My Green Bean Casserole Without Mushroom Soup gives you all the creamy, crispy goodness of a traditional holiday green bean dish without any canned soup. You'll never make it the old way again! Prepped and baked in just under 1 hour.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Green Bean Casserole Without Cream Of Mushroom Soup
- Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- How To Make Green Bean Casserole Without Cream Of Mushroom
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making French Fried Onion Green Bean Casserole
- What To Serve With Creamy Green Bean Casserole
- Other Delicious Recipes With Beans To Try
- Green Bean Casserole Without Mushroom Soup Recipe
- Hosting Thanksgiving?
Why You'll Love This Green Bean Casserole Without Cream Of Mushroom Soup
Is it even Thanksgiving without a classic green bean casserole with french fried onions? I feel like this is a fixture on every holiday table — and I get it. We Americans love a good casserole, and the crispy onions on top add the very best crunch. It truly is one of our favorite side dishes for a holiday. Now I appreciate Campbell's green bean casserole recipe, but I really felt like I could do it better on my own.
So, I decided to make mine completely from scratch instead! It's the perfect way to take all of the great things about this side dish and make it way better by using fresh ingredients. The results are an even better Thanksgiving Day (or any day, why not?) side. Here are some more reasons to try it:
- Zero canned soup
- Tender on the inside, crunchy on top
- Classic and nostalgic dish made better
- Perfect for the holidays or a family dinner
- Prepped in just 2 pans
- Tastes great reheated
Ingredient Information And Substitutions
- Vegetables- You'll need green beans, of course, as well as mushrooms and shallots. I prefer fresh green beans a for a better texture. If you prefer to use frozen, just skip the blanching step.
- All-Purpose Flour- Used to create your roux, which thickens the casserole.
- Butter- Starts the recipe off — you'll sauté the mushrooms and shallots in butter before adding the flour to make the roux.
- Creamy Factor- I'm using half-and-half, milk, and a healthy helping of Romano cheese to make a perfectly creamy green bean casserole!
- French Fried Onions- The crispy and crunchy topping. You should be able to find them in the condiment aisle at your local grocery store.
- Salt & Pepper- To season the mushrooms and shallots to taste.
How To Make Green Bean Casserole Without Cream Of Mushroom
Step 1- Blanch the green beans and melt butter.
Place a large sauté pan over medium heat. Melt the butter. While the butter melts, blanch the green beans for 5 minutes and then transfer to an ice bath.
Step 2- Sauté the mushrooms and shallots.
Add the shallots and mushrooms to the melted butter and cook until softened. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour. Allow the roux to cook for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3- Make the sauce.
Whisk in the half-and-half, milk, and cheese and reduce the heat to low. Cook until thickened while stirring often. Remove from the heat after about 4 minutes. Combine the blanched green beans with the mushroom sauce and toss to mix thoroughly.
Step 4- Assemble & bake.
Pour the mixture into a prepared 9x13-inch baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes.
Step 5- Add the fried onions.
Sprinkle the top of your simple green bean casserole recipe with the French fried onions and bake, uncovered, for 10 more minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely — you won't find any canned soup here! I use fresh mushrooms that I sauté with shallots and then combine with half-and-half, milk, and cheese to get a similar texture. In fact, I find that the texture is even better, and the flavor is improved too!
Yes! If working from frozen, you can skip the blanching step and simply toss the green beans in the sauce before assembling.
Yes, but note that the casserole will have a slightly different flavor. I prefer shallots because I like their taste better, but regular onions will work in a pinch.
Yes! You can assemble your classic green bean casserole up until the baking step and then store it in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Bake it just before serving for the best results!
The sauce takes about 10 minutes on the stovetop (you'll blanch the green beans at the same time), then the casserole bakes for a total of 30 minutes. Green bean casserole without mushroom soup takes a bit longer to prepare than recipes with soup, but it's worth the extra time!
Tips For Making French Fried Onion Green Bean Casserole
- Try to dice the shallots and mushrooms around the same size. It's okay if they aren't completely uniform, but it helps if they're at least a similar size so they cook evenly.
- Make sure you stir the roux often so it doesn't burn.
- Reduce the heat to low when you add the half-and-half and the milk so that it doesn't scald and be sure to stir often.
- You'll know it's thickened enough when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Be sure to taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- Try to trim and cut the green beans into about 1 ½ inch pieces to make it easier to eat.
- Don't overcook the beans. Blanching for exactly 5 minutes helps them keep their shape, color, and crisp texture. Overcooking will cause them to go mushy, so don't skip the ice bath step!
- Cover the casserole for the first portion of baking. You'll uncover and sprinkle with French fried onions for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- You can trim the green beans, dice the shallots, and dice the mushrooms (only if making within 2 days or they will go bad) to get ahead on this recipe! It could be really helpful for holiday party prep.
- Leftovers and storage- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop the casserole back in the oven at 350 degrees F and heat for 5-10 minutes or until warmed through. You can add a splash of milk or water if it starts to look dry.
What To Serve With Creamy Green Bean Casserole
This is such a classic holiday side dish! Though, I have to say, sometimes I'll randomly make it for dinner at some point during the fall or winter months — my family loves it that much. Here are some recipes I like to pair it with:
- Roasted Spatchcock Glazed Turkey with Bourbon
- Whole Roasted Chicken
- Garlic Butter Sautéed Carrots
- Gouda Cheese Mashed Potatoes
- Quick and Easy Roasted Potatoes
- Old Fashioned Pecan Pie
- Classic Pumpkin Pie
Other Delicious Recipes With Beans To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Green Bean Casserole Without Mushroom Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup finely diced shallots
- 1 cup finely diced mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 Tablespoons flour
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 Tablespoons Romano cheese
- 32 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 2 cups fried onions (like French's fried onions)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil on a different burner.
- Add shallots and mushrooms to the saute pan and cook for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring often.
- Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour and stir until there are no lumps remaining.
- Cook roux for 1-2 minutes stirring often.
- Whisk in half and half, milk and Romano cheese and reduce heat to low.
- Cook until thickened stirring often, around 2-4 minutes and remove from heat.
- While the sauce cooks, blanch green beans for 5 minutes and plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking once drained.
- Combine beans with sauce and pour into an even layer in a 9" x 13" pan.
- Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove cover and sprinkle evenly with French fried onions.
- Bake uncovered for 10 more minutes and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Try to dice the shallots and mushrooms around the same size. It's okay if they aren't completely uniform, but it helps if they're at least a similar size so they cook evenly.
- Make sure you stir the roux often so it doesn't burn.
- Reduce the heat to low when you add the half-and-half and the milk so that it doesn't scald and be sure to stir often.
- You'll know it's thickened enough when it coats the back of a spoon.
- Be sure to taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
- Try to trim and cut the green beans into about 1 ½ inch pieces to make it easier to eat.
- Don't overcook the beans. Blanching for exactly 5 minutes helps them keep their shape, color, and crisp texture. Overcooking will cause them to go mushy, so don't skip the ice bath step!
- Cover the casserole for the first portion of baking. You'll uncover and sprinkle with French fried onions for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- You can trim the green beans, dice the shallots, and dice the mushrooms (only if making within 2 days or they will go bad) to get ahead on this recipe! It could be really helpful for holiday party prep.
- Leftovers and storage- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, pop the casserole back in the oven at 350 degrees F and heat for 5-10 minutes or until warmed through. You can add a splash of milk or water if it starts to look dry.
Nutrition
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