Green bean casserole belongs on the holiday table, and this one keeps it classic, no canned soup needed. My mother-in-law worked wonders with a whisk, butter, and onions, and this from-scratch sauce follows her lead. It’s rich, creamy, and comforting, with tender canned green beans and crispy fried onions on top.
Why We Love This Green Bean Casserole
- Extra Creamy – This green bean casserole just feels a little extra special. That homemade sauce makes everything rich and creamy, I bet you’ll even get compliments!
- Make It Ahead Of Time – Prep this recipe the night before, which saves you a ton of time and stress when prepping all your Thanksgiving recipes.
- Bring It To Share – Anything in a casserole dish travels pretty well, so it’s great for sharing with family and friends.
- Grandma’s Recipe – My mother-in-law worked wonders with a whisk and butter. This is the casserole she served the first Thanksgiving I spent with her family. Mine stays true to her creamy, from-scratch style, and I also made a fresh green bean casserole with bacon version that I think she would approve of!
Ingredients For Green Bean Casserole
- canned cut green beans – drained
- salted butter
- white onion, diced
- minced garlic – you can also use fresh garlic if you prefer, or a teaspoon of garlic powder
- all-purpose flour
- chicken broth – I prefer low sodium broth, but you can use regular chicken broth too
- milk
- heavy cream
- seasoned salt
- salt
- black pepper
- crispy fried onions
How To Make Green Bean Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish lightly with spray cooking oil. Drain green beans and add to the pan.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt. Reduce the heat to medium low heat, then add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often until softened and slightly browned.
- Sprinkle flour over onion, stir and cook for one minute. This keeps the sauce from tasting like flour.
- Add chicken broth slowly, whisking as you add it to keep the sauce smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until the mixture is creamy and thick, like homemade cream soup. Add seasoned salt, salt and pepper to the pot and blend with a whisk.
- Bump the heat up to medium and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2-4 minutes or until the sauce is the thickness of a cream soup.
- Pour the sauce over the green beans in the casserole dish, spreading in a thick even layer over the green beans. You can cover with aluminum foil and place the pan in the refrigerator if making this ahead of time or bake it immediately.
- When ready to bake, top the casserole with the crispy fried onions. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25-35 minutes or until warm and gooey all the way through. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes to help crisp the onions. Then serve and enjoy!
Green Bean Casserole FAQ
Yes! Add frozen beans straight to the casserole without thawing. The texture will be slightly firmer than canned. I recommend baking for 10-15 minutes of the time uncovered to keep the sauce from being watery from the frozen green beans.
Yes! Use a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for a vegetarian version
Green Bean Casserole Variation Ideas
Try Tater Tots On Top – A little less traditional, but kids and adults both love when you skip the crispy onions and use tater tots instead! (they also get excited just like my taco tater tot casserole or tater to breakfast casserole.) To get the tater tots extra crispy, bump the oven up to 375 degrees for the last five minutes and place the casserole on the top shelf. You don’t want to use the broiler, as a Pyrex glass pan is unsafe to use at temperatures over 400 degrees.
Try Ritz Crackers – Buttery crackers like Ritz make a great alternative topping. Crush them and mix with a little melted butter before sprinkling on top.
Try Adding Mushrooms – Sliced mushrooms can add a lot of flavor, if they are your thing.
Add Cheese – I have seen more than one family have the tradition of adding either Velveeta cheese or shredded cheddar cheese to their casserole. I tasted this at a friend’s house, and I have to say they are on to something! I’d mix it in with the soup and green beans, start with between 1 – 1 1/2 cups of cheese.
Dice Up Bacon – I actually made a version of this green bean casserole with fresh green beans and bacon. It makes a really rich casserole, which we love.
How Long Will Green Bean Casserole Last?
Expect that this green bean casserole will last for about 4-5 days if stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.
I usually store the casserole right in the pan and just cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Usually when we’ve eaten at least half of the casserole, I’ll move the rest to a more airtight container, so it keeps fresher.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole
This from-scratch green bean casserole skips the canned soup and uses a simple homemade sauce with canned green beans and crispy onions, just like Grandma used to make.
Prevent your screen from going dark
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish lightly with spray cooking oil. Drain green beans and add to the pan.
58 ounces cut green beans
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In a medium pot over medium heat, add the butter and let it melt. Reduce the heat to medium low heat, then add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often until softened and slightly browned.
6 tablespoons salted butter, ½ large white onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
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Sprinkle flour over onion, stir and cook for one minute. This keeps the sauce from tasting like flour.
½ cup all-purpose flour
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Add chicken broth slowly, whisking as you add it to keep the sauce smooth. Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until the mixture is creamy and thick, like homemade cream soup. Add seasoned salt, salt and pepper to the pot and blend with a whisk.
1 cup chicken broth, 1 ½ cups milk, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ teaspoon seasoned salt, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
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Bump the heat up to medium and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2-4 minutes or until the sauce is the thickness of a cream soup.
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Pour the sauce over the green beans in the casserole dish, spreading in a thick even layer over the green beans. You can cover with aluminum foil and place the pan in the refrigerator if making this ahead of time or bake it immediately.
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When ready to bake, top the casserole with the crispy fried onions. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25-35 minutes or until warm and gooey all the way through. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes to help crisp the onions. Then serve and enjoy!
6 ounces crispy fried onions
If the pan has been chilling in the refrigerator it may take an extra 5-10 minutes to heat the casserole all the way through. Plan on the casserole being in the oven for a few extra minutes potentially if you are opening and closing the oven a lot due to cooking multiple dishes, like we often do at Thanksgiving!
Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 379mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1297IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 2mg
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
