Fresh green bean casserole from scratch is packed with fresh green beans, garlic, and creamy sauce, then topped with fried onions! This dish is so much more flavorful than anything you could whip up using canned ingredients. In fact, it makes a perfect addition to any of your holiday menus!
Homemade Green Bean Casserole With Fresh Green Beans
Green bean casserole is a classic Thanksgiving side dish! There are tons of different recipes and varieties floating around the internet, but nothing tastes better than when you use fresh ingredients!
Preparing your green bean casserole using fresh green beans is completely worth the extra couple of minutes. You'll never go back to using canned green beans again!
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Whether you're a pro at hosting Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties or giving it a try for the first time this year, you're sure to find my ultimate guide to planning Thanksgiving a help! Don't forget to safely thaw your holiday turkey early, too!
🥘 Fresh Green Bean Casserole Ingredients
Bacon is completely optional, but highly recommended as it adds a savory and delicious component! You can never have too much bacon!
- Fresh Green Beans - 2 pounds of fresh green beans. You can prepare them by rinsing, trimming, and then cutting them in half.
- Butter - 2 tablespoons of butter for making the sauce.
- Garlic - 2 teaspoons of minced garlic. This is the same as about 2 cloves of garlic.
- Flour - 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour to thicken up the sauce.
- Broth - 1 cup of chicken broth.
- Salt - 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Pepper - ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper.
- Heavy Cream - 1 cup of heavy cream. I love how much richness this adds to the dish, but you can use half & half if you prefer.
- Panko Breadcrumbs - ½ cup of Panko breadcrumbs for the crunchy topping.
- Fried Onions - 6 ounces of fried onions for the topping.
- Bacon (optional) - 4 strips of bacon that have been cooked and crumbled. This is a tasty addition to your fried onion topping!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Fresh Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
The secret to this recipe is dunking the cooked green beans into ice water to keep them fresh and crisp! All you need to get started is a casserole dish, a large pot, and a saucepan!
This tasty Thanksgiving side dish will make about 8 servings.
- Preheat. To get started, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Boil the green beans. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and then add in the 2 pounds of trimmed green beans, boiling them for 5 minutes.
- Drain. Next, drain your green beans and immediately put them into a bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process so that they do not turn mushy. Drain them and then pour them into the prepared baking dish.
- Melt butter. In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add in the 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add flour. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons of flour until it is smooth, cooking for an additional minute while constantly stirring.
- Add broth. Slowly pour in the 1 cup of chicken broth and cook for 3 more minutes, while continuing to stir.
- Thicken sauce. Add in the 1 cup of heavy cream and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently while the sauce thickens. Then add in the 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
- Sprinkle on the topping. Once thickened, pour the sauce over the green beans and sprinkle with ½ cup of breadcrumbs, 6 ounces of fried onions, and the optional 4 strips of crumbled bacon.
- Bake. Bake in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes. If the onion topping is browning too quickly, place some aluminum foil over top.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
This is a fantastic side dish to go alongside any of your holiday favorites! Pair it with some smoked turkey and yellow mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Feel free to add some crumbled bacon to your topping mix for some extra savory and tasty flavor!
- I strongly recommend using the ice bath and not skipping this step! It is the key to having fresh and crisp green beans that aren't mushy!
- To make in advance: Prepare the recipe as directed up until the point of adding the topping, since it will get soggy. Cover the dish and store it in the fridge. When ready to finish, add the topping and bake as directed.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
This casserole can be frozen as well! Prepare your casserole as directed leaving off the topping and stopping before baking. Cover and freeze the casserole until you are ready to bake it. Go ahead and put it in the oven while frozen (no need to thaw), but don't add the onion topping until it has already baked for about 20 minutes.
Reheating Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Reheat your casserole in the oven until heated to your liking. You can also use the microwave for smaller portions.
❓ Recipe FAQs
The best way to prevent your green bean casserole from getting mushy is by putting your cooked green beans immediately into an ice bath. This stops the cooking process so that the green beans stay crisp rather than become mushy.
Yes! This is a great make-ahead Thanksgiving side dish. Simply assemble the casserole, minus the topping. Wrap the dish and store it in the fridge. When ready, add the topping and bake as directed.
If you are making this casserole ahead of time, it can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 days at most. Any longer, and it should be wrapped and stored in the freezer.
🦃 More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
- Candied Yams - This classic treat is so sweet that it is hard to decide if it is a side dish or a dessert!
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Make sure to make a double batch of these potatoes because they will vanish quickly!
- Honey Glazed Carrots - This sweet and simple vegetable side dish is even picky eater approved!
- Honey Roasted Acorn Squash - Acorn squash is easy to make, extremely versatile, and incredibly delicious!
- Cornbread Stuffing - Add a twist to your stuffing by making it with cornbread!
- Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes - This easy sweet potato side dish pairs well with virtually any entree!
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📖 Recipe Card
Fresh Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh green beans (rinsed, trimmed, and cut in half)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 teaspoon garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half & half)
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 6 oz fried onions
- 4 strips bacon (optional, cooked & crumbled)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- To get started, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and then add in the green beans, boiling them for 5 minutes.
- Next, drain your green beans and immediately put them into a bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process so that they do not turn mushy. Drain them and then pour them into the prepared baking dish.
- In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Whisk in the flour until it is smooth, cooking for an additional minute while constantly stirring.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth and cook for 3 more minutes, while continuing to stir.
- Add in the heavy cream and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently while the sauce thickens. Then add in the salt and pepper.
- Once thickened, pour the sauce over the green beans and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs, fried onions, and the optional crumbled bacon.
- Bake in the oven at 375°F (190°C) for 20-25 minutes. If the onion topping is browning too quickly, place some aluminum foil over top.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Feel free to add some crumbled bacon to your topping mix for some extra savory and tasty flavor!
- I strongly recommend using the ice bath and not skipping this step! It is the key to having fresh and crisp green beans that aren't mushy!
- To make in advance: Prepare the recipe as directed up until the point of adding the topping, since it will get soggy. Cover the dish and store it in the fridge. When ready to finish, add the topping and bake as directed.
- To store: Keep any leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: Prepare your casserole as directed leaving off the topping and stopping before baking. Cover and freeze the casserole until you are ready to bake it. Go ahead and put it in the oven while frozen (no need to thaw), but don't add the onion topping until it has already baked for about 20 minutes.
- To reheat: Reheat your casserole in the oven until heated to your liking. You can also use the microwave for smaller portions.
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