Green Bean Casserole From Scratch (Gluten-Free Option!)
This green bean casserole bakes fresh green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce all from scratch. Crispy fried onions or a buttery panko topping go on top, and there's no canned soup!
Servings: 8 servings
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 9x13-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.