Green Bean Casserole

Listen, my Green Bean Casserole recipe is built different. It’s loaded with tender green beans, mushrooms, cheeses, a creamy sauce plus a crispy panko topping that’s bomb. You can throw this holiday side dish together in less than an hour without the creamed soup can and start eating GOOD. Let’s get into it boos.

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The best green bean casserole recipe with spoons digging in

How to make Green Bean Casserole

Prep the Sauce, Green Beans and Cheese it Up!

Garlic, thyme and flour added to mushroom and onion butter mix in a large skillet

Step 1: Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat then toss in your onions and mushrooms and cook until tender. Stir in the garlic, thyme, and flour. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant.

White wine and chicken stock sauce with mushrooms and onions cooking away in skillet

Step 2: Pour in the white wine and stir, scraping any delish browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the alcohol to cook off and reduce. Stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Next reduce the heat and simmer. It should be nice and combined.

Creamy bean casserole from scratch before baking in skillet

Step 3: Carefully add in the green beans and cook until crisp-tender. Remove from heat then stir in 1/2 cup of cheddar, 1/2 cup of gruyere and the heavy cream. Season it up with some salt and pepper for flavor too. It should be nice and creamy once combined.

Shredded cheeses added to top of easy green bean casserole recipe before baking

Step 4: Top the casserole with the remaining cheese and place it in the preheated oven of 350 F degrees.

Crisp it Up and Bake

Panko browned in a skillet with butter and garlic

Step 5: Cook butter and garlic in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, swirling pan often, until foaming subsides and garlic is fragrant. Add panko and stir to coat evenly. Cook stirring frequently, until the panko is golden brown. Season with salt and pepper then discard garlic.

Cheesy green bean casserole after baking in oven for 20 minutes

Step 6: After 20 minutes of baking, your casserole should be creamy, cheesy and looking delish.

Garlic panko added to top of homemade bean casserole

Step 7: Top the casserole with the garlicky panko crumbs.

Crispy panko golden on top of bean casserole out of the oven cooling

Step 8: Bake for an additional 10 minutes, allow it to cool for 10 minutes then serve it up immediately.

The best green bean casserole recipe with spoons digging in

Green Bean Casserole Recipe

This Garlicky Green Bean Casserole is loaded with earthy mushrooms, tender green beans, sharp cheese, and crispy panko breading. Perfect for the holiday season!
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

For the Grean Bean Filling

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion or sweet onion, diced
  • 8 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves chopped
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans trimmed and halved or frozen
  • 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar divided
  • 1 cup shredded gruyere divided
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Garlicky Panko Topping

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 garlic cloves slightly smashed
  • 1 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

Instructions

For the Green Bean Filling

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Melt the butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and browned, about 5-6 minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, thyme, and flour. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
  • Pour in the white wine and stir, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the alcohol to cook off and slightly reduce, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
  • Carefully add in the green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 6-8 minutes. Use a pair of tongs to gently mix the beans as they cook.
  • Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in ½ cup of sharp white cheddar, ½ cup gruyere, and the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Top the casserole with the remaining cheese and place it in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes.
  • While you wait for the casserole to cook, prepare the garlicky panko topping.
  • After 20 minutes, open up the oven and top the casserole with the garlicky panko crumbs. Close up the oven and allow the casserole to continue baking for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then serve immediately.

For the Panko Crumb Topping

  • Cook butter and garlic in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, swirling pan often, until foaming subsides and garlic is fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add panko and stir to coat evenly. Cook, stirring frequently, until panko is golden brown, about 4 minutes
  • Season with salt, transfer to a plate, and let cool.
  • Discard the garlic and set aside.

Notes

NOTE 1: If using frozen green beans, make sure to properly defrost and drain them first.
NOTE 2: White wine is optional. For an alcohol free recipe, replace the wine with more chicken broth or stock.

How to store & reheat fresh green bean casserole

To store, either cover the top of the dish with foil or scoop the leftover casserole into an airtight container. 
To reheat, I prefer using the oven since the topping will stay crisp. Preheat the oven to 350°F then add leftovers to an oven-safe dish and cover with foil. Heat for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and continue to reheat for 10 more minutes or until heated through. Let rest for a few minutes then serve it up.

How long will green bean casserole last in the fridge?

This will last for about 4 days in the fridge.

Can I freeze?

Honestly I wouldn’t boos. Since this recipe contains dairy, a crunchy topping, and green beans that have been cooked twice, it won’t freeze as well.

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 312mg | Potassium: 464mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1341IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 305mg | Iron: 2mg
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Recipe Tips

  1. Go Fresh: If you can, go with fresh green beans or frozen over canned so you can get the best flavor from your main ingredient.
  2. Go with Quality: From your cheeses to your wines to your butter and herbs, quality makes a huge difference in a simple side dish like this.
  3. Don’t Overbake: We don’t want our beans to become complete mush boos.
  4. Chill Out: Let your sauce mellow a bit before you serve so it can thicken up and the flavors can really meld together.

Ingredient Notes

  • Fresh Green Beans: Frozen works great too boos. Just be sure to properly defrost, drain, and dry the beans before adding them in. 
  • Unsalted Butter: Salted also works here. Just go easy on the extra salt and taste as you go along. Olive oil will also do just fine! 
  • Thyme: Dried thyme can be swapped in, just be sure to adjust the measurement. A good rule of thumb is one teaspoon of dried herbs for each tablespoon of fresh herbs. 
  • White Wine: If you’d like to omit the alcohol, replace it with more chicken stock.
  • White Cheddar: I love the idea of a smoky Gouda here if you can’t get the cheddar.
  • Gruyere: Fontina, jarlsberg, and emmental are all great replacements. 
Green beans casserole on white dishes on a white background

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Recipe Help

Can I make this green bean casserole in advance?

For sure boos! This recipe can be made up to 48 hours ahead of time. Just prep the casserole but do not bake. Allow the pan (and its contents) to cool just a little before covering with foil and popping in the fridge. Keep the garlicky breadcrumbs in a separate zip-top bag or airtight container. Once ready to cook, remove the green bean casserole from the fridge and let it sit out for about 30 minutes. Bake as directed, remembering to sprinkle on the breadcrumbs in the last 10 minutes. 

Can I make this green beans casserole vegan?

You can definitely swap out all of the cheeses for plant-based cheeses, swap to a plant-based butter and use a thicker oat milk to replace the cream.

Why is my green bean casserole watery?

You may not have drained your green beans removing all water if you used frozen. Or you didn’t thicken your sauce enough. The flour will help with this for sure.

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Filed Under:  Beans and Legumes, Holidays, Side Dishes, Stovetop, Thanksgiving

Comments

  1. Bless you my child..breakaway from the WW2 canned beans and mushroom recipe
    .so fresh and crispy..white wine a nice touch as well as cheese choice. Loved it. Rev Fred.

  2. This was such a delicious and hearty side dish! Paired perfectly with grilled scallops; the whole family loved it!

    1. Wow! That’s an incredible idea and I will absolutely trying that!! Thanks for the inspiration Sara 🙂

    1. I hope it was to your liking! I happen to think it’s pretty darn delicious. Thanks Lima!

    1. Definitely a different technique but I promise these green beans are the best you’ll ever have!! Enjoy Dannii!

5 from 6 votes

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