salted boiling water until bright green and tender-crisp is the best way.
Drain and dry your green beans thoroughly after blanching to avoid excess water making your casserole soupy. A clean kitchen towel or paper towels work great here.
Don’t add crispy onions too early! Adding them before baking causes sogginess or burning. Add fried onions only in the last 5 minutes of bake time or just before serving if using a slow cooker.
Maintain oil temperature for frying onions. If the oil starts to darken or smell burnt from crumbs, change it to keep onions tasting fresh and crisp.
Consider stirring in soy sauce or nutritional yeast for a subtle savory flavor boost to the cream sauce without overpowering the beans.
Panko breadcrumbs can be mixed into the topping to add extra crunch and texture variation alongside fried onions.
Use a heavy-bottomed or iron skillet for sauce making and frying onions. It distributes heat better and reduces burning risk.
Don’t be afraid of seasoning. The sauce should be well-seasoned with salt and pepper—and fresh garlic adds great depth to the classic dish.
Let your casserole rest for a few minutes after baking before serving so the sauce thickens and sets slightly, making serving individual portions easier and cleaner.
If saving leftovers, reheat covered in the oven to keep it moist and prevent drying out. Crispy onions added fresh on top will stay crunchy.
Remove foil, sprinkle crispy French-fried onions or panko breadcrumbs mixed with parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake uncovered for an additional 5 minutes or until the top of the casserole is golden brown.
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Storage & Prep Ahead Tips
The green bean casserole mixture (beans and sauce) can be prepared up to a day ahead. Store it tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge.
Prepare the crispy fried onions completely separately and store at room temperature in an airtight container so they stay crunchy.
When ready to bake, reheat the casserole covered with foil to lock in moisture and avoid burning the onions.
Add the crispy onion topping just before baking uncovered at the end for the best texture.
You can also freeze the casserole (without onions) for up to 1 month in a freezer-safe airtight container; thaw in fridge overnight before baking. Add onions fresh after thawing.
Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3–4 days; reheat covered in the oven to maintain creaminess.
Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
If you are using ready-made crispy onions, then you can get them on Amazon or at your local grocery store, make sure to get enough for 3 x 8oz cups (you want to be generous with the onions to coat all of the casserole)
Crispy Onion Topping Ingredients: (if you are making them yourself)
- 3 medium yellow onions thinly sliced
- 2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups milk + 3 tablespoons lemon juice or plant based alternative
- 1½ cups quinoa flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Oil for frying: extra-virgin olive oil avocado oil, or vegetable oil
- Optional: panko breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese for topping
Casserole Ingredients:
- 2 pounds approximately 1 kg fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 medium onions chopped
- 3 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons quinoa flour or all-purpose flour to thicken the sauce
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup of full fat milk or plant based alternative
- 1 cup of heavy cream or plant based alternative
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the crispy onions. (If making yourself)
- Soak the thinly sliced onions in buttermilk for 15 to 20 minutes. This softens the onions and helps the coating stick well.
- Heat about ½ inch of oil in a skillet over medium-low heat until shimmering. Drain onions from the buttermilk and dredge thoroughly in the seasoned flour mixture.
- Making sure the oil is very hot, fry the onions in batches for 2 to 3 minutes, gently moving them around with the spoon while frying. Keep frying until they are golden and crispy.
- Drain on paper towels and lightly season with salt while still warm.
- Note: If the oil gets too many crumbs in it, you may need to swap out the oil and change to fresh hot oil for each batch. (I did this amount in 3 batches in a 13 inch skillet). If you use quinoa flour you will need to replace the oil for each batch as the crumbs fall off more than the regular wheat flour and burn, so you will need to get read of them or strain the oil for the next batch and add more.
For the green bean casserole.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 5 minutes, until they’re vibrant green and slightly tender.
- Immediately transfer the beans to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain very well before using.
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Sprinkle flour evenly over the onion mixture and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
- Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, stirring to avoid lumps. Add milk and cream and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the blanched green beans with the cream sauce, stirring gently to coat all the beans.
- Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil, sprinkle the crispy onions evenly on top (add panko/parmesan if using), and bake uncovered for 5 more minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
Final Thoughts
This homemade green bean casserole recipe balances tradition with fresh ingredients and the best way to get that creamy mushroom sauce and tender green beans everyone loves. The crispy French-fried onions on top make all the difference, while thoughtful substitutions let you tailor it for your calorie diet or dietary preferences. With just a little prep and manageable bake time, it fits beautifully on any Thanksgiving dinner table and deserves to be a new favorite classic dish.
Give it a try next time you’re after a Thanksgiving classic that’s full of savory flavor with no cans of green beans or cream of mushroom soup required!
