How to Make a Green Bean Casserole from Scratch | cooking, recipes, bon apetit

Simple holiday upgrade

For fans of cooking, recipes, bon apetit, this from-scratch green bean casserole keeps everything beloved about the classic while replacing canned shortcuts with fresh ingredients and confident technique. The result is a velvety mushroom sauce, crisp-tender green beans, and a crunchy, buttery topping that elevates every bite.

Quick overview and key takeaways

• Replace canned soup with a fresh mushroom-cream sauce made from white mushrooms, chicken broth, and heavy cream.
• Blanch fresh green beans for perfect color and texture instead of relying on frozen beans.
• Keep the classic fried onions but boost them with homemade buttered breadcrumbs for extra crunch.
• This casserole assembles ahead: store the topping separately and bake when ready.
• Perfect for holiday tables where cooking, recipes, bon apetit matter most.

Ingredients at a glance

• 1 pound white mushrooms, cut into roughly 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 tablespoons butter, plus 2 tablespoons for breadcrumbs
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper for the mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
• 2 tablespoons table salt for blanching water
• 3 slices white sandwich bread for crumbs
• 3 cups store-bought fried onions (from a 6-ounce container)
• Additional salt and pepper to taste

Mushroom sauce: texture and timing

The sauce starts by building flavor on the stovetop. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat, add 1 pound mushrooms broken into chunks, 3 cloves garlic, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Cook for about six minutes until the mushrooms have given off moisture and started to brown.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons flour evenly over the mushrooms and stir to coat. Slowly whisk in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then add 1 1/2 cups heavy cream. Simmer over medium heat for roughly 12 minutes, reducing until the mixture measures about 3 1/2 cups. At that point it will be "nice, rich and velvety" and perfect for coating the beans.

It is going to be nice, rich and velvety.

Blanching green beans for bright color and perfect bite

Using fresh green beans gives control over doneness. Trim stems, then cut beans in half crosswise. Bring four quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Blanch the beans for six minutes until crisp-tender, then plunge immediately into an ice bath to arrest the cooking. Drain thoroughly and pat dry on paper towels so the sauce does not thin out.

They're perfect right now.

Topping: keep the classic, improve the crunch

The classic fried onions remain because they are delicious, but adding buttered breadcrumbs boosts texture and flavor. Tear three slices of white sandwich bread into quarters and pulse in a food processor with 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until coarse crumbs form. Gently mix those crumbs with 3 cups of fried onions, breaking up any large onion pieces so the topping browns evenly.

Assemble, bake, and make ahead tips

1. Toss the drained green beans with the mushroom cream sauce until well coated.
2. Transfer to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and top loosely with the onion-breadcrumb mixture. Do not press the topping down; keep it airy so it crisps well.
3. Bake at 425 degrees F on the middle rack for about 15 minutes, until the topping is nicely browned and the filling bubbles at the edges.

This casserole is an excellent make-ahead dish. Combine the beans and sauce and refrigerate, keeping the topping stored separately. When ready to serve, add the topping and bake until golden. This flexibility makes it a reliable dish for busy holiday schedules where cooking, recipes, bon apetit come together harmoniously.

Taste and serving notes

The finished casserole is not overly heavy; the mushroom-forward sauce is velvety and coats each bean without drowning it. The beans remain bright green and fresh tasting, while the buttery breadcrumbs and fried onions deliver a brilliant crunchy contrast. For a finishing touch, serve warm and let the top settle for five minutes after baking so the sauce sets slightly and the topping stays crisp.

And that topping, the buttery breadcrumbs with the canned onions, brilliant.

Final thoughts

This green bean casserole honors the original comfort-food spirit but improves on texture and freshness. It is perfect for holiday spreads, potlucks, or any dinner where cooking, recipes, bon apetit are front and center. The techniques are simple, the flavors familiar, and the results are delightfully elevated.

This article was created from the video How to Make a Green Bean Casserole from Scratch | America's Test Kitchen with the help of AI.

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