Joyful.

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

By Martis Guleryan Updated

In short: Blanch fresh green beans, fold them into a homemade cream of mushroom sauce, top with crispy fried shallots and bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes until bubbling. About 1 hour 10 minutes total; serves 8.

  • 1 hr 10 min
  • 8 servings
  • Medium
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Green bean casserole with creamy mushroom sauce and crispy fried shallots on top in a baking dish
Illustrative AI-generated photo.

Why you’ll love this recipe

The classic version relies on canned soup and canned beans, but this one tastes fresher with only a little more work. Crisp-tender green beans, a savory browned-mushroom sauce and freshly fried shallots make it the version people go back for.

  • No canned soup — a simple homemade mushroom cream sauce.
  • Make-ahead friendly — assemble it up to 2 days early.
  • Crunchy topping that stays crisp because most of it goes on at the end.

Blanching for bright, crisp beans

Blanching cooks the green beans just enough to remove the raw, squeaky texture while keeping them bright green. The ice bath right afterward stops the cooking, so the beans do not turn olive-colored and soft when they bake again in the sauce. Salt the water generously, cook 4–5 minutes and taste one. It should bend but still have some bite.

Ingredient substitutions

Instead ofYou can use
Fried shallots2 cups of store-bought French fried onions to save about 15 minutes.
Fresh green beansTwo 16-ounce bags of frozen cut green beans, thawed and patted dry. Skip the blanching.
Half-and-halfWhole milk for a lighter sauce, or heavy cream for a richer one.
A serving of homemade green bean casserole with mushrooms and crispy shallots on a holiday plate

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Prep
25 min
Cook
45 min
Total
1 hr 10 min

Ingredients

Servings
8 servings

Crispy shallots

Green beans

Mushroom sauce

Metric weights use ingredient-specific densities from King Arthur Baking — Ingredient Weight Chart. For baking, weighing is more accurate than cups.

Instructions

Tap a step number to mark it done.

  1. Step 1: Fry the shallots

    Toss the sliced shallots with the flour and salt. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until a shallot ring sizzles immediately. Fry in 2–3 batches for 3–5 minutes, stirring, until golden brown. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto paper towels.

    Tip: Shallots go from golden to burnt quickly. Pull them as soon as they are light amber; they keep darkening on the paper towels.

  2. Step 2: Blanch the beans

    Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Bring a large pot of water and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt to a boil. Cook the green beans 4–5 minutes, until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain and plunge into ice water, then drain again and pat dry.

  3. Step 3: Cook the mushrooms

    Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until their liquid evaporates and they brown. Add the garlic and nutmeg and cook 30 seconds.

  4. Step 4: Make the sauce

    Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir for 1 minute. Slowly pour in the broth, stirring constantly, then the half-and-half. Simmer 4–6 minutes until thick enough to coat a spoon. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for salt.

  5. Step 5: Assemble and bake

    Fold the green beans into the sauce, then spread in a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Top with about one-third of the crispy shallots. Bake 15 minutes, then add the remaining shallots and bake 5–10 minutes more, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

    Tip: Holding back most of the shallots until the end keeps them crunchy instead of soft.

Equipment

  • Large pot for blanching
  • 12-inch skillet
  • 9×13-inch or 3-quart baking dish
  • Small saucepan for frying the shallots

Tips for the best results

  • Make ahead: assemble the beans and sauce in the dish, cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Store the shallots airtight at room temperature. Bake 10 minutes longer from cold, until hot in the center.
  • Brown the mushrooms well before adding the flour. That browning gives the sauce its savory depth.
  • Dry the blanched beans thoroughly so they do not water down the sauce.

Storage, reheating and freezing

Refrigerator
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, covered, for 3–4 days.
Reheating
Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 15–20 minutes, or microwave portions, until it reaches 165°F (74°C). The topping will soften; add fresh shallots or fried onions if you have them.
Freezing
Not recommended. The cream sauce can separate and the green beans turn soft after thawing.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make green bean casserole the day before?

Yes. Assemble the beans and sauce, cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days, and keep the crispy shallots separate. Add them just before and during baking.

Why is my green bean casserole watery?

Usually the mushrooms were not cooked long enough to release their liquid, or the blanched beans were still wet. Brown the mushrooms until the pan is dry and pat the beans dry.

Can I bake the shallots instead of frying them?

You can bake floured, oiled shallot rings at 400°F (200°C) for 15–20 minutes, stirring often, but they will be less evenly crisp than fried.

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Written by Martis Guleryan

Martis Guleryan is the founder of Joyful Home Cooking and writes and edits the recipes and cooking guides on the site, with a focus on easy weeknight dinners, family-friendly baking and clear, practical steps.

Published , last updated . Read our editorial policy.

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