How to Make Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans (and NO canned soup!)

Are you done with canned green beans and soup? Make this Green Bean Casserole with fresh green beans instead!

A house divided. On one side, you have my husband. He LOVES green bean casserole. It’s one of his favorite things to eat on Thanksgiving and he is a purist when it comes to the recipe. He likes it just like his Grandma used to make it with canned soup, canned green beans, and French’s crispy onions.

And then there’s me. I intentionally avoid most green bean casseroles. To be honest, I like most green bean recipes, but I avoid canned green beans in ANYTHING, let alone with canned cream of mushroom soup. It is NOT for me. You guys know this – I try to avoid processed products with preservatives as much as I can. Plus, canned green beans are just so… waxy?

BUT after a heated conversation about the subject one day, I realized I should just try to make my own version. I promised I wouldn’t even try to make it “healthier” – no non-dairy milk or vegan anything. And I’ll even keep the crispy onions! He’s gotta go for that, right?

Well… he refused to tell me it was on par with his grandma’s, but he still ate it! And I liked it, which we can’t really say for the OG recipe. So, without further ado…. here’s how to make green bean casserole with fresh green beans – and NO canned soup!

How to Make Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans

Ingredients

24 oz green beans, ends trimmed, and cut into bite sized pieces
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 oz white button mushrooms, stems removed, wiped clean and cut into small pieces (about 3 cups chopped)
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 cup half and half
Store bought crispy onions (measure with your heart!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and fill a large bowl with ice water.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 tsp salt. Once boiling, add green beans and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.
3. Drain the beans and add them to the ice bath.
4. Add butter to pot over medium heat. Once melted, add chopped mushrooms, chopped onion,  garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes.
5. Add minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Add flour and stir constantly, adding little bits of broth at at time.
7. Once the flour has dissolved, gradually stir in the rest of broth. Continue stirring.
8. Add half and half, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it reduce for about 10-15 minutes.
9. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
10. Add green beans to the sauce and stir until all of them are coated.
11. Add to a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.
12. Take out and top with crispy onions, then bake for another 5 minutes.
13. Serve immediately!

I’m on board now…

The key to this recipe for me, is the mushroom sauce. I may not understand love for the canned version, but I figured few things can rival mushrooms, onions, and garlic sautéed in butter, right? I can get on board with THAT. Especially since after the mushrooms, onion, and garlic cook, you whisk in some flour and broth to create a little rue… and then add half & half. See?! I told you I wasn’t going to try to make it too healthy! Even the purists can’t deny that this is still rich and indulgent and comforting.

And as I’ve been told, no green bean casserole is complete without crispy onions! I totally wanted to make my own crispy onion topping, but then I thought… baby steps. We’ll introduce this version first, and then see what else I can get away with 😉

Are you a fan of green bean casserole?

Do you make it with canned green beans/soup or do you make it from scratch? I love to hear everyone’s preferences and traditions – especially around the nostalgic holidays!

Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans (and NO canned soup!)

Yield: 6-8

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Print

Ingredients

• 24 oz green beans, ends trimmed, and cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 oz white button mushrooms, stems removed, wiped clean and cut into small pieces (about 3 cups chopped)
• ½ cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half
• Store bought crispy onions (this amount is up to you!)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and fill a large bowl with ice water.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 tbsp salt. Once boiling, add green beans and cook until tender, about 7 minutes.

3. Drain the beans and add them to the ice bath.

4. Add butter to pot over medium heat. Once melted, add chopped mushrooms, chopped onion, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes.

5. Add minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

6. Add flour and stir constantly, adding little bits of broth at at time.

7. Once the flour has dissolved, gradually stir in the rest of broth. Continue stirring.

8. Add half and half, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it reduce for about 10-15 minutes.

9. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.

10. Add green beans to the sauce and stir until all of them are coated.

11. Add to a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes.

12. Take out and top with crispy onions, then bake for another 5 minutes.

13. Serve immediately!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 174Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 1380mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 6g

Want to remember how to make green bean casserole with fresh green beans on Thanksgiving? Pin the image below!

PS. You might also like Crockpot Cranberry Apple Sauce, Bacon Wrapped Brussels Sprouts, and The Best Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms.