Fresh Green Bean Casserole, From Scratch
Consider switching to a fresh green bean casserole, with make-ahead options! I hate to break it to you, but the traditional green bean casserole that has store-bought condensed cream of mushroom soup and canned green beans is FULL of sodium. Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be healthy, but when it’s this easy to make a lower sodium, fresh, flavorful green bean casserole, it’s worth making the switch. Enjoy this recipe below!
The elements of Fresh Green Bean Casserole
This casserole uses fresh green beans, meaning not from a can. You can purchase fresh green beans or french green beans. The beans can be bought with the ends already trimmed or you can trim them yourself. You will wash them, chop into 2-3 inch pieces, and boil to cook. You will also make a from-scratch cream of mushroom soup. It may sound intimidating but it is quite simple. Once you have your boiled green beans and your cream of mushroom soup you have the elements of the casserole ready to bake!
Making Fresh Green Bean Casserole Ahead of time
This casserole can be made in advance before your holiday meal. You can boil your green beans and make your cream of mushroom and refrigerate them for up to 2 days. On the day that you plan to serve the casserole, combine your green beans and mushroom soup and follow the recipe as follows. It may about 10 minutes longer when baking to reach the appropriate temperature.
Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
Cream of Mushroom Soup:
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed from the stems or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 3/4 c chicken broth
- 1 c milk
- 1/4 c all purpose flour
- 1/2 c parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Casserole:
- 1 1/2 lb green beans ends snipped, washed, then chopped in approx. 2 inch pieces
- 1/4-1/2 c sliced almonds
- 1/2 c crispy onions optional
- 1/4 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13, 11×8, or 10″ – 11″ round or square pan. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat well salted water to boil over medium-high heat.
- When the water is boiling, add the fresh green beans and stir briefly. Allow to cook at boiling temperature for about 5-7 minutes. Until beans turn from a bright green to a dark green color, they will not be fully cooked until after baking the casserole.
- Drain beans and add to a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp pepper and 1/4c sliced almonds and fold together. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced shallot and stir frequently. Allow the shallots to get fragrant and then add sliced mushrooms in a single layer to brown. Remember Julia Child’s famous tip – “Don’t crowd the mushrooms!”
- Turn the mushrooms to brown the other side. Once fully browned, add in garlic cloves, stirring until fragrant.
- Whisk together chicken broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Then add chicken broth mixture to mushrooms, stir, then and allow to simmer vigorously for 1 minutes.
- Whisk together milk and all purpose flour with a fork in a bowl. Once incorporated and the sauce pan mixture is vigorously bubbling, pour in milk mixture to mushroom/chicken broth mixture. Stir and allow to continue bubbling for an additional minute or until thickened, then remove from heat.
- Stir in grated parmesan cheese until melted. Taste-test, then and add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour cream of mushroom soup over green beans in casserole dish. Fold to combine green beans and soup.
- Cover casserole dish with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes or until warmed throughout and bubbly. Remove the foil, top with 1/4c sliced almonds and/or 1/2c crispy onions if desired and allow to bake uncovered until topping is toasted.