One of the best food books I read last year but rudely never got around to telling you about (in my defense, this time last year was a little nuts) was a 135-page, photo-free and straightforward guide called Thanksgiving: How To Cook It Well by the New York Times former restaurant critic and sometimes newsroom editor Sam Sifton. And although I realize there is barely a page on the internet or of printed matter near you right now not currently angling to be the one that gets to walk you through the biggest home cooking holiday of the year next week, I like this one more. Maybe it’s because one of the earliest lines in the book is “You can go your whole life and then wake up one morning and look in the refrigerator at this animal carcass the size of a toddler and think: I have to cook that today. There is no need to worry. Thanksgiving does not have to be a drag,” and continues in that empathetic but not remotely patronizing tone for the remainder of the book, cheering you on through turkey purchases and homemade stock, classic sides and newer ones worthy of consideration, game plans and even tidbits on seating, such as whether it’s okay to separately seat the Republican, Marxist and Free Spirit factions of your extended family (in short: yes, absolutely yes).
But it’s more likely because the book is compact, something you could drop in your bag and read later on the subway and be transported away from the crowds and airlessness to a glowy evening late in every November when you can shed all the crutches usually required to get through the day (shortcuts, irony, rushing, a mega-latte in a to-go cup, permanently adhered to your hand), set a table (any plywood over milk crates will do), forgo the appetizers (Sifton is adamantly anti-salad or anything else on Thanksgiving that will take up valuable stomach space better saved for foods draped with butter, cream, maple syrup and bacon*) and reminisce about that silly time you spent half the day making an gourmet sous-vide vegetable confit when all anyone really wants is the casserole they’ve always secretly loved and only get to revisit once a year.
Speaking of, I don’t think before reading this book I would have ever considered making a green bean casserole at home, as I didn’t much care for them. The book doesn’t even include a recipe for it; maybe Sifton was suspect of canned or frozen green beans mixed with canned condensed cream of mushroom soup and topped with canisters of crispy fried onions? I can’t imagine why. But reading this book will get you caught up in nostalgia for even the most picked on (second only to marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes, and yes, I have plans for those too this week) of Thanksgiving dishes, and got to wondering if it deserved reconsideration.
To wit: Green beans needn’t come from the freezer, in fact, the little market by my apartment has been piled with perfect ones all month, and they take five minutes to cook. Thus: this dish is seasonal. The sauce needn’t come from a can; in fact, if you think about it, it’s really a mix between a velouté (that gorgeous broth-based sauce that makes pot pies so wonderful) and a bechamel (think: great lasagna or mac-and-cheese, minus the cheese), and mushrooms give it a hearty depth of flavor almost unimaginable from a meatless dish. Thus: this dish is actually a gratin; we like gratins. Finally, I probably don’t need to tell you that onions, cut thin, coated in a little flour, salt and breadcrumbs before being fried or baked until they’re crunchy like stringy potato chips are astoundingly good when homemade. You cannot even imagine the deliciousness inside a sandwich of turkey leftovers. Finally, if you’re thinking that it would be pesky to take the simplest of Thanksgiving sides and make it complicated, consider that this can be made in one skillet, if you’re into that kind of thing. Thus: I think you know what needs to be done.
* And I quote, “nothing is more annoying at Thanksgiving than spending an entire day cooking for people only to see them crush their hunger an hour before dinner by inhaling a pound of cheese, olives, or deviled eggs. Nothing is grimmer than seeing someone forgo a second plate of dressing and thigh meat and yams and Brussels sprouts in the name of a thatch of arugula dressed with nuts and cheese, slicked down with olive oil.” (p. 48-49)
Thanksgiving recipes: All of my favorites are right here. But if you think I’ve missed something, head to the search box (top right) and type in the ingredient — I bet we have something.
One year ago: Cauliflower-Feta Fritters with Pomegranate
Two years ago: Dijon-Braised Brussels Sprouts
Three years ago: Sweet Potatoes with Pecans and Goat Cheese
Four years ago: Swiss Chard and Sweet Potato Gratin
Five years ago: Pepita Brittle
Six years ago: Simplest Apple Tart
Seven years ago: Dreamy Cream Scones
Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions
Adapted a little from Alton Brown and a little from trial-and-error
Serves 6, or more if you: a) have a lot of sides on the table, which I bet you will, or b) use the higher amount (1.5 pounds) of green beans
Crispy Onions
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons panko or plain breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Canola, safflower, peanut or other high-heat oil, for deep-frying
Mushroom Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
12 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced or coarsely chopped
Few gratings fresh nutmeg (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon table salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Assembly
1 to 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved (see note about volume)
Make the crispy onions: Toss onion with flour, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Heat a 1/2-inch or so of oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet until a drop of water flicked into it will hiss and sputter. Add onions, just a handful at a time in something close to a single layer, and fry until a light golden brown (they’ll get more color in the oven; I overcooked mine a bit, forgetting this). Remove with a spider or large slotted spoon, let oil drip off a little, back into the skillet, then spread onions out on paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining onions. Set aside until needed; this makes a lot.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Prepare the beans: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and boil greens for 5 minutes (for standard green beans) or 2 to 3 minutes (for haricot vert, or skinny ones). Drain beans, then plunge them into ice water to full stop them from cooking. Drain again, and set aside. (If you are adamant about only using one pot, you can boil them in your 12-inch cast iron skillet that you use for the other steps. But a saucepan can be easier.)
Make the mushroom sauce: Over medium-high heat, melt butter in the bottom of a 12-inch cast iron skillet. Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and saute them until they start releasing their liquid, anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how they were chopped. Add the garlic and saute one minute more. Add the flour and stir it until it fully coats the mushrooms. Add the broth, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring the whole time. Simmer mixture for 1 minute, then add cream and bring back to a simmer, cooking until the sauce thickens a bit, about 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently.
Assemble and bake: Add cooked greens beans to sauce and stir until they are coated. Sprinkle crispy onions over the top. Bake for 15 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and onions are a shade darker. Eat at once.
Do ahead, a few ways: Onions can be made long in advance (up to a day) and keep at room temperature, loosely wrapped (they’d get soggy in an airtight container). Green beans can be cooked and kept in fridge until needed, at least two days. Green beans can also be combined with mushroom sauce and kept refrigerated for up to two days.
To reheat: Reheat the green beans and sauce in a covered dish until hot. Add the onions only for the last 5 minutes.[Reheating chilled green beans/sauce takes much longer than cooking them while already warm and if the onions are on the whole time, they will burn.]
A few notes:
- I made a half-recipe of this dish (in a 9-inch skillet) as there are only three of us. Yours will be bigger. It was so good, we wished we had more.
- I recommend a range of quantities for the green beans; if you like your casserole to be heavier on sauce and lighter on vegetables, use the lower amount. If you’d like a more vegetable-heavy dish, light-to-moderately coated with the sauce (as mine is in the photos), use the higher amount.
- This makes a loooot of crispy onions. We didn’t mind. But you could probably stretch half the onion volume more thinly over your whole casserole (saving the other half for snacking/sandwiches), or you could just say, “It’s Thanksgiving. Let’s do this,” and use them all. Either way, you win.
- [Apologies, this was originally in the recipe and I’d meant to make it a footnote due to the unevenness of the results.] If you’d like to bake the onions instead of frying them, Alton Brown recommends spreading them on 1 to 2 oiled baking sheets (but I’d use parchment paper next time) and baking them at 475 (but I might try a lower temperature) for approximately 30 minutes (though I’d check it at 20 minutes), tossing them around a few times to ensure even cooking. However, I found this a little pesky — it’s much harder to get them crisp and golden and they’re prone to getting too dark before most of them are cooked. I ended up deep-frying the rest and have zero regrets. It’s Thanksgiving. Let’s do this properly.
- About the sauce thickness: Alton’s original sauce was on the thin side (2T butter for 2T flour). I thickened it when I made it so that it is a moderately thick sauce — it coats the beans (as you can see in the photos) but it does drape a little bit once baked (i.e. there will be more on the lower half of the pan than the top half when it comes out of the oven). If you’re nervous and want to make sure that your sauce is definitely very thick, you can do so by using 1 extra tablespoon butter and 1 extra tablespoon flour in the sauce — i.e. more roux makes thicker sauces. Draining your green beans well and even patting them out on towels will help ensure they don’t “liquefy” the sauce too much.
What if you’re not crazy about mushrooms? Can you still make a creamy/roux sauce??
Lacy — Yes, this will almost certainly work without mushrooms too.
Any tips on substituting frozen TJ beans? The store was out of fresh. I was thinking that i should skip the blanching and just thaw as they seem soft from freezing.
You can probably skip blanching, yes. (But I haven’t actually tried them!)
Hi Selma! Vouching for the frozen beans here! It works amazingly well and helps cut down a step. I use 3# of frozen beans (double) and then I triple the sauce, because OMG I could eat it like a soup (and I end up using every damn spoon I own because I keep tasting it). I also make 4x the onions because 1) my husband cannot NOT snack on ‘em, and 2) the leftover crispies in a turkey sammie on Friday, HEAVENNNNNNN. I look forward to it more than the actual holiday meal. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Frozen green beans have already been blanched.
I added pre-cooked lentils to the mushroom sauce to give the dish some Plant-based protein. Delicious and hearty!!!
Wow, this looks amazing! I am soooo ready for Thanksgiving :)
So Eric and I have a deep fryer… why we have yet to make crispy onions is beyond me. This looks absolutely phenomenal and might have to be made for our Friendsgiving dinner this weekend.
I love you.
That was my immediate thought, too Kaye.
Thank you so much for posting this. I have been planning to do green bean casserole from scratch this year (my sister normally makes it with frozen green beans and canned mushroom soup, which I don’t want on my table) but had not yet settled on a recipe. I absolutely love the idea of making this in my cast iron skillet.
The only change I might make is to do crispy shallots instead of crispy onions. Or maybe a combination.
It’s rare that I think to myself, ‘boy, I wish we didn’t keep kosher so I could make this’
This is one of those times.
I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a green bean casserole, because….eeew. Canned green beans, condensed cream of something soup and Cannes fried onions?
But this recipe made me think otherwise
I’m sure it’ll be delicious with someone’s dinner
I thought edible green bean casserole was an oxymoron, but I plan to try just one more time with this recipe. Thanks, Deb! You never steer me wrong!
Amy, try it with a neutral plant milk and better than bouillon no-chicken broth. I’d go for an oat creamer for the dairy sub. Happy holidays!
yummmm~
This looks beautiful! I’m with Lacy – I can stomach them, but no one else in my family can. Suggestions?
I do not celebrate Thanksgiving, as I am polish, but I’ll make it as a personal celebration :D
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. My only con was I couldn’t get the panko to really stick to the onions – it was too dry. So I didn’t get a great crust. I didn’t see in the recipe to add any binder like egg either so wondering how Deb and others got the panko to actually stick to the onions? Thanks!
I made it yesterday too. My onions got super soggy. They did crisp up in the oven. I don’t think the panko is necessary. I added a bit of rice flour to the mix too bc that is what I’ve used in the past to fry shallots
Crispy onions that I make instead of from a can?! This is so awesome; thank you.
Oh my….and I just picked up a couple cans of green beans for the usual, centuries old casserole recipe. Guess whats not getting used! Looks amazing!! Thanks for sharing this with us!!
i am in charge “green beans” for our Friendsgiving this weekend too, and i think i might make this! it was either the canned version of green bean casserole, or just green beans with garlic and/or almonds. i think your version sounds perfect.
Looks delish, but I’d save myself some time and use Onion Crunch instead of manually peeling, slicing, and deep frying them onions. It’s so much easier, slightly crunchier (and less smelly!)
I’ve been making green bean casserole from scratch for years. I thought I didn’t like green bean casserole, but it turns out I just don’t like canned green beans or canned cream of mushroom soup (the French’s onions are a different story). A splash of sherry is always a very welcome addition to the sauce. (I’m currently overly obsessed with sherry or cognac and mushrooms.)
Thanks for the sherry tip! I’m grabbing the bottle to put on counter with other ingredients so I don’t forget.
Looks delicious! I sincerely hope that the week of Thanksgiving recipes happens; I miss the days when you did NaBloPoMo.
Emma — Aw, me too! I miss having free time.
I love how many crispy onions are on there, no one ever seems to put enough on :-)
While this does look delicious, I will probably still make the “other” green bean casserole – yes, the one with canned green beans. There is room in my heart for both ends of the spectrum – the “hot dish” and the foie gras, if you will. :)
This looks like the best green bean casserole I’ve ever seen. I seriously need to make this like now. Looks so amazing!
This looks so delicious
I tested this in preparation for a kosher Thanksgiving, and I made it wth earth balance non-Idairy butter and no heavy cream. Added an extra 1/2 cup veggie stock. It came out so good! Thanks for another keeper, Deb. :)
I also use earth balance, and replaced the cream w/homemade cashew cream (which is super easy)
This will bring much joy to my house as my husband LOVES the “from the can” green bean casserole but I can’t bring myself to make/consume it. I just texted him and told him I would make this this weekend. He was very very happy :)
I was just looking for an amazing green bean casserole recipe over the weekend. Clearly this is fate. THANKS! :)
Can I make this with frozen green beans? I see that lots of recipes call for fresh but frozen is cheaper. Thanks!
This looks amazing! I love the idea of updating an old classic. I will be serving 20 though…do you think it would work okay in a 9×13 baking pan instead of a cast iron skillet?
Hey Emily! This is YEARS late to your original comment but I wondered if you ever ended up trying the baking pan route?
My family has 50+ people at Thanksgiving, and we operate out of crockpots and hot plates in a giant party room. So I usually make the beans & sauce, toss together about an hour before dinner, and put a huge bowl of the crispy onions on the side with a pair of tongs for people to garnish at will. It works for us!
I love this casserole!, I love that you didn’t cheat with fake onions
What a fantastic idea to make your own French fried onions! When I lived in Nashville, there was a wonderful brand, but now I have to resort to an inferior version on my daily salad. Thanks for the recipe although I’ll be using it as a salad topper!
This looks so good all made from scratch without any canned mushroom soup or processed fried onions. I love it!
I have to know, are the onions truly as good baked as they look to be fried? I’m not sure I want to fuss with the oil and frying them, but don’t want to skip to the baking if they’ll be lacking.
Comment #4 – Friendsgiving! That is brilliant!
Deb, this makes me so happy. I’ve never been into green bean casserole either, for obvious reasons, but now it’s all I can think about. I love that you made your own creamy mushroom goop, crispy onions, and blanched beans. This looks perfectly heavenly!
You had me at crispy and creamy. Imagining this dish with a lightly paled Chardonnay is actually making me salivate on my tube journey home!
& by paled I meant oaked. Damn autocorrect
ooh! So happy to see your version. I made this last year and I’m pretty sure I could never stomach a canned green-bean casserole again. It was about 4 hours of work for the one dish, but SO worth the effort. I made a full batch and wish I had made double, so I could have enough leftovers for myself.
Do the baked ones come out as crispy and yummy as the fried ones?
wow this looks amazing and pretty easy too, will definitely try this one out:)
I’ve been using Alton’s recipe the past few years too. Not only is it delicious, we were able to adapt it to be gluten free when necessary.
Disappointed that my sister-in-law just claimed the green bean casserole! I’ve been daydreaming about making this for a few days now. Thank you for giving us both methods for preparing the onions, as there are many comments on Alton Browns’s recipe regarding the success of the oven baked method.
I am so, so glad you posted this. I was planning to make this recipe for Thanksgiving, and it’s so nice to see the notes about what I can make ahead of time. :)
“(Sifton is adamantly anti-salad or anything else on Thanksgiving that will take up valuable stomach space better saved for foods draped with butter, cream, maple syrup and bacon*) ”
And I’d been thinking that your kale salad with pecorino and walnuts might make a nice vegetable side dish…
Personally, I think my taste buds need something lighter to break up the cream and butter filled dishes. I think I’d actually be more tempted to get seconds of stuffing and turkey with a light side to break it up than without.
This looks lovely…and I forgive you for not telling us about this sooner!!
Wow, that looks good – if only I could convince my husband and his family to try that instead of the canned beans/canned soup/canned onions version they grew up on! I understand nostalgia, but only when it actually tastes good. I had never thought of trimming beans with kitchen scissors, what a smart idea!
Perfect timing for me, Deb! Thanks for sharing this recipe. I recently started a gluten free diet so I planned on making our Thanksgiving green bean casserole from scratch. I’ll use an all-purpose GF flour on a test run of onions and see how it goes!
Deb, I think I love you. From-scratch green bean casserole? WHY didn’t it occur to me that I could make those nasty onions at home? SOLD.
Would it be a total fail to use almond breeze instead of cream?
Crossing my fingers, hoping I can pull this off for our kosher turkey day meal
Did you veganize? Replacing the cream with what?
My husband and I cannot eat cream (digestive more than religious reasons) and I was thinking of replacing the heavy cream with coconut milk (from a can, not the Silk/Almond Breeze type). Suspect that almond milk or any other faux refrigerated milk would be too thin. Would sub Earth Balance for butter, as I always do. Curious to hear how yours worked out.
This looks extremely tasty- I’m always looking for vegetable side dishes. But I’m not sure I agree with Sifton’s idea that a salad has no place at the table. I’m desperately trying to think of something fresh (maybe with some acidity?) that would serve as a sort of foil to all of the rich, starchy foods that come with Thanksgiving.
I throw together grape tomatoes, tiny mozzarella balls and cucumbers. Dress with olive oil, garlic, pepper, salt and white vinegar. Delicious and it looks like Christmas.
I love your recipes and especially your attitude! So excited about more Thanksgiving recipes to come!
I love that you listed two of my most favorite Smitten Kitchen recipes in your post–Dreamy Cream Scones and the Sweet Potato and Swiss Chard Gratin. I WILL teach all 3 of my sons how to make both of these before they go off to college :)
I make a similar homemade green bean casserole every year, only extra heavy on the mushrooms because we love them. Also, because frying freaks me out even still, I just use panko crumbs that I toss with melted butter and parmeggiano to top out the casserole. I’m afraid even if I got over my fear of frying things on or near holidays with all the splattering, I would eat those onions so fast out of the fryer that none would make it onto the casserole anyway.
In any case, for readers who might be averse to frying too, I have to say the panko while different does an admirable job.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
I didn’t grow up with green been casserole, but this definitely makes me want to try it! I’m excited for the marshmallow topped sweet potatoes. My grandmother used to make them, and I was hit by a wave of nostalgia recently and have added them to my Thanksgiving menu!
This looks wonderful and I’d love to try it but have some LI folks to consider. Is there any good non-dairy sub for the heavy cream?
Non-dairy creamers — You can try it with some coconut milk or cream, but it will change the flavor profile. Almond milk might work, especially if you’ve used it successfully in other cream swaps, however, as it is thinner than cream, I might use it half/half with the broth instead of 1/4. I’m not sure I’d be into coconut or another flavor, though, to be honest. However, you could also just make this non-dairy, doing a straight veloute sauce by replacing the cream with more stock. You’ll still have that thickened sauce that should coat the vegetables nicely (again, the sauce is just like that of a pot pie) with great flavor. And isn’t it all about the onions, anyway? ;)
Lauren — Yes, I am not sure that I 100% agree, as I am a person who likes to eat salad, but I am deeply amused by the thought he’s put into it. Yet, I can never summon the energy to make one for a crowd when I know it will get neglected in favor of sweet potato and creamy green bean indulgences. I don’t know if you have my book (I’m really not trying to nudge!), but I do have a Kale Salad with Dried Cherries and Pecans in it with a honey-coarse Dijon dressing that, to me, is very Thanksgiving-y and holds up well. I am sure you can Google around and find the recipe too.
Baked onions — I’m sorry, I hadn’t meant for the to stay in the recipe without the caveat that I found them a little pesky so I moved the baked instructions to the bottom.
Emily — Yes, but… a 9×13 holds about the same amount as a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, almost exactly. However, you could probably make it deeper in a lasagna-like pan (I’d 1.5x the filling, leave the onions the same as they are already generous) so it might still be a good way to go, also, easier to transport.
I’ve made this with non-dairy butter and cashew or almond milk! Turns out great! It’s a bit less creamy, I’m sure, but still creamy/thick enough. It is well loved!
I’m Canadian and don’t understand the green bean casserole.
:(
My mother still uses the canned soup, but fresh beans and caramelized onions. My favorite part of her variation? Wild rice. It hands down my favorite (well, after the stuffing) part of the meal.
I did Martha’s version a few years ago. Very delicious and close to what you did here.. and totally worth it!
It will take some planning to get me to do it the day of Thanksgiving.
I’m still in my childhood as far as green bean casserole is concerned. I never knew it existed until I was 30! Yes, 30! It was my first TG at the in-laws and I loved it. I even thought it was some gourmet concoction. I’d never had canned green beans before and loved the texture of them, and the fried onions, too. My Mom only used fresh or frozen beans and they were always too crisp and raw tasting to me and about the only garnish she used were caramelized onions. I’m so backwards about this dish! This looks perfect though, and I can cook the damn green beans as done as I like! I’m good!
I love making those fried onions. They are so good in a steak salad. Yum. I look forward to making this!
Deb! Thank you for posting this. I’m getting ready to cook Thanksgiving dinner by myself for the first time this year (only for 4 people, but STILL) and this is just what I needed. Also – just wanted to say in general… over the last few months I’ve made no fewer than 10 of your recipes posted here, and I want to thank you. A lot. I don’t know that I’ve experienced such high levels of consistency, dependability, and deliciousness with any other food blogger. I know without a doubt that if I’m making a Deb recipe that night, it will turn out perfect. Thanks for being my #1, go-to, fool proof, 100% awesome resource for the eternal question, What’s For Dinner?
I beg my dad to make this every Thanksgiving, and he laughs at me thinking it’s too old school. He then goes with more inventive side dishes like celery route soufflé and butternut squash lasagna. No, just give me green bean casserole with french onions, it’s all I want! If Smitten Kitchen can make a green bean casserole gourmet, then maybe I can convince my dad to make it this year. Even better, I’ll bring it this Thanksgiving and won’t be ashamed one bit! Thank you for posting!
I want this for dinner….liiiiiike now. YUM!
Thank-you, Thank-you, Thank-you! I cannot wait to try this with out Thanksgiving dinner. The last couple of years I have deleted the traditional green bean casserole for an alternative green bean casserole. The new recipe I have used is quite tasty, though not even close to the traditional casserole and I always felt it to be missing something. This sounds like it will hit the spot. I will definitely post a review next week! Thanks again!
holy smokes that looks good!
What type of mandoline do you use? I’ve been searching for a good hand held one. Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!
Yes!!! My hubby loves green bean casseroles, and signed me up to bring one to a Thanksgiving potluck last year…Ewww, I thought! Canned everything? I couldn’t bear it, so I started looking for scratch recipes and tried one similar to this out. Soooo, soooo delicious! I think I’ll try your version this year :)
Marie — I use this one.
Another note — Alton’s original sauce is on the thin side. I thickened it when I made it so that it is a moderately thick sauce — it coats the beans (as you can see in the photos) but it does drape a little bit once baked (i.e. there will be more on the lower half of the pan than the top half). If you’re nervous and want to make sure that your sauce is definitely very thick, you can do so by using 1 extra tablespoon butter and 1 extra tablespoon flour in the sauce — i.e. more roux makes thicker sauces. Draining your green beans well and even patting them out on towels will help ensure they don’t “liquefy” the sauce too much. I’m adding these notes in the recipe as well.
This is known as Grandma G’s Green beans at our house :)
I think it was about 40 years ago that I had it for the first time. It is definitely delicious.
Yay! I never can find those canned fried onions here in Mexico so I just don’t make the green bean casserole. Finally, FINALLY, I can make it feel like Thanksgiving here…now if I can just find some fresh cranberries like they used to carry 6 or 8 years ago.
This looks so good and I am usually not a fan of green bean casserole. I have to try this version!!
Hi Deb,
Can you relink to the mandoline please? It doesn’t seem to be working. Thanks!
Now I know that you’re crazy. I mean, homemade Pop Tarts? Ok, maybe the boxed ones could be improved upon. Homemade gold fish? Cheese-Its? Mayyyybe. And I know there were more that I can’t remember right now. But this? This is insanity! Why would you want to mess with perfection in a can? :)
oh geez.. i was totally thinking of making this casserole for thanksgiving with the canned soup… lol. you convinced me otherwise. Looks amazing. Although for the onions, whole foods has a good pre-made option, hey at least it’s Whole Foods. :-)
Thanks for sharing.
The casserole looks delicious, but you saying “whether it’s okay to separately seat the Republican, Marxist and Free Spirit factions of your extended family (in short: yes, absolutely yes)” is not appropriate or relevant to your blog. Republican readers like me bought your book and you brought us into your kitchen (it says in the comment guidelines to “consider yourself a welcome guest in my home”) through your humorous anecdotes and great recipes, and yet we are supposedly not welcome at your table. This disappoints me and I really hope you will delete that line from your post-it’s a mean jab, even if it’s a joke, and not tolerant. I love your blog but this leaves a bitter taste in my mouth- the opposite of what you want a post about a yummy green bean casserole to do!
Daphna — I love them for browning and frying and even roasting in the oven. And they’re cheap to buy.
Marie — Sorry, now fixed.
Celine — I’m not sure how you read that line and made such a interpretation, as it is no more a jab at Republicans than it is at Marxists or Free Spirits (which links to a photo of my son; I’m sure you know that I’m not saying he’s unwelcome at the table!). If you reread it, you will see that what I’m actually sharing is so uncontroversial as to be fairly standard Seating Arrangement-ese — a host needn’t feel pressure to seat people together who are going to bicker about things. Nobody is being excluded from Thanksgiving or this site. It’s also a joke, something to make people smile, as holiday gatherings can be tense sometimes as, unsurprisingly, families don’t always agree about everything, despite enjoying each others company. Sometimes it’s nice to have a reminder that this is normal and it’s not a hosts job to make everyone get along, they can actually just arrange seats in a way that maximizes the chance of people enjoying themselves.
Unrelated and unsolicited whining — Do you know what happens when I suggest that I will be able to update every day this week? I will tell you: the laryngitis I’d been ignoring since yesterday morning (as usual, I was hoping I’d sound like a sexy French movie starlet; I in fact sound like someone is choking geese) is now fever and I’m having a pity party. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone swimming as usual today? Here’s hoping everything’s all better by tomorrow. Because: stuffing.
I did this a few Thanksgivings ago using Queen Martha Stewart’s recipe… it was delicious and so much better than canned (obviously!!). I think I ultimately decided that while the fresh crispy fried onions were delicious, using French’s was surprisingly *almost* as good to the point I would just buy them instead of slave over the frying pan again. As much as I enjoy doing everything homemade whenever possible, I really have a soft spot for French’s fried onions, lol. Thanks for this recipe – green bean casserole is NECESSARY at thanksgiving, no matter how you make it.
@Celine – I believe Deb was referring to a section of the book “Thanksgiving”, not her own thoughts on the subject. And I believe she meant, to seat members of the family with opposing viewpoints separately from each other so that arguments don’t ensue, not quarantined from the rest of the house altogether!
Ooooh this whole dish looks so delicious, but the crispy onion particularly so — they’re calling to me through the photos :)
@Celine I think @Johanna is correct. You aren’t quaranting anyone, you’re keeping opposing factions apart. And she was quoting the book. Unless you want drama you are probably keeping your Capitalist and Marxist friends separate anyway! All food loving people welcome here.
OK – a question from the ignorant. I don’t have a cast iron skillet. WHAT am I missing out on? Thanks for a delightful and enriching blog :-)
This is literally the only green bean casserole that has ever looked appealing to me. Leave it to you to make something awful into something amazing! This is officially my contribution to Thanksgiving!
Last year was probably the first year I actually enjoyed green bean casserole, the regular canned version, and now I want more. I’m trying to convince my mom to make this recipe right now!
I’m a fan of our family cranberry salad, I don’t care what anyone else does, so long as they don’t stop me from enjoying my own tradition. :) The original is a jello type, with canned whole berry sauce, black cherry (or cranberry) jello, pecans, pineapple, and celery.
In recent years I’ve been making it with fresh cranberries, plain gelatin, etc., just because I enjoy the fresh berries, but I wouldn’t turn my nose up if someone else in the family served the original jell-o version. Totally delicious and irresistible either way. Tradition says to serve it with a blop of homemade (old Wesson Oil recipe) mayonnaise, on a bed of iceberg lettuce. Hard experience has taught me that it’s tasty eaten from a bowl with a spoon when I didn’t add enough gelatin, but I tend not to serve that variation when company comes over just to save myself the hazing.
I’ve learned that my sister and I are the only two that ever eat any in our immediate family, so I tend to make it ahead of time to save hassle on the day, and extend the amount of time I have to enjoy the stuff before I wind up feeling sated because of the holiday excess.
It’s true, though, everyone appreciates homemade cranberry sauce, so it’s become a standard for us. (I use the CI version, bag of berries, a good bit of sugar, a bit of water, a dash of salt, let it simmer, then run it through the food mill.) Still haven’t quite figured out how much gelatin to add when making salad, though.
This is the best looking non-canned green bean casserole I have seen yet. I will have to give it a try when it’s my turn to make them. As to a whole turkey recipe, I don’t know if you have one in mind (I know next year is a long way away), but the spatchcocked turkey has made a turkey lover out of me. I used Alton Brown’s recipe with some tweaks to the seasonings, and it turned out beautifully on my test run this past weekend. Also, please tell me I am not crazy for doing a trial run on a new turkey recipe. :)
STUFFING?!?!? Then I say, with the utmost respect, GO TO BED :)
I love stuffing so much, I made a 9×13 full of it last week and ate it for dinner (and maybe breakfast. I know that’s sick.)
@deb- Sorry for being a grump! I guess upon first reading I thought, “Hmm…lumping together Republicans and communists in one sentence doesn’t sound too good, and it sounds like the author is suggesting that they are more likely to argue about politics than other groups.” Free spirits are cool, although I’m not sure how well they’d get along with Republicans! Your picture of Jacob was cute.
I shouldn’t probably have commented- obviously a cooking blog is not the place for such discussion. I hope you feel better. I can’t wait to see the stuffing recipe (although if you don’t feel well, no need to hurry about posting it. I probably won’t finish my menu until this weekend! I suspect there are a lot of procrastinators out there).
Thanks, Deb! I’m hosting this year and have been wanting a good green bean casserole recipe, but not really motivated enough to search for one because I’d rather eat dressing and cranberry salad…mmm. But now I’m all about this. Selfishly, I hope you get time to post more Thanksgiving recipes this week! Thanks for all the work you do for us!
Hmm… never made my own fried onions! I’ve always opted for sauteed onions with the green beans and a panko parm crust. I’ll have too try the onions this year!
From what I’ve read of Sam’s book, I agree with him on a lot; however, I find popcorn a must as an appetizer. Either all homage to the natives with maple syrup, cranberries and maybe a few pecans, or Nigella Lawson’s sweet and spicy popcorn with salt, sugar, cinnamon and cumin. Just a little something to crunch on, and it takes almost no stomach real estate.
this is the best green bean casserole i’ve ever seen! i love how everything is from scratch, even the crispy onions!
Had the “Other” green bean casserole but once. At Rosh Hashana ( you can see how seriously religious my in-laws were) it was the “signature dish” of Aunt Henrietta.It made frequent appearances during holiday meals there, but suffice it to say , once was enough. Your poster from Canada hasn’t missed a thing! I think the new one looks great though, and worthy of a try. Sorry that Aunt Hen ( and many of the others) will never get to taste this new version! I’m sure they would have been dazzled!
Versus the “original” green bean casserole this one looks so great. I love the fresh made onion strings. Definitely can be a family favorite. :-)
I ditto comment #5, Kaye. I, too love you. I’m 70 years old and there are still new things I learn about cooking — especially from you. I have never tried cooking onions this way. Genius. Sadly, (well, not so sadly) I loathe green beans but will make the crispy onions — and not share with anyone. About a year ago a wave of nostalgia for recipes I made when I first starting cooking in 1964 hit me. Friends (all my age) were in rapture. Don’t sneer. Sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping. “California dip”. One 16-ounce container sour cream mixed with one packet of Lipton’s Onion soup. Let flavors marry for several hours. Serve with Lay’s original potato chips. Funny how great they taste after not having them in decades.
p.s. Just noticed you on Amazon’s Celebrity Picks of Best Books of 2013, your favorite reads. Congratulations! You’ve made it!!! Going to check out Poplo (??? title). Your mother, husband, adorable son and everyone must be so proud.
question. I would love to make this, but I have made fresh green beans 3 times now, and they are tough–unless I use the pressure cooker…but then, the risk is always making them a bit too done. No way are they tender and wonderful at just a 3-5 minute boil. What am I doing wrong ? I first thought it was because I bought them at the wrong time of the year and these were ‘old’ ? I just can’t get them tender. The canned ones are always just right, textural speaking, though there is something about a ‘fresh’ melt in your mouth green bean :) Can you help me ?
This looks amazing! I just wonder if I there is a way to make the onions in the oven instead of frying them…I don’t really fry because I don’t have a place to dispose of the oil… living in the country has its down sides.
So happy to see the Sam Sifton compliments. Did you know he ran a Thanksgiving Day hotline at the NYT? I can only imagine what his voice must have sounded like after 8 hours of that.
Love that you read cookbooks on the underground too! :)
Anything topped with crispy fried onions has got to be delicious. Sadly, we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in the UK, but I think that I can still make the bean casserole and buy the book? Don’t you? Do I really need an excuse?
I love this recipe! My husband is vegetarian and an often cooked family meal is my interpretation of a mushroom stroganoff. It is a very similar dish to this, minus the extra baking and crispy onions (They are an amazingly tasty addition!!!) sometimes made with white wine too. But mushrooms, garlic, cream, green beans, and onions are a perfect combination! I think your recipe will take my everyday dish to another level. :) thank you for sharing this one!
Wow, when I saw your blog in my inbox I couldn’t help but giggle. When I moved to San Francisco at age 21 and didn’t know how to cook, that was one of my go-to dishes. Then a year later I was happily converted to health-food nuttiness and have eschewed anything in a can for decades since (except for the very occasional tuna fish).
I’m definitely going to make your recipe for my mother for Christmas. (I’ll bring my cast-iron skillet with me!) But in the meantime, I live with a husband and a teenage niece who don’t like mushrooms. (Sad, isn’t it?) What could I use as a substitute? The niece has come to love broccoli, asparagus and Brussels sprouts… as well sweet potatoes and squash.
Would this recipe possibly work with squash, or is that just a silly idea?
Laura — You can skip the mushrooms. I suppose this treatment could work with many things; I just personally don’t think I’d enjoy an orange squash in a mushroom cream sauce.
mbg — His blogging hotline of Thanksgiving questions was my favorite part of Thanksgiving (after hanging out with family, of course) for all two to three years he did it. We spend half the day with one family, half the day with the other, and there’s always a drive around 5 p.m. I would read Sifton’s responses aloud to my husband while Jacob snored in the back and we’d laugh and laugh. Seriously awesome memories. (There was something about a Brooks Brothers tablecloth? I have to find these archives online… link to come.)
Thank you! I love you for doing this, seriously. Been wanting to make this since like forever. I think it’d be very, very good with some bacon :)
Green bean casserole has never been high on my list for Thanksgiving dinner, but reading this recipe is changing my mind! Those crispy onions sound irresistible!
This sounds new to me but I’m a huge crispy onion lover and this dish looks fabulous and totally appropriate for this time of the year! You always come up with the best ideas, Deb!
xo, Elisa
I was just daydreaming about trying to make a scratch version of green bean casserole. This looks fantastic, and I know I can depend on your recipes to come out perfect. Thank you!
hi deb, we currently live in klagenfurt/austria which doesn’t sound that scary until you take into consideration that we are emphatic non-skiers and don’t own a stitch of spandex outdoor wear. this is considered almost criminal in a town where they hold the ironman contest each year. however, my good dude and i are champion eaters. since i have a lot of free time on my hand here i have taken to reading blogs, specifically foodblogs (natch!). can you put up with some gushing? yours is my absolute favorite and for all the obvious reasons! i even bought your cookbook despite the fact that i have no shelf space left and booktowers in my apartment that are so high that i somestimes don’t see my cats for weeks and articles of clothing get lost behind them. sorry, back to my original thought: great recipes! fun writing! and the pictures: make me green with envy (kind of pea-pesto green).
lastly: how anyone could use the comment section on this blog to harp about a harmless joke is beyond me (and soooo humorless!). so: ignore the humor-impaired, get yourself a nasal douche (emser is best; whole foods has it), it helps with stuffiness and feel better soon!
I would love to make this for the big day, but I have my sister-in-law’s wheat allergy to consider. Other glutens are no problem so I was wondering if you have any idea what other type of flour might work well here? Maybe rice flour for the onions and a simple cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce? What would you suggest?
Afraid Thanksgiving at our house wouldn’t be the same without lots of fabulous traditional once-a-year appetizers like ricotta and olive and walnut stuffed celery, clams oreganato, shrimp remoulade…. And then there’s our traditional pasta course, created originally for my Italian grandfather…maybe a small plate of three cheese ravioli with sage butter…and then lobster or maybe an herbed, stuffed pork roast and then a select few side dishes. I might try this recipe, just because Deb’s recipes are usually so delicious. But my inclination would be to make the fresh green beans with just a whole pile of these onion rings on top! Turkey is just not that exciting to us but Thanksgiving is a beloved holiday.
Those crispy onions are to die for. Once again the dish looks (and I’m sure it tastes) AMAZING. Good job.
Thank you so very much for posting Thanksgiving recipes. You see I am making the entire dinner again this year and having a hard time “feeling it.” This will definitely help inspire me!
This is one green bean casserole I could tolerate to eat! Thanks for sharing.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving day and meal, with all at your table.
Ann, I also have a non-celiac wheat allergy. I haven’t figured out the best bread crumb replacement because I don’t use them often, but some folks swear by grinding up a couple toasted gluten-free frozen waffles, I just haven’t tried it, and sometimes I’ll use almond flour.
For a roux, I’ve used rye flour, which I loved in mac&cheese because it brought out the itsy bit of mustard I included in the recipe. I bet it would be nice here to deepen the flavors. Gluten-Free-Girl recommends brown rice flour for gravy, so that could work here, too.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, Ann! Love the photos that goes along with it. Great help for visual learners like me. =)
@amy. You don’t have parve cream in America??? I can’t believe it. You have everything else. Look I in your kosher shops or the kosher rows in the supermarket. Maybe they even have in the milk department but you never looked?
Debbie. We don’t get canned soups here – surprise surprise – only in powder form so how much powdered soup and water? I don’t have a skillet that goes into the oven only casserole dishes, 40 years old. Honest.
Help.
@the 70 year old – like me, I think Debbie said that you can leave out the beans and just do mushrooms
.
I’ve never once had green bean casserole, cranberry sauce (or can shaped cranberry goo) or marshmallow topped yams at Thanksgiving. My maternal grandmother was a Prussian immigrant and when I was growing up she always made rotkohl to be the vegetable side dish for turkey/mashed potatoes & gravy/stuffing…since she died my mother carried on the tradition. It sounds weird but the flavors work perfectly with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. But this year I may have to make your recipe for green bean casserole, just to shake things up.
YUM
Could the Balthazar cream of mushroom soup be substituted for this mushroom mixture or would that be too soupy?
Too soupy, but if there are elements you like there (mix of mushrooms, rehydrated porcinis) I see no reason they cannot be used here to enrich this.
My daughter and I decided to re-invent this dish last year and made everything from scratch. It’s easy and well, it’s beyond good. We would totally forgo turkey and sit with a bowl of this in our hands. With an extra side of onion strings. :)
Great minds think alike! I have been making this dish this fall just like you have it here, but since we have had such a bountiful chanterelle season ($6/lb for weeks now) I have been using those rather than domestics. Also been dicing a handful of parma prosciutto chunks as I bought some spare ends at 70% off retail. It’s a delicioso dish and soooo much better than canned “french-cut” beans with industrial condensed “soup”. The chanterelles and prosciutto bump it up another notch, but not into the Pretentious Zone. I don’t think…
I read this and was wondering if I could somehow make it work with spinach or other greens, then stumbled on your “Best Baked Spinach” recipe. I think I’m going to do “Best Baked Spinach” and top it with the crispy onions.
This same idea was in Cook’s Illustrated a few years ago. It’s simply delicious!
Is there any possible way to make this (or part of this) ahead of time (like Tues night??). I am traveling to my in laws and could do without the scrutiny that will come with trying this new (and obviosly yummier) version in their kitchen!
I’m going to give this a try this year – looks delicious!! What kind of mushrooms are those in the photos? Does it matter?
Heather — I used cremini (small brown, sometimes sold as “baby bellas”) mushrooms but it shouldn’t matter. Use any variety you like cooking with.
Liv — Do ahead instructions are in the recipe.
Double yay! I’m totally making this, too! I love the idea of a homemade, definitely healthier version of my favorite Thanksgiving dish. I’m so excited to try this. And the idea that it can be made ahead is even better. I’m thankful for you, Deb, and I can’t wait to see the rest of this week’s recipes. Hope you’re feeling better.
THANK YOU! I am no longer able to enjoy the “classic” version now that I prefer to eliminate canned, condensed soups. I am so excited to try this next week. I have enjoyed several dishes from your book and am looking forward to this one, as well.
I started making homemade cream of everything soup two years ago. Once you make and taste the real deal it is impossible to back to the congealed glop again. If I can’t make it for some reason, I’ll switch gears and go with a meal that doesn’t require it. But it’s so simple to do there really isn’t any reason not to make it yourself!
Have a fab-u-licious day!
I’ve been an avid reader of your blog for several years and own your cookbook – a signed copy, love from St. Louis! – and after reading this recipe and visually glutting myself on your photos, I was struck by the most beautiful idea. You’re the only chef I’ve heard of, celebrity or otherwise, besides my own mother whose restaurant I would make a pilgrimage to upon its opening. I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited to try a green bean casserole recipe, ever, and green beans are my favorite Thanksgiving side-dish theme. I can’t believe it’s never occurred to me (or the myriad of other sources that bombard us with T-day recipes) to make the creamy soup/sauce from scratch.
Thanks for this recipe! I wrote about it on making it on my blog. The beans turned out fantastic, and will be making an appearance on our Thanksgiving table :)
Thanks again.
I feel like eating this dish right now but it’s sad i can’t and i am really excited to prepare this dish coz it’s a new thing for me.
This was awesome- especially the crispy onions (I made half the recipe for the onions, full recipe for the green beans). I added about double the garlic to the mushrooms, otherwise made as written.
I shunned it as a child, too goopy, schmoopy and…grey for a kid to force a forkful in. So imagine my surprise when 25 years later it was all my pregnant self could fantasize about! I ate vats of the stuff, and loved every processed bite. Once my darling daughter was born, my penchant for it once again faded, but this I could get with. It’s lush, lovely and FRESH. Everything green bean casserole always should have been.
Reduced the recipe to 3 person portion, added red pepper flakes and it was heavenly! I wish I made more, should have followed that part of the recipe as well…
I have a recipe for “homemade” green bean casserole from Cook’s Country from several years ago that is fantastic – I will never ever be able to eat one from canned soup and beans again. The Cook’s Country recipe has become the gold standard for my family, but I think I’ll give yours a shot this year.
Made this tonight, delicious! I grew up on the canned green bean, canned cream of mushroom version, I’m embarrassed to admit that I really liked it back then, but as an adult I couldn’t bring myself to make it, thanks so much for this recipe and bringing back one of my favorite dishes.
This is very similar to Martha Stewart’s recipe. Except she fries up shallots for the top, makes the sauce with whole milk instead of the cream + chicken broth and uses more mushrooms. (I made a double batch for a Friends Thanksgiving this last weekend.) I have to admit I MUCH prefer homemade green bean casseroles to the Campbells version and will have to try this one for my Family Thanksgiving. Also, I vehemently disagree about the salad. I love a nice salad on Thanksgiving (I had a delicious kale + nuts + cheese + roasted sweet potato + dried fruit + honey vinaigrette one this weekend and it was incredible!)
Thanks! I know exactly ONE recipe with mushrooms and that’s a mushroom cognac sauce. My experience with mushrooms is… limited. :D Time to branch out from those white button mushrooms!
I’ve been making a similar recipe, lactose free, for the past few years now. I usually use almond milk, but add a few tablespoons of flour to thicken it up to the consistency I like. Some stores sell (unflavored) almond-milk creamer that works relatively well too.
This looks like a godsend to someone like me who is living overseas during Thanksgiving and can’t get her hands on the usual ingredients. I can’t wait to try it!
I can vouch for Alton Brown’s version – made it a couple of years ago, pre-baby, and it truly was to die for. If you have the time, make this one happen; at the very least use fresh green beans with your canned soup! Sorry for bringing canned soup into this comment Deb… = )
What an interesting way to use onions. I have lots of them and I didn’t know what to do with them. After reading your post, I think I’m going to deep fry them so that they look like noodles. Not the healthiest way to eat onions but at least I’m eating them… :)
Delicious sauce! I have yet to do the final bake, but the components thus far are quite good.
I also live overseas, and it takes more work to make the classics like this and others. I never liked my Grandma’s version much with the canned green beans, but it is to die for with fresh or frozen beans.
My friend made this for the office potluck yesterday! Lucky me! It was to die for. I love onions, beans, and mushrooms; but was never a fan of the 3 can version. This will be added to my regular recipe book. Thank-you!
Do you have any recommendations for how not to char the onions if baking them? I tried tossing them in oil and then in the flour mixture, but half of them still charred by the 20 minute mark at 475F. Thanks for the help!
Cate — Toss them around a lot and take them out sooner if they’re all brown. If they’re charring before they’re done, try a lower temperature. I know, that’s a lot of variables; they are a bit tricky to get right in the oven. You’ll have to watch them carefully.
thank you so much for this! I’ve always wanted to make this proper, and this year I’m attending a sides-only friends only on Friday, and I am so doing this.
I made this once from scratch myself and it was delicious! I never used canned green beans, always frozen or fresh. The mushroom sauce is so easy to make instead of the canned soup! And of course, gotta have those crispy onions on top!
One of my favorite casseroles……
This was fantastic! The mushroom sauce was delicious and the fried onions were addictive (probably ate 1/5 of them before they made their way onto the topping). The only addition I made was to scale back a bit on the salt add ~2 teaspoons of soy sauce into the sauce to bring out the savory mushroom flavor. I only had a 10″ skillet, but the even with 1.5 lb. green beans, it fit in there just fine.
Made this for an early family Thanksgiving and it easily stole the show! It definitely takes some extra work, but it was well worth it. I just wish we had more leftovers! Delish!
Cate, I baked my onions by coating them with the recipe’s amount of flour and panko and mixed in about 3 Tbsp. oil. I baked them on two parchment lined sheets at 400, stirring a couple times, and they came out perfectly after 30 min or so. I hosted a “Friendsgiving” last night and this dish was by far the hit of the party!
Green bean casserole is one of my all-time favorite Thanksgiving sides. The saddest part is that I don’t think I have ever had it with fresh green beans! I may have to try this just as a regular side dish because I was assigned my mother’s cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving this year and someone else is handling the green beans. The onions look like they are to-die-for!
Wow! Just Wow! I have always wanted to try one of these “fancified” versions of the classic Mid-western green been casserole, just never got around to it.
I made the sauce with Baby Bellas, and it is delicious! I also added just a t. of lite soy sauce for the umami kick.
I may just use the leftover as pasta sauce. It is so good I can’t believe it. Will never make the mushroom soup recipe again! Thank you and Happy Holidays to you.
This looks great! I’ve always thought the green bean dish was very strange and not at all appealing. This coming from going my whole life enjoying Puerto Rican Thanksgivings.
When cooking veggies I am a keep it simple kind of person so when my daughter offered to help make Green Bean Casserole for Thanksgiving I was very hesitant. Plus, all I can think of is the salty taste of them. Then, in an awesomely timed post I saw this recipe!! I shared it with her and said I would try this one. She promptly replies she will be bringing her Cast Iron skillet. We are so looking forward to it!! Thank you!!
A Williams Sonoma Thanksgiving catalog from some unknown year had a similar recipe to this which I made last year to much praise. Your sauce and breading are slightly more complex, and the Sonoma recipe called for fried shallots rather than onions. Oddly enough, the Sonoma recipe did *not* call for any overpriced Williams Sonoma ingredients. ;)
I think I’ll have to mix the two this year – thanks for sharing!
Deb, do you use the turkey instructions in “How to cook it well”? I’m confused about how he words the timing. It says to roast at 425 degrees for 30 minutes, then turn down to 325. Then it says, at 325, the turkey will cook at 15 minutes per pound. Do you think that means I start timing after the 30 minutes at 425 has passed, or when I put it in the oven?
Hillary — Ha! I’d wondered the same. Didn’t make turkey, but loved the simplicity of his method. Anyway, from what I see on other recipes, a general estimate is 13 to 15 minutes per pound, so the first 30 minutes would cover that first 2 pounds. Hope that helps!
I just made this and it’s good, but not Thanksgiving good. I would actually use even more onions. Thanks!
For a non dairy alternative use chef John Ash’s recipe for Cream Sauce without the Cream. It’s wonderful. I’ve been dairy free for almost 30 years and it’s hands down the best for creamy dishes and sauces such as Mac & Cheese and cream sauces. It is simple to make and can be frozen or refrigerated. Onion and rice are sautéed briefly, wine and lots of broth added, along with salt & pepper and cooked until soft, then puréed. I’m making some right now to use for this dish. With a houseful of competing allergies it’s a safe alternative for most people.
This green bean casserole looks very delicious. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
do you have to use cast iron skillet?
what’s the difference
Michael — No, you don’t have to use a cast-iron skillet. Some people like the look for presentation. I like that it can go from stove to oven.
I had great success with this recipe over the weekend (trial run for the big day!) using Namaste gluten-free flour blend and Glutino gluten-free breadcrumbs. This is my first major holiday without gluten, and even though I’m sad about missing out on many of my faves, the silver lining is that I’ve now discovered how delicious green bean casserole is when you make it with fresh ingredients! Thank you for sharing!!
Made this last weekend and it was FANTASTIC. It stole the show and was well worth the extra steps it takes. Thanks again Deb, you killed it!!
Hi Deb!
I was wondering, do you mean 12 oz. of chopped mushrooms, or unchopped mushrooms? The package says 8 oz. (unchopped), but seems like a lot more? Help!
Kathryn — Chopped and unchopped will weigh the same, right?
Thanks for the opinion on the turkey timing! I know it was a little off topic.
I just tried making the onion strings for this and they didn’t work too well. The breadcrumbs didn’t really stick to the onions. The onions got crispy anyway, but then got soggy when they cooled. What did I do wrong?
Hillary — Did you bake or fry them?
Omg… Just made the mushroom sauce as a do ahead and is it weird that I’m licking the pot and scraping it with a rubber spatula to get every last drop? Can’t wait to eat this tmro! Happy thanksgiving!
Ps this Kathryn used 20 oz of mushrooms because you can never have too many in my book!
The green bean casserole has always been one of my favorite sides, (I am from the midwest) but realizing a lot of my friends on the West Coast have never even heard of this! Love making it from scratch – waaay better than the canned version. Sharing this dish with green bean casserole virgins this year. Also, for those curious how to make it gluten free – I just made this GF by using equal amounts of coconut flour, tapioca flour and rice flour, that I found from another recipe and the onions are perfect! I also soaked the onions for about 30 minutes in buttermilk before breading. Everything else like the recipe above. Thank you for the recipe!
I can’t wait to see my friends faces when they realize I have a brought a homemade GBC (green bean casserole). Thanks for the great recipe! My place smells amazing this morning. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thank you ONE MILLION TIMES for this recipe. Just finished up the onions, and I could really just eat all of them. So looking forward to the finished dish.
I made this last night and everyone loved it!! I did almost a kilo of green beans and it was perfect saucy-ness! I used milk instead of cream, but it thickened up on the table. Reminds me of my mums but better!! Thank you.
This is perfection. I haven’t tasted the finished product yet (the casserole is in the fridge and the onions covered on the counter), but each element of the dish is great. I didn’t find it time consuming or overly fussy, so this will be a staple on my Thanksgiving table. Thanks!
I’m actively making this right now. I noticed the panko doesn’t stick to the onions, so if I make this again I’d skip that. I like the seasoned flour, though. And because why not – I grated about 1/2 cup of Parmesan into the sauce. Can’t wait to eat this!
I don’t like to be dramatic, but…LIFE. CHANGER. Oh my goodness…I prepped this yesterday and stood over the pan, spooning that deliciously amazing mushroom sauce into my mouth like there was no feast coming today. And I’m not even sorry. This is going into my regular dinner rotation…and I’m trying to figure out how many other dishes I can make that “need” this mushroom sauce. Thanks Deb!!!
P.S. I also made your apple herb stuffing…way to represent at my meal today. What did I do before you? :)
This was amazing. Made it for today. It was a hit! Happy Thanksgivng.
Made this today and it was so delicious. I loved the crunch of the fresh green beans. Additionally, I used an immersion blender to puree the sauce because I was eating with some mushroom haters. They loved the casserole too. Thanks Deb!
I love your pictures!! thank you for inspiring me with my blog!
I made this tonight, and Oh.My.Gawd. Incredible! The onions took a long time to make, so next year I’ll prep those a day before. I used crimini and white button mushrooms, and a good quality cream. I got beans from the farmer’s market. Just absolutely delicious. Thank you. For the crispy onions alone this recipe is a keeper!
Best dish of the Thanksgiving feast. I am thankful I found you, Deb!
I never had green bean casserole growing up, but seeing your recipe made me crave it for some reason. I made it for Thanksgiving and I couldn’t stop eating it before I got a chance to bake it! I used the truffle salt that you had recommended in previous year sand it made the mushroom sauce out of this world delicious. :9
I think next time I would let the onions sit a few minutes after slicing so they would sweat a little. Maybe that would have helped the crumbs stick to them better. All was well, though. I just tossed more bread crumbs in some melted butter and sprinkled them on top before baking. It was a hit!!
P.S. The precision turkey timing turned out to be a non-issue, since my partner accidentally unplugged the electric roaster in order to use the mixer. It was off for almost an hour before I noticed! The timing was totally off, but we just ate later and it was fine. I put a nice blanket out in the doghouse for him. :-/
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was VERY delicious. For a timesaver, one could use the Lars Crispy onions sold by Fresh Market and be equally happy. That mushroom sauce truly is divine.
I brought this to my mother-in-law’s Thanksgiving meal yesterday and it got rave reviews! No regrets on frying the onions either. I definitely added the nutmeg – it made the sauce smell even better. I will definitely be making homemade green bean casserole again. Thanks for the fantastic recipe.
Made this for Thanksgiving yesterday and it was a big hit! My aunt said, “I’d forgotten how good green bean casserole could actually be!” Also, the salt conscious part of the family was equally happy to hear the was no canned soup. Thanks so much for the recipe. Looking forward to trying more!
Made this yesterday…so proud of myself! Crispy onions were amazing – made in my Grandfather’s cast iron pan from the ’50’s! I could’ve used more green beans – (next time) – it was delicious. THANK YOU.
This recipe won top honors at our table this year for favorite new dish (and it had some stiff competition from the pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes). It will definitely make it into the regular rotation.
This was fun to make and everyone loved it. I recommend making a double batch of onions- one batch to top the green beans, and the other to eat while you’re making the casserole.
I made your recipe and doubled it yesterday for Thanksgiving (over abundance of food day) and it was DELICIOUS! Everyone loved it. As I was making the cream of mushroom soup, my 5 year old and I kept sneaking spoonfuls. SO good! Thank you for sharing!!!
Made this for Thanksgiving, and was so impressed that it came out perfect. This will be my new gb casserole recipe!!
This was the star at our meal this year. Also recommend making it with 20 oz mushrooms, and 2 lbs French green beans to serve 12 adults, with few leftovers. I made double the onion topping and put a thin layer of fresh grated Parmesan. Speck or Parma ham could also be added to the mushroom sauce for added flavor. It is a delicious scratch alternative to the canned favorite!
This was really good but I used French’s onions instead of making my own, mixing about a 1/2 cup in with the beans, then sprinkling the rest on top during the last 5 minutes of baking.
I also thought the beans were way too crisp. I recommend pulling one out of the pot after the 5 minutes of boiling and determining if that texture is good for you. The oven won’t do much to soften them up, so they need to be the way you want them before you put them in the oven.
I usually despise green bean casserole, but this looked so good I had to make it for Thanksgiving. It was amazing…my favorite dish at the table. Thank you for sharing!
This could not be easier and was truly the hit of our thanksgiving feast. The only things that got more raves were the homemade pies! This is going in my rotation throughout the year. It’s that good.
I made this for a huge crowd of American expats and various other nationalities, and it was a massive hit. I think we have converts to Thanksgiving as a result :-) Thank you!
This was great, made it twice over Thanksgiving. A single batch only filled a 9×9 dish for me, so I doubled it for a 9×13″ pan. Oddly, while my first batch of onions was perfect, the breading would.not.stick to the seconds batch at all, even though I used the same onions and ingredients. The fried onions were still delicious without the breading, though.
I also made the “sauce” again, but thinned it out with more broth and a little whole milk instead of cream, and a tiny dash of worcestershire sauce, and we had mushroom soup for dinner. Really wonderful.
I was asked to bring green bean casserole to Thanksgiving dinner. So I graciously said yes and then began a frantic search for something I could actually take. I can’t do canned soup and container of onions…because. And I FOUND YOU!!! How did I not know you before?!
My son helped me fry the onions. We ate half on pastrami sandwiches. We made a second batch and were able to leave them alone until they got on the casserole. And then I took it to dinner and felt happy and everyone loved it! Thank you.
Today I am making your chocolate toffee cookies for a cookie exchange. I have a feeling I won’t want to exchange them.
I made this for Thanksgiving and man was it good!! My husband is still talking about it!
Deb, can’t thank you enough. An hour before scheduled Thanksgiving dinner I had no idea how I would serve beans, then I found your recipe, fortunately I had all ingredients on hand, made this dish literally last minute, pulled it out of the oven and served in my cast iron skillet. Everyone loved it! Complemented perfectly the other dishes on the Thanksgiving table! Deb to the rescue :-). I’ve added fresh thyme, I found it goes well with mushrooms
I’m making this again tonight for my mother in law’s birthday dinner. She requested it again after I brought it to Thanksgiving dinner! Onions not frying as easily this time – I’m using veggetable oil this time because we have it aplenty. Last time I did half canola have olive oil. Would do that again next time.
This made me think though….can you please make a broccoli rice and cheese casserole? Yum! It’s an awesome side for Christmas and I made it a few years ago and it was great but I want to see your smitten take on it. You are my go to foodie!
I’m Canadian, and green bean casserole is not a Thing here. Plus, the canned version has always seemed mildly terrifying, although not as much as sweet potatoes with marshmallows. But this sounded delicious, tradition or no, so I went ahead and made it to eat alongside roast chicken tonight, and I was not at all disappointed! I made a half-batch of the beans and sauce, but the full amount of the onions, so that we can have them on sandwiches with the leftover chicken.
Hi Deb,
I love my cast iron pans so much.
Seems like you do too!
How do you care for yours? (cleaning, storing, etc.)
Thanks!!!
This looks amazing! I’ve always thought that green bean stuff was so gross. Maybe I jsut cooked it too long! Thanks for the info!
Awesome!
This looks very good and pretty easy to recreate. I will definitely try this one out:), and recommend to my friends.
thanks for the posting
This was really good and much easier to make than it sounds. If you can make gravy, then you can make this green bean casserole from scratch instead of a soup can.
PS I soaked the onions in buttermilk before coating in panko/flour. Also, I did not cook them with the casserole. I added them before serving so they wouldn’t burn in the oven.
I tried these last weekend using Gluten free breadcrumbs and they came out amazing! My wife and kids are begging me to make these for them everyday so thanks a ton for the recipe
Made this with almond milk and it worked beautifully. All other ingredients were exactly as listed. Yummy. Thank you.
Your recipe it’s delicious and also healthy. Everybody should eat green beans every week because it’s delicious and easy to make :)
Can this be made ahead and baked on Thanksgiving? So many last minute items for traditional meal.
Hi Joan — I give a few options for making this ahead at the end of the recipe: “Onions can be made long in advance (up to a day) and keep at room temperature, loosely wrapped (they’d get soggy in an airtight container). Green beans can be cooked and kept in fridge until needed, at least one day. Green beans can also be combined with mushroom sauce and kept refrigerated for up to a day. Add onions and bake shortly before serving. Finally, it’s less ideal, but the entire dish can be cooked, loosely wrapped (so the crispy top doesn’t get soggy) and then rewarmed in a low oven before serving. Just keep an eye on the topping so it doesn’t get too brown while reheating.” Hope that helps.
So I’m not sure if this has already been asked – so many comments to read…but I have s gluten free family member – if I use cornstarch instead of flour for the casserole and the onions, will it make a significant difference in taste?
Hi Tara — Commenters #42, 169 and 207 mention gluten-free adaptations that I hope will help.
This turned out great for our Thanksgiving celebration in Australia. Made a few changes with Maize Flour to make it GF for some of our guests. Came out wonderfully!!!! Will definitely make again.
Very tempted to try this! The only draw back I can see is that it sounds so delicious, it may become another required side dish to bring to Thanksgiving dinner.
This looks great. Two questions about making the green beans and mushroom sauce ahead of time: (1) do you need to cool the mushroom sauce before combining it with the green beans and putting it in the fridge? (2) given that the sauce and the beans will be cold, do you still suggest a 15 minute cooking time?
Amy — No reason to cool before combining. You will need more than 15 minutes, probably not double that amount of time, but perhaps almost.
I made this last year and it was amazing, well worth the effort. My sister in law, who is from Fiji, specifically requested that I make this for her again this year. I will happily oblige as it means I get to have some too.
I made a test batch of this last night for thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and it was a-maz-ing!!! I omitted the mushrooms and the sauce was the perfect consistency. The crispy onions….. Are now my favorite food of all time. Now, off to make those delicious looking pretzel rolls you posted recently, by special request for a holiday party at hubby’s work.
I have made this recipe four the last few years and well….I don’t even need the dang turkey. I could just eat the casserole. My wife always asks the same question, “You aren’t making a full recipe for just us are you”? The answer is ‘yes’.
I’m not sure why I didn’t find this recipe before, but I am so thankful I found it now. Will pick up the ingredients tomorrow and add to my Thanksgiving menu. LOVE your recipes!
Glad you posted this! Like your pumpkin puree suggestions, you are really helping me out with thanksgiving in Uganda, where I can’t find any of these weird packaged ingredients we tend to make thanksgiving food out of. I’m not sure I can find cream here, but there is plenty of very fresh (re:from a cow earlier today) whole milk available. Do you think it would be too watery and gross if I used milk instead of cream? I was thinking maybe it might work if I increased the amount of milk and decreased the amount of water (using bouillon for the chicken flavor). Thanks lady!
I think you’ll be just fine with just milk instead of cream, however, then I might go half/half with the milk/broth instead of 1/4-3/4. Enjoy!
Amazing recipe and has always been best side on the table…requested yearly! This year i will be adding bacon bits and frying onions in bacon grease. I’ll let ya’ll know how the tweak works.
Looks wonderful! Am trying it out today. Just curious: what are your thoughts on the traditional recipe’s use of putting French’s onions inside the casserole, as well as on top? Do your crispy onions hold up if combined instead of used just as a topping? Thank you! Can’t wait to eat this later!
Maija — It will likely depend on how long they sit in there. They’ll probably hold up for a couple hours, but if overnight or longer, could get soft.
For those looking for a vegan/dairy free sub for the heavy cream, I used cashew cream to marvelous, creamy, silky, delicious success
Did you use homemade cashew cream or did you purchase in the refrigerated milk section?
I made this today and my husband said upon taste testing it for me: I’d be happy if this was all that was on the table today. A success I’d say. Though I did use pancetta fat instead of butter…. :D Great, great recipe!
I made this last night for the first time ever. Debuting this on Thanksgiving took courage, but I have faith in Deb’s recipes, as I have yet to find a dud on this site. People were blown away by this recipe! I used a combination of baby portabellas and gourmet mushrooms and added shallots to the onions – what a success. My relatives were saying, “If I could only have a couple of things, I’d choose the stuffing and this…”
I am certain that from now on, Organic Homemade Green Bean Casserole from SK will be my annual contribution to the Thanksgiving table. Thank you, Deb!
I made this for our belated Thanksgiving today. My mother couldn’t stop raving about it! My sister who is so picky loved it! And my partner said I had to make another batch just for her because my family was eating too much of it! lol Thanks for another fantastic recipe! I can’t wait to have leftovers tomorrow!
I made this to bring to Thanksgiving with relatives and they all liked it. Even though I cheated and used frozen green beans, and deep fried onions from a bag (commonly used with Indian food), the beans were delicious. Had to leave off the cream and use Vegan margarine, and they still tasted good. This was a very durable dish. I made the sauce on Tuesday, added the steamed and cooled green beans on Wednesday, baked them Thursday morning, kept them hot on the way to dinner, topped them with the onions, and baked briefly. Good hot OR cold!
Hello Deb!
I made Alton Brown’s BGC 2 years ago and it was awesome except I was too afraid to do the onions so I used store bought (yuck)! This year, I used your recipe and my daughter’s deep Calphalon dutch oven and braved the fried onions and Voila! The Most Perfect Green Bean Casserole EVER! To. Die. For! THANK YOU! Even my non cook son in law watched and was inspired to try this. Yay!
I made this with half cream and half 1% milk and it turned out great! I also only fried about half the onions and had plenty. I was so happy with this as a side on our Thanksgiving table!
I tried this with almond milk instead of cream and it was delish!! For those of you who are dairy free or just don’t like to buy cream for one recipe, I highly recommend it. I increased the amount of almond milk though and cut back a little on the stock, per Deb’s recommendation.
U ROCK!!!!!!! Im making this for my stoner stepson. I told him that crap you buy in a can and bag has nothing on scratch cooking!
I’m usually just in charge of desserts for holiday meals, but my boyfriend has been asking for green bean casserole for years and this recipe was one I was actually willing to make (no can opener involved!). So I brought this to Christmas dinner and it was easily the most popular dish on the table. It was much easier to make than I anticipated. And now I am in charge of holiday desserts and green bean casseroles.
I discovered this recipe two Thanksgivings ago when I got tapped to do green bean casserole and I was loathe to use the typical highly processed ingredients. This recipe was exactly what I was looking for. I have since made it many times, converting many a relative back to green bean casserole. I also haven’t bought a can of mushroom soup since you taught me this technique! So thank you so much. Since that day two years ago I have made dozens of your recipes, purchased your wonderful book (for myself and as gifts to many others). You have yet to ever let me down with any recipe. So, long winded comment later, I wanted to thank you so much for your beautiful, interesting, delicious blog and book. You’ve helped rekindle my cooking passion in the muddy post-first baby years. Thank you!
I love crispy onions. The smell they give off when being fried is so fragrant. Definitely going to try this at home on the weekend.
Hi! I know that you said the green beans and sauce could be combined one day in advance, but do you think I could push it to two?? Time is not on my side this week, haha. Thanks!
Thanks for the recipe. I have made it multiple times with great turnout. My favorite American dish!!
Hey! Just wanted to leave a note and say that this recipe was a huge hit at Thanksgiving last year. When my friend and I hit the drawing table today for this year’s Thanksgiving, this casserole topped the “must-make-no-questions-about-it” list, second only to turkey, and beating apple pie. Thank you!
iF i 1.5 TIMES THIS RECIPE, WOULD i DO THE SAME FOR BAKING TIME?
Rose — The baking time would be about the same.
Hi, I thank you and just love this recipe!! I could eat fried onions everyday! I have an excess of fresh mushrooms. I already chopped, froze, and used them, and the texture was lost and there was so much water from them. If I were to cook the sauce/soup and freeze it to have on hand, would I lose the creaminess? Or what about just sauteeing the mushrooms and garlic, no flour then freezing and coming back to it? I bought a pressure canner earlier this year, and would love to can the soup, but I don’t have the nerve or time yet.thanks so much!!
Hi Deb – wondering about the crispy onions – I have read several recipes that suggest soaking the onions in milk for a few minutes first, but notice that you have not included this step. Thoughts?
Love to see this! Yes, green bean casserole does get picked on an awful lot, but since I started making an America’s Test Kitchen version (from scratch, fresh beans) years ago, my MIL won’t let me bring anything else for Thanksgiving. My nephew asked me to bring a dessert he’d seen on FB this year & when I told him it was either the dessert or the GB casserole, he quickly retreated and said ‘Oh, the GB casserole, for sure’…Yes, it’s that good. And while this recipe says the fresh nutmeg is optional in the sauce (mushroom soup), it’s well worth the consideration, and I think it would be missed. Great post, Deb!! Happy turkey-day!!!
This looks Soo good and from the reviews I will make this for Thanksgiving. I just need to know if I can make this at-least 3 days ahead of time?? Has anyone tried to make ahead of time??
Thank you
Never mind I found the post #211 which explains
Thank you
if made ahead a day before (beans and shrooms), do you think there will be any separation in the sauce?
dori — I wouldn’t expect there to be.
What type of mushrooms do you use?
This is the best recipe ever. Life changing. I would buy one more skillet and double the recipe, because you will never make enough!
Mmmmmm….I just made this dish! I taste and smells so good! I did skip the onion frying (I know, that is a big part of it). I had a can of TJ’s fried onions that I needed to use up and came across this dish. The mushroom sauce it so good! I did add the nutmeg. I used 1lb of green beans. Next time Im going to add more. I did 3 tablespoons of butter and same with flour. I would like it just a little more thicker. So I might add some more next time for Thanksgiving next week. I used baby bella and white button mushrooms. Thank you for sharing this dish! Ohhh, a couple of weeks ago I made the roasted squash with onions, and blue cheese. That was so amazing!!!
goat cheese! Not Blue cheese! :)
@Erin — You don’t need a second skillet! Just put the second batch in a casserole dish! I did that last week, and it worked perfectly.
See Deb’s response #162 “No, you don’t have to use a cast-iron skillet. Some people like the look for presentation. I like that it can go from stove to oven.”
And responder #232 mentions that she used a Dutch Oven with great results!
My 16-year-old niece and I made this dish last week, and my godson is demanding that I make it again for Thanksgiving. This will make the fourth time I’ve made this wonderful dish.
By the way after I made it last year, the crispy onions were so “prized” by my niece and godson that I started making them frequently, as a topping for my vegetable stir-fry. They aren’t hard to do!
I know I’m late to the game, and I didn’t have time to read through all the comments, but has anyone suggested using shiitake mushrooms? I didn’t have any regular ones on hand, but I did have some dehydrated shiitakes. I rehydrated them, chopped them up a bit, then used the mushroom broth in the sauce instead of chicken or veggie broth. It was ah-mazing. If you feel like experimenting, I suggest you try it. There were no leftovers the next day.
Would this go with duck?
I want to try this recipe, but I already have the store-bought fried onions. Can I follow the normal recipe for the green beans/mushrooms and throw them on top instead? Also I’m assuming I would put them on after the dish comes out of the oven or they will burn, right?
Annalise — I don’t see why not.
Natalia — Sure, delicious.
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge success. I made the sauce, cooked the beans and fried the onions the day before. On Thanksgiving, I combined the beans and sauce in the serving dish and heated it for about 15 minutes in a 300 oven. Then I added the fried onions and heated it for an additional 5 mins. Worked perfectly. The onions didn’t burn and everything was the right temperature.
Thanks for another great recipe.
Just wanted to share that I’ve been making this for the past 3 years and it is has been a revelation. I’ve always loved the Thanksgiving green bean casserole but making the entire thing from scratch was not something I ever considered. This recipe is straightforward and perfect, and it is now a Thanksgiving tradition at my house. Thank you!
I made this to comply with Whole30 and Paleo diets. It’s amazing how tasty it was and how easy it was to adapt it, which shows what an amazing recipe this is to begin with. I made the cream of mushroom soup according to this recipe using coconut cream (http://myheartbeets.com/cream-mushroom-soup-paleo/) — and it doesn’t taste like coconuts (which was my initial worry). For the fried onions, I did a mix of potato and tapioca flours and instesad o panko I did almond flour. The onions came out very well. No one could tell the difference. This casserole, even with adaptations, was the star of our Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you, Deb!
Hi Deb,
Made this for TG last week and it was terrific. Just what I was looking for in this updated version. I blanched the beans the day before and made the mushroom sauce TG morning, then combined them. My daughter was in charge of the onions and when it was put together in the casserole dish, everyone was surprised — and pleased!
Thanks for a great version that I will be making again and again. Belated Happy TG to you and your family.
This is amazing! I made it for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. It was especially good for breakfast the next morning.
I loved the sauce the way it’s written, but I added a large handful of grated Parmesan cheese and it made the sauce even more delicious!
Love these! Have made them often since you published this recipe. My family asked for them again this year for Easter. Once again I forgot that I need to double the onions since we usually end up eating them as they fry up! Lol! We’re gluten free and find that the brown rice flour subs in nicely for the flour.
I love this recipe. This is how I found your website and I am so glad I did! I have discovered amstyle of cooking classic American dishes that are so fun and rewarding. This recipe (and the rest of your website) has made me a better cook! Thank you!
And here I am again making this delicious casserole. My son likes to mark special milestones by choosing a favorite dinner. We are having this tonight to celebrate the first day of school. I also made it on the last day of school in June, for his 10th birthday in January and many other days in between. Thank you!!
This is a great recipe! I’ve been making a version of this for many years when I decided to eliminate as many processed foods as possible. My only change is that I cook a few slices of bacon and make the sauce using the fat in the pan, crumbling in the bacon when assembling the casserole. It’s gilding the lily because it’s definitely not needed but it’s mighty tasty.
Has anyone tried to make this in a crock pot? I imagine it would require putting the onions on at the end after cooking. Any suggestions for cooking time?
I need to make this for a thanksgiving crowd that doesn’t eat mushrooms. I’ve made this plenty of times and I think the mushrooms add such wonderful flavor!! Any recommendations for a substitute ? Thanks!!
Has anyone baked this in a 9×13 glass dish instead of cast iron? If so, any adjustments to the recipe or baking time/temp? Thanks!
Yes I did. I didn’t make any adjustments and it was fine.
Thank you!
Hi! I am planning on making fried onions for a green bean casserole two days ahead of time. I’m going to let them cool after frying them, and am planning on storing them until I top and then bake the casserole. Your recipe says that they will get soggy if stored in an airtight container, but other sites say that you SHOULD store them in an airtight container. Any thoughts? Have you tried this since making this recipe in 2013? Have you had any experience storing these and having them keep? Thanks!
Absolutely, made a double batch last weekend. I store them separately and generally fry them the day-of. All other parts can be made and assembled 1 to 2 days early. I haven’t yet tried making them the day before. If I did, I’d be tempted to keep them open at room temperature so they don’t get soggy, but I’m not postive that’s absolutely food-safe. Hence, I just fry them in the morning. Hope that helps. Oh, and if you’re reheating, make sure to get the green beans and sauce very warm before adding the onions for the last 15 minutes, otherwise they get too brown.
I am an amateur cook. this recipe really struck me because it seemed easy enough for even me to make. I made this for a friendsgiving potluck and it was delicious! I got tons of compliments from guests. I even had one friend who said she normally doesn’t like green beans but she really liked this dish. I was so pleasantly surprised by how easy and good it was.
I ended up using light cream instead of heavy cream and no one was the wiser.
I also went a bit heavier handed with both the mushrooms and green beans.
I used two medium sized onions per the recipe but wished I had more! The fried onion as you can imagine was amazing. One thing I did note though, we used the exact measurements for the fried onions (flour, Pablo etc) and we felt it didn’t coat the onion enough. We ended up free hand adding more flour, panko and seasoning to the onion mix. Mind you, even then it was a light mix.
Def going to be a staple in my potluck rotation now!
This was so yummy! I had never tasted green bean casserole before, so didn’t know what to expect, but the family generally likes mushroom soup, green beans and onion strings. Did a trial run today ahead of Thanksgiving and this is certainly going on the menu.
I did not want to use heavy cream, and had only veggie bouillon (no broth), so I used 2 cups 2% milk, 3/4 bouillon cube and skipped the heavy cream. Sauce was creamy enough. For the amount of sauce, 1 lb beans were not enough. I’ll go with 1.5 lbs next time. Also, instead of boiling beans, I prefer to steam them for 4 minutes in a hot skillet with a splash of water and pinch of salt.
Deb, I really trust and enjoy using your site for tried and tested recipes. Love your humor and pictures of your adorable kids. I lurk and almost never comment. We are a vegetarian family of 4. For many years I avoided subscribing because it is hard to resist making your latest recipe and they tend not to be low calorie. This is not a criticism – there are plenty of blogs around that feature mostly healthy food. I am now a subscriber here. I can’t decide whether I have more willpower now or I’ve just decided that resistance is futile. 😉 Thank you for making my family’s meals more enjoyable!
At what point do you add the nutmeg if you’re using it? I can’t seem to find it in the recipe…
Right into the sauce. Sorry, will fix.
Today my butt was saved when I forgot to check if cream of mushroom soup was dairy free. Thank goodness for you posting your friendsgiving menu and me remembering you had made this. Used full fat coconut milk for the cream and now my lactose intolerant father-in-law will be able to enjoy green bean casserole with the rest of us!
At Thanksgiving dinner tonight, Smitten Kitchen was well represented: we made your green bean casserole, balsamic glazed cipollini onions, butternut squash with caramelized onion and cider (which we serve as a side dish instead of a crostini topping – it works both ways!), bourbon pumpkin cheesecake, and salted caramel sauce (for good measure). The cheesecake in particular blew several relatives’ minds.
Deb, we’ve been making some of your wonderful recipes for so long that I sometimes forget which ones are yours, and which are family recipes. I only found out yesterday that the cipollini onion recipe was yours, because my mom has been making it for years–longer than I even knew she had been reading your site.
Just wanted to let you know that my family and I are very thankful for all the hard work and love you put into developing your recipes. They’ll continue to be at the center of our dinner table for many years to come.
two big tips:
1) when you’re foraging for mushrooms (in the wild or at the market), the wider variety you include, the better. the complexity of the sauce will astound.
2) soak the sliced onions in buttermilk. it helps mellow the flavor in a lovely way, but more importantly, helps the coating stick.
the mushroom sauce can be made way ahead, and the onions can be soaked overnight. it’s an easy dish to bring to someone else’s dinner. you can bring it completely assembled, or if you’re granted kitchen privileges, fry the onions and/or assemble & bake once you arrive.
Thanks for the tips! I made this for the first time yesterday and the onions were frustrating…I had sliced them ahead and think they dried out a bit, so all the coating ended up in the bottom of the bowl.
I made this for Thanksgiving this year. I had to omit the mushrooms because my husband & his family don’t like them so I wasn’t expecting much, but the casserole was delicious! The fried onions were a perfect touch. Not a single bean left over :(
I just made this for a Friends-mas celebration and it was fabulous! To be honest, I’ve always enjoyed green bean casserole and have only ever had the canned version but I did want to step up my gain and try a route with a few more fresh ingredients. To streamline the process, I used a pre-washed and trimmed bag of green beans, boiled them in a pot for 5 minutes. Then I made the sauce as directed in a cast iron pan. Because I was making this the night before my party I transferred the beans and sauce to a clear glass Pyrex baking dish (9 x13) and covered with its matching lid. The next day I was overwhelmed with the idea of making the onions, so I cheated and used the canned fried onions. I topped the Pyrex baking dish with the canned onions and put it in the oven for 30 minutes. Wow!! This was amazing! My husband has never liked any form of green bean casserole and truly enjoyed this one. I’d say leftovers are even better. I had a vegetarian over for the Friends-mas and this was a nice hearty main dish too. What a winner of a dish!
Also, used 2 x 8 oz of pre sliced mushrooms and the consistency was great (thick, but still plenty creamy).
This is thanksgiving perfection. Blows the ultra processed version out of the water. For get togethers I go to the effort of making the cripsy onions but for a weeknight side I’ve used the storebought cirspy onions and been very pleased. Love that it’s easy to make it all ahead and just heat and throw the onions on when ready to serve.
It’s that time again, Thanksgiving!
I have some GF people coming over this year, what are the best options for adapting this recipe? I can’t live without it!
any ideas on how to make this dairy free ?
Would this be alright with red onions? We live in a relatively small town in China with (mysteriously) no access to yellow onions. I’ve tried searching the comments but didn’t find any on this subject, apologies if I missed it. Happy early Thanksgiving!
I am going to break with tradition and make this green bean casserole instead of The Galley Gourmet’s this year. I know it will be just as delicious! Can you imagine if I made both?!? #glutton
Should I wait until the water the mushrooms give off is fully evaporated before adding in the flour?
thanks for info tatoqq
I was planning to make GBC for Thanksgiving last year but I had an enormous head of cabbage from our garden share so I shredded it, sautéed it until it was crisp-tender, and used it in place of the green beans. (Measure the volume after sautéing since the cabbage cooks down so much). It was so good I was hoping to have leftovers but the dish was cleaned out. I imagine the recipe would also be good with Brussels sprouts or any hearty vegetable that you would use in a gratin.
This mushroom gravy is so simple but also really yummy and so much better than the canned cream of mushroom soup.
Just a reminder to everyone to go easy on the salt in the mushroom gravy if you’re going to use the French’s onions. I like to mix some of those in with the beans and gravy (like the back of the can recipe) and then sprinkle some on top too, but whoa they are way saltier than the homemade fried onions.
Great side dish for our thanksgiving dinner. Thank you -everyone loved it
EASY TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE!!
I’ve made this in the past and love it. Tastes great, and is super easy to make in three parts (green beans, mushroom sauce, and fried onions) the day before and then throw together and hour before the meal and toss in the oven. It’s always a hit.
Well this year I was diagnosed with Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity… so no more gluten for me. This year I made this recipe and used King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour in place of regular flour in this recipe. Not a single person noticed. The recipe turned out amazing as usual and unfortunately, we were left with not enough leftovers.
seems to look good tahunqq
My daughter made this for Thanksgiving dinner and it was delicious. She doubled the recipe and it came out perfect. And it’s absolutely worth the time and effort to make the onions – they were so good…they really pull the dish together. I only had olive oil to fry them in, but it worked just fine in the cast iron pan. Thank you for the homemade version of this classic dish – it’s a keeper!
This recipe is amazing. I made it for Thanksgiving this year, and everybody raved about it!! The flour and panko on the fried onion really makes them turn out great. I used a deep fryer, but I’m sure they would have been just as good in a cast iron pan. I followed the note at the end of the recipe and added the extra tablespoon of flour and butter to the sauce, and dried the beans thoroughly. SOOOOO tasty!
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. Has anybody cooked the green beans in the microwave instead of boiling them? I sometimes buy the bag of trimmed green beans that can be microwaved in the original packaging.
Yup, total time saver and still tasted great!
Just wondering if the fried onions need to be put into the oven. Can they instead be fried until a deep golden shade and then placed on top of the casserole right before serving?
I do think this would work, but I still put them in for at least 5 minutes if doing it this way just so they merge a little.
Being Australian, I’ve never had green bean casserole. I’ve been missing out!! Made it as a side dish for a mustardy pork scotch fillet, and it was absolutely sublime!
I cannot believe I didn’t comment on this a year ago when I first made it! It’s one of the first recipes I used to break in my tiny cast iron skillet, one of the first things I made with it. (Cornbread was probably the very first.) GBC is a major childhood nostalgia for me, as my mom did something that I didn’t realize was unusual until I was around 12 years old: She added a pound of ground meat to the recipe to make it a ‘complete meal’ and served it very, VERY regularly. It was one of my very favorite dishes growing up and is still my favorite part of the Thanksgiving table. I tend to cut the meat these days (after a couple of college-vegetarian years) and amp up the fried onions to make up for the umami-ness my mom trained me to expect. I’m excited to return to this recipe this winter for some comfort food. It was easy and fun and delicious!
Making for Easter as I do for every major holiday! I do all the prep the night before to save time on the big day. The best part- while prepping I make myself a complete tasting portion “to make sure it’s good enough to serve guests.” What kind of hostess would I be if I didn’t double check?!
You are so kind! (And so smart :-))
This is delicious! Another question re: cooking for lactose intolerant eaters: Would creme fraiche work as a substitute for the heavy cream?
I’d think so but does it not have lactose in it? I didn’t know.
Hello, i successfully made a vegan version for friends using Vegan butter (I can’t believe it’s not butter vegan) and Cashew milk, in the refrigerated milk section of the store, for the cream. It was delicious! I myself enjoy the full dairy version but I thought the vegan version was great too!
Ellen just ask them how they are with COOKED milk products. I’m lactose intolerant and am fine so long as whatever dairy is cooked. Used cream in this and never had an issue.
I’ve made this several years running and it is my favorite side now of Thanksgiving (sorry, sweet potato casserole).
Also, I add bacon. Because bacon makes everything better.
I made this. Well, just the onions so far. And I was half way through cooking the first pan full and said to myself “This is just silly. I’ll never make these for Thanksgiving. Too much work, too much mess, too much smell, too much doubt”. The first batch finished cooking and I popped one sliver in my mouth and now am eating my words!!! So goooood!
I am newly gluten and dairy free and am not sure how I’ll get through the holidays this year 😂 Do you know how well this recipe may be adapted to be gluten and dairy free?
A staple at our Thanksgiving now. SO MUCH BETTER than the canned soup/French’s onions junk. I make the shallots and the sauce the day before and then on Thanksgiving day I assemble and final bake. I have used King Arthur Measure for Measure gluten free flour in this recipe with no problem since I have Celiac.
I have made this for the past two Thanksgivings and there is NOTHING left when dinner is over. In fact, I usually will “taste test” and eat about a cup of this so I have to triple the recipe so I have enough. Seriously, this is AMAZING! I don’t adjust anything, I just follow the directions. Green bean casserole is usually a bummer of a dish but THIS is a staple of our family Thanksgiving meal.
I grow my own beans, parboiled ants froze them for winter. Would you suggest just thawing them and letting the heat of the sauce finish the cooking, or just cooking separately to tenderness. Thanks!
This recipe reminds me of the Martha Stewart Green Bram Casserole, which I love. https://www.marthastewart.com/340211/green-bean-casserole
I love your writing and your recipes. I want to try this casserole but make it gluten free. How can I accomplish that with the onions?
Use rice flour and gluten-free panko!
This is my favorite recipe! I have to make 2 because it’s such a hit and great for leftovers! I’ve graduated from canned green beans and been making this recipe for my family for the past 3 years!
Any one ever try the onions using an air fryer?
“If you’re truly going to make something from scratch, you have to start by creating the universe.” — Carl Sagan
I made this last year for Thanksgiving. I made Alton Brown’s original the year before. I find canned cream of x soup gross but my family demands “GBC.” I definitely prefer the thicker consistency of the SK version and may thicken it up even more this year. Since I’m making so many other dishes this year and i have a toddler, I’m using store bought fried onions. After slaving over the homemade the last 2 years (my mother watched completely baffled as I spent probably an hour prepping this compared to the 5 minutes it takes with canned ingredients) I just can’t bring myself to make the onions again. Just not worth the time and energy! But overall this recipe is so much better than the canned.
We made this for Thanksgiving this year. It’s so good! Thank you for the recipe
Green bean casseroles aren’t a Thanksgiving staple for my family, so I did not have any nostalgic loyalty to this dish. Can’t say I really liked it although a few of my guests did. Even though it’s just three tablespoons, I think I was a little unsettled about using flour in the dish. The only thing I’d remake is the fried onions. So good! I used crushed pork rinds instead of the bread crumbs because that’s all I had. Two onions wasn’t enough for us onion lovers.
Second year making this for Thanksgiving. I’m trying to get into the habit of tasting more throughout the cooking process, and one thing I noticed this year was that I actually loved the taste of the mushroom sauce *before* adding the cream. I might play around next time with either omitting the dairy altogether or going with something much lighter like milk. Also, I don’t buy breadcrumbs unless I have to, and I don’t always have bread on hand either, but dusting the onions with flour did the job. So many of your recipes have made their way into my stand-bys–thank you!
For a Thanksgiving for two, I made this with one onion (which was plenty to cover the surface of the casserole in a 12 inch cast iron). The onion strings didn’t cook as evenly as I expected so I had to babysit them a bit. I doubled the amount of mushrooms in the sauce since they cook down so much and it was a good call – more mushrooms is always better (Deb, I have a feeling you’d agree). Also added finely chopped sage to the sauce. Don’t skip the nutmeg – it’s a great addition! Even when the onions go soggy in the leftovers it’s still great for days afterwards.
Hi Deb,
I made this for thanksgiving. It blew us all away! How do I turn this amazing sauce into a soup?
I suppose you could thin it further, or you could just make my favorite mushroom soup. Glad it was a hit.
Hi Deb, about how long to reheat from room temp? You say in all the posts to wait to add the onlions until fully reheated, but I wasn’t sure how long to budget for the reheating. Thanks!
It will depend on the pan but I’m sure 20 minutes at 350 will do it.
My go to recipe. I just use French’s onions on top to make it easier and cook it all in stages in the same cast iron pot. So good! And heed the other commenter- if you’re going to use French’s, reduce the overall salt (I did half Tsp) bc those things are salty
Hi Deb! I know it’s not even Rosh Hashanah yet, but I’m already starting to think about my Thanksgiving menu. I’ve made this dish every single year since you posted it and it’s become a family favorite, but my schedule is more hectic this year. I’m wondering if the mushroom sauce would freeze well so that I might make it a few weeks ahead, then thaw it in time to complete the casserole on Thanksgiving day. Any thoughts?
This is my question as well. I’m expecting a baby the week of Thanksgiving and I don’t want to miss out on my favorite meal of the year. Would love to make well in advance and freeze so my husband can heat it up! Maybe not the onions but everything else. Wonder if it’d be ok?
Can you do the onions in an air fryer?
I haven’t experimented with one but I bet you could.
DO we use salted or unsalted butter? thank you
I use unsalted. Salted is fine, just watch the additional salt.
I’ve made this several times and love it. The sauce has never quite been thick enough without adding some flour and butter mixed together during the post-cream simmer. The onions take a lot of time since there are so many & u can’t put too many in the oil at once.
I made this green bean recipe for Thanksgiving 2019. This was the best green bean casserole! Since my daughter won’t each mushrooms, I had to omit the mushrooms from this recipe. However, it still turned out great! I made the recipe the day before Thanksgiving and it still worked perfectly. I fried the onion rings on the stove and they were perfectly crispy and delicious. In prior years, I’ve tried to make the crispy onions in the oven and they turned out gummy. So I would not recommend that method. I made the green beans and the crispy onions the day before and stored them separately (crispy onions in a Tupperware with the lid not secured). On Thanksgiving, I brought the casserole (minus the crispy onions) up to room temperature. Then I warmed them in the oven for a bit. Towards the end, I added the crispy onions. Best green bean casserole ever! Worth the effort in my opinion.
Green bean casserole is one of my favorite dishes and I loved the idea of making it with fresh ingredients instead of canned. It’s obviously much more work but your recipe is delicious, Deb, and worth it for a special occasion (I made it for Christmas). I used a variety of mushrooms and chopped them the night before, and I followed another commenter’s tip to slice the onions and soak them in buttermilk overnight to keep them from drying out and help the flour cling. I will definitely recommend and make again! Thank you for this and for the many other recipes of yours that I’ve made over the years. From savory to sweet, they’re always spot on. Happy Holidays :)
The sauce for these green beans is , Absolutely, the most killer, KILLER, mushroom soup I have EVER had, and soooo easy, it almost cooks itself and makes me want to cry. I think you need to add it to your soup category and quick dinners in a flash category . Must admit, homemade stock helps make it magical. But I know, your followers have an abundance of that in their freezers.
You are beyond amazing and during this crazy Corina time, a godsend and inspiration. Endless thanks for all you do.
Frances Wallace
I am not American and had never heard of it until my American husband started rambling on about his favourite Thanksgiving dish. I have made it several times now and it is a very popular recipe, even with his mum who makes the ‘traditional’ from a can version!
I like to add a few sprigs of thyme when cooking the mushrooms/sauce and would recommend trying this if you, too, have no idea what it’s supposed to taste like and would enjoy an extra herbal note.
Deb,
What happened to the print option for recipes on your site? I am a “paper girl” and really like to print out recipes that I want to try at a later point – or to carry from my office to my kitchen when I cook. I loved that your website made it so easy in the past. The option seems to have disappeared, sadly. Any chance it will come back?
It should be there! Here are my usual instructions: There is a print icon that leads to a print template at the bottom of each recipe, where it says “DO MORE:” You can also click CTRL or ⌘ + P from any recipe post and it will take you to a streamlined print template.
Perfect, thanks for the response!
Left overs of this casserole are great as an addition to an omelet the next day! Delicious!
Is it permissible for us Republicans to use you recipes or would you prefer we use recipes from a different site! Asking for a friend, of course!
That was a joke up top.
This has become a holiday staple for us over the last few years. Making green bean casserole from scratch is well worth the effort, but I skip making the onions and use the canned ones (because I like them!) However, I did make the onions the first year and they were delicious.
I discovered a blanching trick. I have an electric kettle. I boiled water and ran it over them in a strainer. had to do it twice but way easier. FYI
Hi, I need help! How do you manage multiple dishes for Thanksgiving that require different oven temperatures? For example, I want to make this green bean casserole (400 degrees) and your recent corn pudding (350 degrees). Trying to use slow cooker and stovetop as well, but still confused. Thank you and happy holidays to you and your family!
Here’s what I do: I cook my sides in the morning before the turkey, or the day before. If the morning, I just leave them out so they’re not fridge-cold by dinner. Then, it’s a good idea to rest your turkey before carving it (15 to 20 minutes for a big bird), and then it takes me another 15 to 20 to carve it. That 30 to 40 minute period is ideal for rewarming sides in the oven. Virtually everything will reheat fine at 350 or 375. For these green beans, I like to just warm the beans in sauce in full; sprinkle the onions on for the last 5 minutes.
One good reason to have all the Cheese and Olives, etc – MORE leftovers for me… they are just the best!
I have been using Alton’s recipe for years because I don’t want canned soup, I have been tweaking it myself but this was great. I recommend doing the fried onions in oil, as I tried altons and it was too complicated and they burned quickly. This way was perfect. Thank you thank you!!!!
Can you make this in advance and cook off on the day of?
Can the sauce for the green bean casserole be made in advance?
Absolutely. Lots of make-ahead tips at the end of the recipe.
Two questions, can you make this in a 9×13 baking pan? And can you make it two days in advance?
I make this every year— one of our absolute faves!!! The onions are amazing! I am so glad to have an adult version of my favorite childhood thanksgiving dish.
Made this both gluten and dairy free for my hubby- it’s a real winner! Used a 1 for 1 GF flour and Ripple milk instead of cream and it turned out beautifully.
Oh, my goodness! We just staggered away from the dinner table but I had to tell you how yummy this casserole is. I usually skip the green bean casserole on Thanksgiving, but not this year! I made all of the components yesterday (prompting my husband to ask, “What’s that basket of worms in the kitchen for?”) and assembled and cooked the casserole today. It was all I could do not to snack on all the crispy onion “worms” before putting them on the casserole. We keep Kosher, so I used evoo and coconut cream (to serve with the Kosher turkey) and it worked fine. I don’t know why it took me so long to try this.
I made this yesterday for Thanksgiving. This WILL be on the menu next year, or maybe I won’t wait that long! I used 1 1/2 pounds haricot vert. Next time I’ll just use 1 pound, or make more sauce. I have some mushrooms left and plan to make more sauce to add to the leftovers. Those fried onions are the star! I like that all the “parts” of this recipe can be made ahead and that it can all be done in one pan.
I normally don’t eat green bean casserole at Thanksgiving, but this recipe has completely changed that for me! The only adjustment I made was doubling the flour /panko mix for the onions (per someone else’s feedback), and I may just make the cream of mushroom soup recipe on its own in the future. Thank you Deb for this spectacular recipe — you’ve made me a convert!
This is absolutely yummy. My husband grew up with classic green bean casserole with the canned soup, so has a soft spot for it, but I just can’t get into it. I gently nudged him to try this version this year, and he made it (and he’s not a cook!) and it turned out delicious for everyone, and was not too difficult! Worth the extra effort for sure. Thank you for the recipe!
I made this vegan with a cup of cashew cream instead of the cream and a cup of mushroom broth and it was fantastic. I have made it both as written and now vegan and I could not tell the difference.
Thank you for this update! I’m veganizing this tomorrow
This was incredible! Thanks! The sauce is wonderful. It really does taste like a fresher, better version of the original with more umami. I french cut my green beans for an even better texture. Tedious but worth it!
I can not eat dairy. Are there good alternatives for this recipe? Apologies if this has been answered in the past.
Yes, you can use a non-dairy milk instead of milk and margarine for the butter.
Darnit, Deb, now you’ve done it. You had me at piles of crispy onions. I avoid the “traditional” green bean casserole at all costs. And I don’t deep-fry at home. But now…I think I have to try this, if only to rescue the bag of frozen green beans foisted on us by a friend who moved out of state. I will report back. You know, for science.
I love all of your recipes! Thank you for this “from scratch” green bean casserole. I dislike the canned version. I have seen recipes where they soak the onions in just buttermilk before frying. Which do you prefer? Also, I am making ahead of time. Instead of adding the onions when I bake it, can I add them them right before reheating the next day?
Thank you!
I made this tonight and it was amazing! I used frozen green beans and it turned out great. It seems much harder to make than it actually was. Definitely going to make it again!
Someone from 2021 has to comment here. I utterly disagree with Sam Sifton. Please give me something besides bland brown blobs on my Thanksgiving plate! An refreshing salad! A fruit! A bracing herbal sauce that isn’t cream-based! And yes to crispy homemade onions and thank God for cranberries.
Lynn, thank you for saying what I thought as well. Anyone who gets mad at the pile of green salad (which I probably brought as my contribution to the meal for reasons which will soon be apparent) on my plate needs to make the connection to the inversely-proportionately small portion of turkey, smothered with cranberry sauce, next to it.
The Thanksgiving meal is about the sides and dessert. There, I said it.
The bread crumbs are not necessary..equal parts potato starch and flour create a shatteringly crisp exterior..must deep fry. I like to incorporate some crispy onions inside the casserole as mom used to.. a bread crumb coating would not lend itself to that method. Mushroom sauce is spot on
I made this vegan with using vegetable broth (Better than Boullion) and fresh cashew milk (soaked unroasted cashews blended with water) and it turned out wonderful!!! Thank you for this great recipe
Very approachable recipe for green bean casserole from scratch, although, I found it to be a bit bland so I added worcestershire sauce and it brought so much more to the dish. I also used French’s crispy onions which speeded things up as I didn’t have time to make the onions from scratch (also I love them). I have made this a few times and when the grocery store did not have enough green beans I did add frozen and skipped the blanching.
Oh my word! I made this for Thanksgiving and it was delicious!!! Even the leftovers are so yummy! Great recipe!
I doubled the recipe then split it in two as I had two Thanksgiving dinners to attend. It was a massive hit at both parties; lots of positive comments came my way. I made the following mods; increased the butter by + 25%, left most of the greens beans long (nice aesthetic), increased the garlic by +100%, added fresh pine nuts. Sprinkled a couple punches of sea salt over the top post cook. Tremendous stuff.
This was sooooo good. I halved the recipe like Deb advised for a party of 4 and we had enough for leftovers. We used two onions for the half recipe and we have ZERO regrets on that.
Things I would note:
I made the sauce and beans and mixed them the night before. I used whole milk instead of heavy cream, so I thickened it with an extra tablespoon of flour and butter. The sauce kind of soaked into the green beans overnight, so I would maybe mix right before baking.
We had trouble with getting the breading to stick to the onions. I ended up soaking a second batch of onions in buttermilk. We used crushed Ritz instead of panko because that’s what we had on had. Either way – the onions turned out FREAKING AMAZING.
This was a win.
This is a wonderful recipe!
And an easy option was to use store bought fried onions…
So delicious on mashed potatoes – a comfort meat free meal.
Tried this for the first time last night and it wasn’t a winner for me, not over the tried and true anyway. If I made it again, I would wait to put the onions on top till the last 10 mins, and I would cook the beans longer. Even after blanching them they were still too uncooked. Also the sauce didn’t thicken up enough in the 15 mins.
The onions were great on their own tho- I used a fry daddy (don’t toss in too many at once or it will boil over) and I will definitely make these again.
Glad I didn’t try this for the first time on thanksgiving- I think it could be okay if you really want it to be, but it’s so much work and not worth it.
We’re hosting this year and need to be dairy free. Any suggestions on how to adapt this recipe? Thank you!
Here are comments from people who have made this without dairy:
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/#comment-1476368
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/#comment-1765755
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/#comment-792880
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/#comment-792949
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/#comment-792957
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/#comment-1272706
https://smittenkitchen.com/2013/11/green-bean-casserole-with-crispy-onions/#comment-1766185
Has anyone tried to make the crispy onions in an airfryer?
Do you have a sauce that isn’t mushroom based? I am allergic to them. I would love to make something like this with a delicious creamy sauce that I could eat.
I intend to make without mushrooms bc I hate them. I think it will be fine. Add extra seasonings to the sauce
Do you think using dried Mushrooms would work?
Tastes as good as it looks and my gosh it looks amazing. I questioned if going to the trouble to make my own crispy onions was worthwhile and it was. Even though the house will smell like fried onions for weeeeeeeeks. Perfect as described. Thanks, Deb!!
That moment when you’ve been on your feet for 14 hours straight cooking the day before Thanksgiving, finally ready for dinner after all the rest of the house is already gravitating towards sleep, hold in your chopped-all-day-tired-hands a warm bowl of leftover chicken tortilla soup (SK’s! Outstanding.) and as an afterthought, borrow from the liberal pile of just-fried-onion-straws destined to top green bean casserole next day (also SK! Haven’t tried final product yet but couldn’t stop taking bites of the sauce) and sink into that single sensation which is indulging in something comforting when you are tired to your bones.
Each blog post, each comment thread, are rooms that we all thread our way in and out of over the years, like children playing in sea caves. We, the collective amateur-but-oh-so-passionate home cooks. We, who range from anywhere between those who are confident (and opinionated!) experts all the way down to humble beginners, fumbling our way around our kitchens, burning our casseroles while not taking ourselves too seriously and keeping the pizza delivery # handy. [Shout out to my sweet family, my husband and boys who for so many years have put up with glorious messes of spent, zested and juiced citrus and piles of onion peels, you who have endured 9pm dinners with sleepy eyes and encouraging words] We are all in this together, weaving in and out of these always-pulsing-rooms. Sharing the same recipes, experiencing the same tastes and scents that make our way into each of our far-flung homes. Blowing out birthday candles on the exact cakes. Treasuring so many same family favorites. Thank you, Deb, for creating this grand mansion with so many rooms with doors that are always open, windows flung wide to lure the passers by in the streets Happy Thanksgiving!
Sara Beth, you brought tears to my eyes. If only we could be in one anothers’ kitchens the way we are in this space. Thank you for putting it so well.
This was delicious. Big hit at Thanksgiving and definitely worth the extra steps compared to the old standby.
I made this for Thanksgiving and it is delicious! I doubled the recipe and was glad to have some leftovers after a dinner for eleven. As suggested, I boiled the beans and made the mushroom sauce the day before (refrigerated separately), using a blend of crimini, hen of the woods and trumpet mushrooms. Also, I didn’t have heavy cream, but half and half worked just fine.
It’s an extra step but I heated the cream and add fresh whole sage to infuse. Really next level! Also, no such thing as too much fried onions.
Just made for a Friendsgiving and people loved it. Used beef stock and sautéed the mushrooms in bacon grease, along with a leek that I sliced up thinly. GBC was never my cup of tea and only appeared on our table if someone brought it, but we’ll definitely be making it again for Thanksgiving Day. I’m a naysayer no more :)
What to sub for butter and cream to make this vegan? Please!
Hello there,
I am looking forward to trying this recipe this holiday, but what type of mushrooms do you use? It just says mushrooms and the flavor is so different from one to the next.
Thank you in advance,
Kristel
Could this be made in a Dutch oven instead of a cast iron skillet?
Looks like Alton Brown updated his recipe in 2020. (https://altonbrown.com/recipes/best-ever-green-bean-casserole/) I’m curious as to your thoughts on his updated recipe and if you’d change anything about this version based on his newer one. (He seems to agree with you that the onions should just be fried.)
I like a crispy green bean, will the extra baking affect the crispiness? Could I just coat the cooked green beans and not bake?
(Full disclosure I have never had the traditional greenbean casserole so I don’t have a precedent. It just wasn’t something we ate. But can’t imagine something, add with canned green beans bc I so like them crispy/crisp-tender)
This is sublime. Made a half recipe last week to test it – can’t stop eating it. Making a full recipe in a 9×12 for Thanksgiving day. Doing the sauce and blanching beans today, refrigerating separately until tomorrow, combining them tomorrow. Will bring to room temp on Thursday morning, heat casserole at 350 for 15 minutes. Add onions for another 5. I don’t like frying, so will use Sprouts canned fried onions (gluten-free). Delicious! Thank you so much.
When do you add the nutmeg?
Another Thanksgiving, another year revisiting this recipe! Thank you for giving us something to come back to again and again!
Made this for Thanksgiving this year — YUM! Definitely will make again. I used the higher amount of green beans, subbed milk for cream and olive oil for butter… but showered the whole thing with plenty of fried onions :)
Followed the suggestions for making ahead — blanched the green beans and made the sauce the day before, then heated in the oven the day of before topping with onions and baking a bit longer.
So good, so much fresher then the classic, love the mushroom-forward sauce!!
What can you replace heavy cream
With to keep it dairy free
Kosher
Thank you
I have seen people suggest cashew milk, there are several mentions of vegan versions in the comments
I wondered if I could use this sauce as a base for a broccoli-kale-rice-tuna casserole, and it worked. (Used shallots instead of mushrooms, though.) That said, I should have seasoned the sauce differently: lemon, dill, and thyme, perhaps, rather than the pinch of smoked paprika and garlic I did use. I’ll try it again another time.
You can use this sauce for almost any casserole that might otherwise use cream of mushroom soup, if that helps.
I made this last Thanksgiving, but still think about it. It didn’t sing for me, I admit. The recipe came together beautifully, as written. Yes, I did not have that processed traditional texture, taste, but the taste ultimately missed the “wow” for me that has earned the dish a place on the holiday table shortlist. In mulling it over with my mom, she suggested the hit of soy sauce that the traditional recipe calls for to bring out a hit of umami.
Will try again, but not for the holiday table until it sings!