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Tara Noland

Fresh Green Bean Casserole Recipe

5 from 2 votes
Creamy, crispy, and made with fresh ingredients. This green bean casserole is a holiday must! Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any cozy family dinner.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Rest time 5 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 473
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients for the Casserole
  • 2.5 lbs fresh green beans after trimming
  • 11 oz mushrooms sliced
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter + 1 Tbsp. for mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup + 2 tsp all-purpose flour use less for thinner sauce
  • 4.5 cups whole milk warmed
  • 2 tsp freshly ground whole nutmeg can substitute for 2 tsp ground
  • 2 tsp fresh sage or thyme finely chopped. You can substitute with an equal amount of dried.
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese + more for garnish
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
Homemade Topping (alternatively you can use store-bought fried onions)
  • 8 medium shallots thinly sliced to 1/8 in and fried in a light coating of vegetable oil
  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 3 cups sourdough breadcrumbs about 4 slices. I use my own homemade breadcrumbs by leaving sourdough slices out overnight, then processing in a food processor until crumbly. But you can substitute for Panko or whatever breadcrumbs you have on hand if you don’t care to make them.
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter

Equipment

Method
 

  1. Before you begin: Preheat oven to 350F/177C and lightly coat a 9”x13” casserole dish with a thin veil of butter, vegetable oil or cooking spray.
  2. Blanch green beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add washed and trimmed green beans. Cut beans in half if they are too long. Blanch in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Immediately remove from heat, drain and toss into an ice water bath until cold. This stops the cooking process, leaving a bit of crunch to the green beans.
  3. Make the sauce: While the green beans are chilling, make your sauce. Melt the 1/2 cup of butter over low heat in a large skillet or saucepan. Slowly whisk in flour, a little at a time, whisking constantly for about 2 minutes to ensure the sauce remains lump-free. Slowly whisk in warm milk until smooth. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened. Add Parmesan, nutmeg, sage (or thyme) and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until cheese is melted and all ingredients are well-incorporated. Remove from heat. Cover and set aside.
  4. Crisp the shallots: Heat a little oil in a skillet and fry shallots until golden and crispy. Using a spatula, set on paper towels to remove excess oil. Sauté the mushrooms in a 1 Tbsp. of butter and set aside.
  5. Make your topping: Add breadcrumbs, fried shallots, slivered almonds, minced garlic and 5 tbsp melted butter to a bowl. Stir until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
  6. Assemble casserole: Add green beans and mushrooms to the sauce in the skillet and toss to fully coat. Alternatively, you can add the vegetables to the casserole dish and pour the sauce over them, then toss within the casserole dish. Leave off the topping to begin with.
  7. Bake uncovered: in preheated oven for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, remove and add a layer of topping over the casserole. Stick back in the oven for 5 more minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then serve with your favorite main dish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 15gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 332mgPotassium: 729mgFiber: 7gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 1440IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 313mgIron: 4mg

Notes

See the post for more information, photos and tips. 

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