This easy green bean casserole recipe made from scratch with homemade fried onions is a delicious take on the classic Thanksgiving side dish. This is the must-have recipe for the holidays, or really any time of year.
This recipe is something I’ve been thinking about for a while: how can I make it taste just like the green bean casserole we are all so familiar with but with wholesome ingredients?
I think I cracked it. Green bean casserole has been a family favorite for a long time and this scratch version is so delicious.
This classic holiday side dish is pure comfort food that the whole family will love. From the tender green beans in a creamy sauce to the golden brown, crispy fried onions, it is just so good. Serve it at your Thanksgiving table with additional tasty side dishes like whole cranberry sauce, sourdough stuffing, sweet potato casserole, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. It’s sure to be a huge hit at your holiday table.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Wholesome ingredients – This homemade green bean casserole is so good because it doesn’t have processed ingredients like cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, or french-fried onions. Everything is made with simple whole ingredients without all of the questionable additives. It is a healthy take on the not-so-healthy, classic version.
Simple and easy – This is the best green bean casserole recipe, and is one of my favorite recipes to make from scratch. Boil some green beans, fry up some onions, and throw together a creamy mushroom sauce. Then bake it all together for the tastiest dish to add to your Thanksgiving menu. The hardest part of making this dish, is refraining from snacking on all of the delicious fried onions!
Perfect side dish – Not only is this casserole dish perfect to add to your lineup of thanksgiving side dishes, it is great for any other night of the week. Pair it with a perfect roasted chicken and a salad with homemade kefir ranch dressing for a simple weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Flour – All purpose flour is used in this recipe, but I also like to use einkorn flour in its place for the added nutrients.
Chicken Broth – Chicken broth works great in this recipe but you can also opt to make your own homemade bone broth to add more nutrients. We always like to keep some of this liquid gold on hand!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make This Easy Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Boil some fresh green beans for 5 minutes and then drain and place in a prepared baking dish.
Step 2: Thinly slice onions. The thinner you slice them the crispier they get.
Step 3: Preheat a cast iron skillet and add neutral oil once heated.
Step 4: To a bowl add flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and fresh ground pepper. Mix together well.
Step 5: Place sliced onion into flour mixture and toss until well coated.
Step 6: Shake off any excess flour and place into hot oil. Toss with tongs until golden brown on all sides. This takes about one minute. Set aside.
Step 7: To make the sauce, heat up a cast iron skillet and add butter. Slice up mushrooms and sauté with butter in the pan.
Step 8: Sprinkle in flour and mix until there are no dry spots.
Step 9: Pour in broth and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Step 10: Add salt and heavy cream; whisk until the mixture thickens.
Step 11: Pour the sauce over the green beans and mix.
Step 12: Top with fried onions. Bake for 15 minutes.
Tips
- Slice the onions really thin, so you end up with extra crispy onions when you fry them.
- Don’t add the onions until the oil is nice and hot. I like to do one test onion to make sure before starting the cooking process.
- If you don’t have coconut oil to fry the onions, you can easily substitute it with avocado oil. I would not use olive oil because it has a much lower smoke point, and the temperature of the oil needs to be pretty hot to fry.
- Chicken broth is my go-to. Turkey broth would also work. I’ve also used beef broth, or even water with great success. You may just need to adjust the amount salt.
Recipe FAQs
This creamy green bean casserole uses a whole onion sliced up and fried, which is a great substitute for the packaged French fried onions usually used in green bean casserole recipes.
Fresh green beans are best in this classic recipe. Frozen could also be used, although it may alter the texture a bit.
If prepping your sides ahead, make the green beans and cream sauce. Allow both to cool completely. Cover the green beans in the cream sauce in your baking dish. Cover the green bean casserole well and place in the fridge up to three days. Freeze for up to two weeks.
To reheat after frozen, allow to thaw overnight in the fridge, then remove cover the next day and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until hot and bubbling. While it is baking, make the fried onions. Top the casserole with the fried onions and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes. This is a great recipe to be able to prepare slightly in advance for Thanksgiving dinner.
You can store leftover green bean casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple days. However, the best way to enjoy it is right away, as the onions will start to lose their crisp texture when stored.
More Delicious Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Creamy Carrot Ginger Soup
- 40 Classic Thanksgiving Recipes
- Pumpkin Deviled Eggs Recipe
- Whole Wheat Tortillas
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe (Easy!)
Ingredients
Green Beans And Cream Sauce:
- 1 pound green beans
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
Fried Onions:
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- fresh ground pepper
- 1 large onion, sliced thin
- neutral oil, About 1/2 inch in the skillet
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Boil some fresh green beans for 5 minutes and then drain and set aside.
- While the green beans are cooking, make the fried onions.
Make The Fried Onions:
- Preheat a cast iron skillet.
- Thinly slice onions. The thinner you slice them the crispier they get.
- Add oil to cast iron skillet.
- To a bowl add flour, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and fresh ground pepper. Mix together well.
- Place sliced onion into flour mixture and toss until well coated.
- Shake off any excess flour and place into hot oil. Toss with tongs until brown on all sides. This takes about one minute.
- Set aside.
Make The Cream Sauce:
- Heat up cast iron skillet and add butter.
- Slice up some mushrooms and add to skillet.
- Saute the butter and mushrooms together.
- Sprinkle in flour and mix.
- Pour in broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add salt and heavy cream; whisk until the mixture thickens.
Put Together And Bake
- Pour the sauce over the green beans and top with fried onions.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
Notes
- Please double-check amounts when using the multiplying feature in the recipe card.
- Slice the onions really thin, so they get extra crispy when you fry them.
- Don’t add the onions until the oil is nice and hot. I like to do one test onion to make sure.
- I prefer to use coconut oil to fry the onions, but you can easily substitute it with avocado oil. I would not use olive oil because it has a much lower smoke point, and the temperature of the oil needs to be pretty hot to fry.
- Chicken broth is my go-to. Turkey broth would also work. I’ve also used beef broth, or even water with great success. You may just need to adjust the amount salt.
- Making homemade bone broth is also a good substitute for the chicken broth and adds more nutrients to the dish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Never been a huge green bean casserole fan. This recipe is delicious. Everyone said they have never enjoyed green bean casserole so much.
This recipe was soooooo good. I made it today for Thanksgiving and everyone was impressed that it used all fresh ingredients. The onions were especially a big hit. I used a mandolin slicer to get them suuuuuuper thin and fried in avocado oil. My mom and fiance both said they could eat a bag of just the fried onions alone.
Green bean casserole has always been one of my favorite side dishes so I’m very happy to have a more wholesome version.
I have been making this recipe for 5 years now, and it is always a hit. My husband who spent years raving about his mother’s green beans whispered to me last thanksgiving when he had them side buy side that these were definitely his favorite. They are so easy and I promise so much better than the canned mush you may have grown up with.
This recipe looks so delicious
I’m wondering if you would consider including metric measurements in your recipes; so those of us across the pond might be able to follow your recipes with less hindrance
I so love your blog and your videos but was thinking of unsubscribing just because it’s such a faff trying to convert everything all of the time
Either way, your content is really great & I have so much gratitude that you helped me start my sourdough journey
Yes, thank you! I will look into that.
Hi Lisa,
Love love love this recipe. My sister-in-law brings the traditional soup out of a can version every year and I just won’t touch it because of how unhealthy it is and I loved it as a kid, but now I can make this for myself to have, without my sister-in-law knowing of course. I made it the day before Thanksgiving this year to have for our Wednesday night dinner and my family said that they would totally want to replace it and that it was the best. They didn’t think a healthy version could be good at all. Of course I won’t replace my sister-in-law’s, but can make it other times through the year for my family. Thanks so much for your recipe.
What a compliment! Thank you so much. I’m so glad everyone enjoys it!
I have made this recipe 3 times before and this year I’m making the base 2 days ahead and using store bought crispy onions to top when I heat it up on thanksgiving. Love love love this recipe no one believed I did it all from scratch since it was so good
Did it work making the base ahead of time?
Why cant you use sourdough for this recipe?
Can I make all of this ahead of time except the fried onions and combine the day of and bake? Or even make the whole thing minus the fried onions and put in the fridge over night? Trying to figure out how to best utilize the oven and stove on thanksgiving! Hoping this can be made ahead.
Hello Lisa!!
I have made this recipie for the 2nd time now and I’m wondering if you have any tips on making it ahead of time? I love the fresh onions but they don’t stay crispy fried if made ahead that I can find.
Thanks
Rachel
Can you send the ebook with Thanksgiving recipes? I can’t find it after looking over five minutes
Thanks & Happy Thanksgiving!
Maria