Go Back

Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Print Recipe
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 195
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beans and sauce
  • 2 lb fresh green beans, trimmed 900g
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 lb cremini or button mushrooms, sliced 450g
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock 240ml
  • 1½ cups half-and-half or whole milk 360ml
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • Fine salt and black pepper to taste
Topping
  • 3 large shallots, sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons flour for tossing shallots
  • Oil for frying or 1½ cups store-bought crispy fried onions

Equipment

  • 9x13 baking dish
  • Large pot or skillet
  • Medium saucepan
  • Colander
  • Whisk

Method
 

Blanch the beans
  1. Boil in well-salted water 4 to 5 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Drain and plunge into ice water. Drain again and pat dry.
Brown the mushrooms
  1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and leave them to release their water and then brown, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic for the last minute.
Make the sauce
  1. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Add the stock, whisking, then the half-and-half. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes until it thickly coats a spoon. Stir in the soy sauce, thyme and nutmeg, and season well.
Combine
  1. Fold the beans into the sauce and transfer to a buttered 9x13 dish.
Fry the shallots
  1. Toss the sliced shallots in 2 tablespoons flour. Fry in ½ inch of oil over medium heat until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Bake
  1. At 375F (190C) for 15 minutes, until bubbling. Scatter the shallots over the top and bake 5 minutes more.

Notes

The single upgrade that changes people's minds about this dish is blanching and shocking the beans. They expect grey, soft green bean casserole and they get bright, crunchy-tender beans in a proper sauce. The mushrooms need to be browned, not stewed; give them room in the pan.