Fresh Green Bean Casserole (No Soup)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Fresh Green Bean Casserole (No Soup) is made with crisp-tender fresh green beans, sautéed mushrooms, and a creamy homemade sauce topped with panko and crispy fried onions. The green beans are blanched before baking, which helps them keep their texture while the homemade mushroom sauce becomes bubbly and rich in the oven. Ready in about 40 minutes, this fresh green bean casserole is a flavorful side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any holiday meal.
If you love this recipe, you should try my Roasted Green Beans and Green Beans and Potatoes.
Quick Look: Fresh Green Bean Casserole (No Soup)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Servings: 10
- Dietary Info: Vegetarian when made with vegetable broth
- Method: Stovetop + oven
- Technique: Blanch the fresh green beans, cool them in an ice bath to stop the cooking, prepare the mushroom cream sauce, combine the beans and sauce, then bake with panko and crispy fried onions.
- Flavor/Texture: Creamy, savory, crisp-tender, crunchy on top
A Fresh Take on a Holiday Classic
This classic green bean casserole, made with fresh green beans, is prepared from scratch (except for the crispy fried onions). You won’t find canned cream of mushroom soup or mushy green beans in this recipe.
The homemade mushroom sauce tastes so much better, and it’s healthier. In my humble opinion, it’s the most delicious fresh green bean casserole recipe!
It’s ready to be the star side of your Thanksgiving table or any holiday throughout the year. You will also love these Sautéed Frozen Green Beans.
Made With Amore,
“Yum! This was easy, very flavorful and so much better than the casserole with condensed soup. It’s so good I do t want to wait until next Thanksgiving to make it again!”
– Christine
Table of Contents
- Quick Look: Fresh Green Bean Casserole (No Soup)
- A Fresh Take on a Holiday Classic
- Simple Ingredients
- Variations & Substitutions
- How to Make Green Bean Casserole
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe Tips
- More Vegetable Casserole Side Dishes
- Green Bean Casserole Recipe Using Fresh Green Beans (From Scratch)
Simple Ingredients
Fresh green beans, sautéed mushrooms, and a homemade cream sauce create the flavorful base, while panko and crispy fried onions add a crunchy topping.
- Fresh Green Beans: Blanching keeps the beans crisp-tender before they finish cooking in the casserole.
- Mushrooms: Sautéed mushrooms add savory flavor and hearty texture to the homemade sauce.
- Onion and Garlic: Build the aromatic base of the mushroom sauce.
- Half-and-Half: Creates the creamy sauce that coats the green beans.
- Panko and French Fried Onions: Create the golden topping.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Broth: Use Chicken Broth or vegetable broth depending on your preference.
- Topping: Use additional panko in place of some of the fried onions, or add extra fried onions for a crunchier topping. Try my Crispy Baked Cod with Panko Recipe!
- Mushrooms: Use your favorite fresh mushrooms, such as cremini or white button mushrooms.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
This fresh green bean casserole starts with blanched green beans and a homemade mushroom sauce, then bakes until creamy and golden with a crispy topping. Follow the step-by-step photos and see the recipe card at the bottom for a printable version.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the chopped onions and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they start to become translucent.
- Add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms have released their moisture and are slightly browned. Season the mushroom mixture with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the half-and-half while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cook until the sauce thickens, continuing to stir. Add in the broth and simmer, stirring a few times for another 5 minutes until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
- Blanch the fresh green beans in a pot of salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes until they are bright green and slightly tender. Drain and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.
- Add the blanched green beans to the skillet with the mushroom sauce.
- Gently stir to coat the green beans evenly with the sauce.
- Transfer the green bean and mushroom mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the panko and fried onion topping evenly over the green beans.
- Place the casserole in the preheated oven to bake for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving along with all your other favorite Thanksgiving Recipes, like Roast Chicken and Homemade Cornbread.
Fresh Green Bean Casserole Recipe FAQs
Fresh green beans are recommended for this recipe because they provide the crisp-tender texture that makes this casserole distinctive. If substituting another type of green bean, the cooking time and final texture may vary.
Cook the mushrooms and vegetables as directed so excess moisture cooks off before making the sauce. The casserole should also bake until the sauce is bubbling and the topping is golden.
Blanching partially cooks the green beans before they go into the casserole. Cooling them in an ice bath stops the cooking so they can finish in the oven without becoming overly soft.
To make-ahead, assemble, cover, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. For the best texture, add the crispy topping just before baking so the panko and fried onions stay crunchy.
Store leftover green bean casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the oven until warmed through to help the topping stay crisp. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). If you’re reheating the whole casserole, remove any plastic wrap or foil first, cover it loosely, and bake for about 20–30 minutes, until it’s heated through. To restore that golden crunch on top, uncover it during the last 10 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
I love serving this fresh green bean casserole alongside other classic holiday dishes, especially mains like a Small Prime Rib and Roasted Turkey Tenderloin, accompanied by sides including Mashed Potatoes, Honey Glazed Carrots, or Candied Sweet Potatoes.
My Pro Tips
Recipe Tips
- Blanch the green beans just until slightly tender so they retain some texture while they finish cooking in the oven.
- Use an ice bath after blanching to stop the cooking and help keep the green beans from becoming too soft.
- Cook the mushrooms until tender before adding them to the sauce so their savory flavor develops and excess moisture cooks off.
- Make sure the sauce thickens before assembling so it coats the green beans instead of becoming watery in the casserole.
- Add the crispy topping before baking so the panko and fried onions become golden and crunchy in the oven.
More Vegetable Casserole Side Dishes
💙 MADE THIS RECIPE AND LOVED IT? 💙 Please leave a ⭐️STAR rating and COMMENT below- I love connecting with you! Tag me with your creations on Instagram and find me on Pinterest.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and I'll send it straight to your inbox.
Green Bean Casserole Recipe Using Fresh Green Beans (From Scratch)
Ingredients
For the Casserole:
- 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut in half
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half and half, or use a combination of half milk and half heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Topping:
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup French fried onions
Instructions
- Blanch the Green Beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fresh green beans and blanch for 2-3 minutes until they are bright green and slightly tender. Drain and immediately plunge them into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain again and set aside.Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Prepare the Mushroom Sauce: In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook for about 3-4 minutes until they start to become translucent. Add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms to the skillet. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms have released their moisture and are slightly browned. Season the mushroom mixture with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Make the Creamy Sauce: Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture. Stir well to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes. Slowly pour in the half and half (or milk and cream mixture) while whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the chicken or vegetable broth and simmer, stir a few times, for another 5 minutes until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the Sauce and Green Beans: Add the blanched green beans to the skillet with the mushroom sauce. Gently stir to coat the green beans evenly with the sauce.
- Assemble and Bake: Transfer the green bean and mushroom mixture to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the panko and fried onion topping evenly over the green beans.
- Bake: Place the casserole in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown and the casserole is bubbling.
- Serve: Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Enjoy your homemade green bean casserole!
Notes
- Blanch the green beans just until slightly tender so they retain some texture while they finish cooking in the oven.
- Use an ice bath after blanching to stop the cooking and help keep the green beans from becoming too soft.
- Cook the mushrooms until tender before adding them to the sauce so their savory flavor develops and excess moisture cooks off.
- Make sure the sauce thickens before assembling so it coats the green beans instead of becoming watery in the casserole.
- Add the crispy topping before baking so the panko and fried onions become golden and crunchy in the oven.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was my second year making this for Thanksgiving. Absolutely delicious! Everyone loved it!
The base for this is SO good!
I am allergic to corn & corn byproducts. It’s been years since I’ve had green bean casserole! I did modify it though. I used canned beans vs fresh, chopped up the mushrooms, Kinder fried onions vs Frenchs, and left out the panko, mainly because I forgot about it. So good, thank you for sharing!
Yay! SO happy you loved this classic. It is all better homemade! Here’s to many more delicious recipes.
I’m sold! I will never use canned soup again for green bean casserole.
Yay! Mission accomplished! I am so happy you loved this delicious recipe!
Yum! This was easy, very flavorful and so much better than the casserole with condensed soup. It’s so good I do t want to wait until next Thanksgiving to make it again!
I agree! It is just so much better homemade!
My favorite green bean casserole recipe!