Green Bean Casserole from Scratch (Gluten-Free Option)
Published Oct 21, 2026
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I grew up eating green bean casserole just like the rest of y’all, so any version that comes out of my kitchen has to be delicious, nostaglic, and adaptable!I really think I’ve nailed this one. Instead of a can of soup, the creamy mushroom sauce comes together right in the skillet with butter, sweet onion, garlic, broth, and heavy cream.
You can make it a day ahead, and it works with fresh, frozen, or canned green beans. Choose your topping with crispy fried onions or buttery panko and this Thanksgiving staple will not need storage info, I promise. Need it gluten-free or dairy-free? The swaps are below!
Why I Love This Homemade Version
Raise your hand if you keep a few cans of green beans in the pantry! I love making this green bean casserole from scratch because it works with fresh, frozen, or canned green beans. I prefer canned for convenience, but fresh beans have the BEST texture. Frozen work well, too. Whatever you have on hand, it will work!
This casserole is perfect with my smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, and my sweet potato casserole with pecans! I love when recipes are flexible, working with what you have and still tasting great! That’s this recipe and I hope you love it too!
Ingredient Notes
- Green beans: Fresh, frozen, or canned all work. Whichever you use, drain and dry them well. Extra cans left over? They’re also the start of my slow-cooked Southern Green Beans with bacon.
- Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms add great flavor! We’re skipping the canned soup completely and making an easy mushroom cream sauce that is SO cream and darn good if you ask me!
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream works best, but half-and-half is fine. For dairy-free, use a dairy-free heavy cream or cooking cream, plus a dairy-free butter. Silk, Califia Farms, and Country Crock all have good dairy-free options.
- Flour: As written, this casserole isn’t gluten-free. Use a gluten-free 1:1 flour in the sauce, and top it with gluten-free crispy fried onions or gluten-free panko.
Another dish on your menu calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup? Try my homemade cream of mushroom soup substitute. It starts the same way, with butter, mushrooms, onion, and flour.
The Topping: Crispy Onions or Toasted Panko
Regular or gluten-free crispy fried onions both work. Good Graces and Golden Farms are great brands.
Not a fried onion fan? Mix the panko, melted butter, salt, and garlic powder in a bowl until evenly coated, and use it in place of the onions.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
Step 1: Blanch the beans. Boil them for 4 to 5 minutes and pull them when they turn bright green and just tender. Pat them dry so no extra moisture ends up in the sauce.
Step 2: Soften the mushrooms and onion. Cook them in the butter until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Then the garlic only needs 1 minute.
Step 3: Make the sauce. Whisk the broth in slowly until smooth, then add the cream.
Step 3: Simmer the sauce. The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Let it simmer until it’s creamy and smooth. Sometimes people don’t have the patience to let it heat long enough to properly thicken!
Step 4: Coat the beans. Gently stir the beans into the sauce until every one is coated. Using canned beans? Drain and dry them, then add them straight to the skillet here.
Step 6: Bake covered. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
Step 7: Top and finish. Sprinkle on the topping and put it back in the oven. Keep an eye on the topping so it doesn’t burn. You want it browned, not burned! It’s done when the casserole is hot and bubbling and the topping is golden and crisp.
Step 8: Let it rest. Give it 5 to 10 minutes before serving. The sauce thickens as it rests.
Mac’s Pro Tips
- Be patient with the sauce. When I was developing this recipe, the sauce came out too thin, so I added more flour. Let it simmer until it’s creamy and smooth. Sometimes people don’t have the patience to let it heat long enough to properly thicken!
- Dry the beans. Drain and dry canned beans, and pat the excess water off fresh or frozen beans after blanching. It keeps extra moisture out of your sauce.
Making It Ahead for Thanksgiving
Oven space is tight on Thanksgiving, y’all! Assemble the casserole a day ahead without the topping, then refrigerate it. When it’s time to bake, add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered baking time. Then add the topping for the final 5 to 10 minutes.
Need the potatoes too? Try my creamy mashed potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream. And my Southern Thanksgiving roundup with 75+ recipes covers the whole spread!
More Holiday Sides
Appetizers & Snacks
Easy Cranberry Turkey Sliders with Hawaiian Rolls
Side Dishes
Cheesy Loaded Cauliflower Casserole Recipe
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Green Bean Casserole From Scratch (Gluten-Free Option!)
Ingredients
Casserole
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans trimmed and cut into bigger bite-size pieces (see Notes for frozen or canned)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces mushrooms chopped
- 1/2 cup sweet onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free 1:1 flour
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream or a dairy-free option, see Notes
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 ounces crispy fried onions regular or gluten-free (or the panko topping below)
Panko Topping (optional)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs regular or gluten-free
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the 1 1/2 pounds of green beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Drain, pat dry, and set aside. (Using frozen or canned beans? See Notes.)
- In a large skillet, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the 8 ounces of chopped mushrooms and 1/2 cup of chopped sweet onion. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle the 1/4 cup of flour over the vegetables and stir until evenly coated. Slowly whisk in the 1 1/4 cups of broth until smooth, followed by the 1 cup of heavy cream, over medium heat. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens.
- Add the green beans to the skillet and gently stir until evenly coated in the creamy mushroom sauce. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and sprinkle the 6 ounces of crispy fried onions evenly over the top. If using the panko topping instead, prepare it according to the topping instructions and sprinkle it evenly over the casserole.
- Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes for crispy onions or 10 minutes for the panko topping, until the casserole is hot and bubbling and the topping is golden and crisp. If it starts to brown too quickly, remove it early.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Panko Topping
- In a bowl, mix the 1 cup of panko, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder until evenly coated.
- Sprinkle over the casserole for the final 10 minutes of baking, until browned but not burned.
Notes
- Green beans: You can use fresh, frozen, or canned green beans. Fresh: trim the ends, and cut them in half for bite-size pieces. Frozen: thaw completely before using. Depending on the texture, blanch them or skip blanching if they’re already tender. Canned: drain thoroughly and add them directly to the skillet with the mushroom sauce. No cooking or blanching is needed. Always dry the beans well before adding them.
- Cream: Half-and-half works in place of the heavy cream.
- Dairy-free: Use a dairy-free butter and a dairy-free heavy cream or cooking cream. Silk, Califia Farms, and Country Crock offer dairy-free options.
- Crispy fried onions: Use either regular or gluten-free. Good Graces and Golden Farms are great brands.
- Make ahead: Assemble up to 1 day ahead without the topping, cover, and refrigerate. Add 10 to 15 minutes to the covered baking time, then add the topping for the final 5 to 10 minutes.
- Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave, or in a 350°F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until heated through.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
