For many, no Thanksgiving side dish spread is complete without a homemade green bean casserole. According to Campbell’s Soup Company, which is responsible for the original recipe, it’s served at 20 million tables every year. There are nearly as many variations as there are Thanksgiving tablescapes. And sure, you could go with the tried-and-true French’s Green Bean Casserole (with canned soup and canned green beans, it’s certainly the easy choice). But upgrading to a homemade sauce and fresh green beans isn’t that much more difficult—and if you ask us, it tastes worlds better.
In 2016 test kitchen director Chris Morocco set out to develop his ideal version of the classic green bean casserole recipe. He swapped out store-bought cream of mushroom soup in favor of fresh sliced criminis and a béchamel finished with Parmesan cheese. Well-browned mushrooms are crucial for building flavor here, so he cooked them in batches, making sure not to season them until they were beautifully caramelized (salting too soon will lead to soggy, steamed mushrooms).
Then came the onion topping. You may assume Chris opted for DIY fried shallots (and you certainly could if you’re so inclined), but he threw us a curveball. According to Chris, French’s Crispy Fried Onions are famous for a reason: “They are astonishingly delicious and practically define this Thanksgiving classic,” so we let them stay.
While many a casserole dish can be made ahead of time, this green bean casserole is best made day-of, so plan accordingly and use the bake time to work on a few other perfect side dishes, like our Ultra-Creamy Mashed Potatoes, a streamlined cranberry sauce, and a cornflake-topped sweet potato casserole.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 35 minutes
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
2
2
1
6
4
2
1¼
1
4
½
¾
Preparation
Step 1
Place rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 375°. Working in batches, cook 2 lb. green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green and halfway to tenderness, about 3 minutes per batch. Drain and let cool; trim stem ends.
Step 2
Heat 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook ½ lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced, without stirring, until golden brown underneath, about 2 minutes. Toss and continue to cook, tossing occasionally, until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes more. Add 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter and 2 large thyme sprigs to pan. Cook, tossing occasionally, until butter browns and mushrooms are dark brown and very tender, about 4 minutes longer. Season with kosher salt and transfer to a plate. Repeat with 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, salt, and remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, ½ lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced, and 2 large thyme sprigs.
Step 3
Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large saucepan over medium-low. Whisk in 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour and cook, whisking occasionally, until roux is golden brown and smells mildly nutty, about 4 minutes. Whisk in 1¼ cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Increase heat and bring to a simmer, whisking often, and cook until béchamel sauce is thick and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 4 garlic cloves, finely grated, and ½ cup grated Parmesan; season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Step 4
Arrange green beans and mushrooms in a 2-qt. baking dish. Pour sauce over bean mixture (it may not look like enough, but it will get saucier as it bakes). Cover tightly with foil and bake until sauce is bubbling, 25–30 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until casserole is lightly browned on top and around the edges, 15–20 minutes longer. Top with ¾ cup French’s fried onions and continue to bake just until onions are slightly darker and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes to set before serving.
Editor’s note: This recipe was first printed in November 2016. Head this way for more of our best Thanksgiving dinner recipes →
Leave a Review
Reviews (189)
Back to TopI made this last year during the Holidays and it was a big "hit",, the flavors are wonderful and although it is a bit more than the "basic" GBC that is traditionally made, this recipe has become one of my "Holiday Must Have" with my family.
SueOrf
North Carolina
11/17/2017
Made this for a Friendsgiving and it was a huge hit!!! There's a lot of instructions but it's not as difficult as it may sound. My friend who doesn't like green bean casserole told me they loved this one. The thyme is essential! Buying pre-cut green beans and mushrooms helped. Prep and cook time combined was about 1.5 hours.
Anonymous
11/18/2017
Have made this 2 years in a row now—the homemade cream of mushroom soup is 1000x better than the can. I arranged the whole casserole (except of onions) ahead of Thanksgiving dinner and just sort of let it sit for a few hours until it was closer to dinner and then baked it. Everything turned out AMAZING. One of our favorite sides on the table.
alexbeggs
BonAppétit.com
11/25/2017
This was incredibly delicious and fun to make. Everyone loved it and I'll be making this every year from now on. Next year, I'm going to make the mushrooms in one batch because my pan is large enough. I think the sauce would be amazing over baked chicken too.
Anonymous
Los Angeles, CA
11/25/2017
By far, the best Green Bean Casserole recipe I have ever made. My family devoured it and loved every bite.
lmaloney
California
11/29/2017
This was so incredible! The only kind of green bean casserole i had prior to this involved frozen green beans and canned mushroom soup, and I can happily say i'm never settling again. This is worth the minimal amount of effort this recipe calls for. Everyone loved this and was definitely the mvp of our thanksgiving meal next to the fried turkey. Thank you for this perfect and classic recipe definitely adding this to the rotation for the holidays!
missmash
Queens, NY
12/13/2017
This is not your Grandma's mushroom soup greenbean casserole. THIS IS AMAZING. The only bad part about this recipe is that there are NO LEFTOVERS :(
Lisalewisburns
California
12/14/2017