Classic Green Bean Casserole (Print version)

Tender green beans baked in creamy mushroom sauce topped with crispy fried onions.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (or 1 lb frozen, thawed)
02 - 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 8 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced

→ Sauce

05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
07 - 1 cup whole milk
08 - 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
09 - 1/2 cup sour cream
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
12 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

→ Topping

13 - 1 1/2 cups crispy fried onions (store-bought or homemade)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add green beans, and cook for 4–5 minutes until bright green and just tender. Drain and transfer immediately to ice water to halt cooking. Drain again and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add chopped onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and mushrooms; cook for 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender and liquid evaporates.
04 - Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in milk and vegetable broth and cook, stirring, until sauce thickens, about 3–4 minutes.
05 - Remove skillet from heat. Stir in sour cream, salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg until smooth.
06 - Add drained green beans to sauce and mix until evenly coated.
07 - Transfer mixture to a greased 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle 1 cup of crispy fried onions evenly on top.
08 - Bake for 25 minutes until bubbling.
09 - Remove from oven, top with remaining crispy fried onions, and bake an additional 5 minutes until golden brown.
10 - Let rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The crispy fried onions stay crunchy right up until the moment you eat it, especially if you save half for the final topping.
  • It tastes like it took hours, but you're really only 15 minutes of prep away from comfort on a plate.
  • Vegetarian friends and turkey lovers sit down to the same dish, and everyone comes back for seconds.
02 -
  • Don't skip the ice water bath after boiling the green beans or they'll turn mushy and gray by the time they're cooked through in the oven.
  • Add your sour cream off the heat—if the pan is still hot, it'll break and look curdled, which tastes fine but looks concerning.
  • Save at least half your crispy onions for the top after the first bake, because onions added at the very end stay actual-crispy instead of becoming soft and chewy.
03 -
  • If you're using frozen green beans, skip the blanching step entirely and add them straight to the sauce—they're already cooked and will finish heating through in the oven.
  • Keep your fried onions in an airtight container and don't open the package until you're ready to use them, because they'll go soft and sad if exposed to air for too long.
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