Green Bean Casserole

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to make this from-scratch green bean casserole recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredient amounts.

for the green beans, bacon & homemade gravy

• Green beans – Fresh green beans give this dish fabulous flavor and texture. You can use more green beans, up to 2 pounds of green beans, if you want.
• Bacon – Make sure to save a little bacon fat after you fry the bacon. You’ll use it to make the gravy.
• Butter – This gives rich flavor and texture to the gravy. I use unsalted butter.
• Mushrooms – Fresh mushrooms are a wonderful sub-in for the little mushroom pieces in canned cream of mushroom soup! You can use button or cremini mushrooms.
• Shallots – These offer earthy onion-garlic flavor.
• Garlic – For delicious earthy pungency.
• Flour – All-purpose flour helps to thicken the gravy.
• Chicken stock – I use low-sodium chicken broth so I can control the salt.
• Half & half – This ensures that the gravy is perfectly creamy, with a beautiful amount of richness.
• Soy sauce – This is my secret weapon for adding savory flavor to many dishes, especially gravies.
• Worcestershire sauce – The tangy, savory flavor adds bright depth to the gravy.
• Parmesan cheese – This salty cheese adds another layer of deliciousness that we all love.
• Fresh herbs – I use a combination of chopped fresh rosemary and thyme, which is beautiful in gravy. Substitute dried herbs if needed, at half the amount.
• Salt & pepper – Simple seasonings to bring it altogether.

Do I Have To Use Fresh Green Beans?

You don’t have to use fresh green beans for this homemade green bean casserole, but fresh really is best. The next best option is frozen green beans. You don’t need to defrost them before cooking, which is a plus. I don’t advise using canned green beans in this casserole…it kinda defeats the purpose of making a fresh green bean casserole, don’t you think?!😎

Tips & Variations

Pay special attention to the first tip. I’ve also included some variation suggestions below:

• Use an ice water bath. The best way to make sure green beans reach the perfect tender-crisp texture is to boil them quickly, then immediately “shock them” in a bowl of ice water. This prevents them from cooking further even after they are removed from the boiling water. This is an important step because the beans will cook more in the oven, so you don’t want to start out with too-soft green beans.
• Don’t over-fry the shallots. You’ll want to fry the shallots until they’re just golden brown and lightly crispy. Take care to not let them get too dark, as they will also bake for a bit in the oven on top of the casserole.
• Shallots swap: If you don’t have shallots, you can try leeks or yellow onion. If you use onion, make sure to slice it thinly and separate the slices before frying them. If you use leeks, slice the leeks thinly and wash them well to remove any dirt. Or you could just use canned fried onions, like the canned green bean casseroles call for.
• Make it vegetarian. Easily make this casserole suitable for vegetarian guests by omitting the bacon.
• Go gluten-free. If you have any gluten-free guests at the holiday table, substitute an equal amount of gluten-free flour for the all purpose flour.
• Add a little heat. For a spicy kick to green bean casserole, stir in ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes or cayenne.

Serving Suggestions

This homemade green bean casserole is perfect for the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter tables. But, you don’t need to save it for holidays. It’s wonderful all throughout the winter months or any time you want a comforting yet fresh side dish. Here are a few ways you can serve it:

• With other Thanksgiving dishes. Some of our favorites include creamy buttermilk mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, and grilled turkey tenderloin.
• Meat mains. Serve green bean casserole with other main dishes like roast beef, stuffed pork chops, a whole grilled chicken, or mustard pork loin roast.
• Fall & winter salads. My fresh and crunchy cranberry coleslaw or winter apple salad with its delightful lemon poppy seed dressing is always welcome. Also try my holiday wild rice salad and my mom’s broccoli salad!
• Other vegetable side dishes. Serve green bean casserole with other vegetable dishes like sweet candied carrots, rich parsnip puree, cheesy skillet scalloped corn, or simple roasted asparagus.

Make Ahead & Storage

Here’s how you can prep this casserole ahead of time, and how to store it after it’s baked.

• Make Ahead – To prepare this casserole (mostly) ahead of time, make and store each component separately, up to 2 days in advance:
  • Fry the bacon, then chop it, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Fry the shallots, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
  • Prepare the casserole all the way through placing it in a baking dish. Do not add the bacon and fried shallots to the top. Cover the dish tightly and refrigerate.
  • To bake the casserole, remove the casserole, bacon, and fried shallots from refrigerator 30 minutes ahead of time. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place foil tightly over the baking dish and bake it for 30 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the center is hot and edges are starting to bubble. Top the casserole with the pre-made bacon and fried shallots, then bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the casserole edges are bubbling. If you wish to crisp-up the shallots, place the casserole under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to finish.
• Storing leftovers – Transfer leftover cooled green bean casserole to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheating leftovers – Warm the casserole in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave in 30-second increments until hot. Or, place the casserole in an oven-safe dish and warm it in the oven at 350°F until heated through.