Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Fresh Green Bean Casserole covered in french fried onions is a creamy, classic Thanksgiving side dish that nobody seems able to resist despite full plates and full bellies!
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Calories: 263kcal
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans rinsed and ends trimmed, then chopped in half
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 6 ounces [french fried onions] storebought or homemade
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. I aim for about 1 ½ tablespoons of salt in a gallon of water, but usually just eyeball it. Prepare a large bowl with an ice bath for blanching the beans.
- Blanch the beans by adding them to the boiling water and cooking for 5 minutes. Then drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a large bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process so the beans don't turn mushy. Drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauteing for 4 to 5 minutes until the onions start to soften. Add the mushrooms, if using (see note), salt and pepper and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the softened onions and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, then whisk in the chicken broth to make sure there are no lumps, then the half and half. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until it has thickened, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the beans and stir to combine, then transfer to a large 9x13-inch casserole dish and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and french fried onions.
- Bake for 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Cover the dish with foil if the onions start to brown too quickly.
Video
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: You can make most of this fresh green bean casserole up to a day in advance by assembling all through adding the breadcrumb and fried onion topping. Then cover and refrigerate overnight and top and bake as directed the next day.
- Mushroom Option: If you want mushrooms in your green bean casserole, chop about 8 ounces of button mushrooms or 2 portobello mushrooms and add once the onions and garlic have been sauteed, before adding the flour.
- Slow Cooker Option: If you are tight on oven space and need to make this casserole in the slow cooker, skip the step where you blanch the green beans and just throw them in the slow cooker after washing and trimming first. Then make the sauce as directed and pour that over the beans. Mix everything together and cook on LOW for 2 hours, then stir well and top with the french fried onions. Cook for another 30-60 minutes before serving. It won't crisp up as much as it does in the oven, but it's still delicious and will save you space!
Nutrition
Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 337mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 979IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg