Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
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Green Bean Casserole From Scratch is the classic Thanksgiving side dish made with fresh green beans and an outstanding, easy-to-make mushroom sauce that will make your guests swoon! Best of all, you can prepare it all days in advance!
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For The Green Beans
- 2 lbs green beans
- Kosher salt freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup roughly chopped shallots (3 -4 shallots)
- 12 ounces mushrooms, such as cremini, or a mix of cremini and shiitake, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme (optional)
- 1/4 cup dry sherry (optional)
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups half and half (see notes below)
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 cups canned crispy fried onions such as French's
Instructions
- If baking the casserole immediately: Preheat oven to 400°F. See notes below if making ahead.
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Next, prepare an ice bath; fill a large bowl with cold water and add at least 2 cups of ice (3-4 cups is best)
- Add 2 tablespoons of salt to the pot of boiling water, followed by the green beans. Boil beans until crisp-tender, about 4-5 minutes (timing starts when beans go in the water). Drain in a colander and immediately transfer to ice water to cool completely. Once cooled, drain again and lay out on a kitchen towel to dry.
- Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and have started to brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in garlic and thyme and cook for 1 more minute. Add sherry, if using, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the butter and as soon as butter melts sprinkle the flour all over the mushrooms. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until flour looks pasty, about 1 minute. Add in the broth, then gradually whisk in half and half. Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with a pinch more salt and a few cracks of black pepper. Remove from heat.
- Place dried green beans in a 9x13 (or similar) casserole dish and pour mushroom cream sauce all over it. Toss the beans gently to combine with sauce.
- Top the casserole with the crispy onions and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and the onions have turned a little darker. If onions are turning too dark, loosely cover casserole with foil. Serve immediately.
Notes
Half and half: To make the mushroom sauce, I like to use half and half which is really creamy but not as rich and thick as heavy cream. You can use all whole milk, or 1 1/2 cup heavy + 1 1/2 cup broth, if you wish.
To make this casserole in advance you can prepare the components ahead and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Here's what to do: Wrap the blanched and dried beans in paper towels and place in an airtight container or ziplock bag. Cool the mushroom sauce and store in a separate airtight container. When ready to serve, combine beans and mushroom sauce in casserole dish, and heat in a preheated 425-degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, top with crispy onions and bake as directed. Alternatively, combine the beans and mushroom sauce in baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking. Heat in a preheated 425-degree oven for 10 minutes. Top with crispy onions and bake as directed. *Once you add onion topping, reduce oven temperature to 400ºF as per recipe.
Leftovers: Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container (or cover the entire casserole dish with storage wrap). Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days, then reheat on the stovetop or a 400ºF oven until warmed through.