Green Bean Casserole

A quick and easy Green Bean Casserole recipe, perfect for the holidays. This modern version ditches canned cream of mushroom soup for a homemade creamy cheese sauce, adding a fresh twist to this classic dish, sure to be a favorite at any festive dinner.

Green Bean Casserole can easily be doubled or tripled and made ahead of time. This classic holiday side dish pairs perfectly with other sides such as these Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables, Brussels Sprouts, and/or a Sweet Potato Casserole!

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients In Green Bean Casserole

• Green Beans: The main ingredient, they provide texture and a fresh, vibrant flavor to the dish.
• Butter and Flour: These are used to create a roux, which is the base for the sauce, adding richness and helping to thicken it.
• Milk and Chicken Broth/Stock: They are combined with the roux to create a creamy sauce, with the milk adding creaminess and the broth bringing depth of flavor.
• Sharp Cheddar and Parmesan Cheese: These cheeses add a tangy, savory flavor to the sauce, with Parmesan also adding a hint of saltiness.
• Sour Cream: It enhances the creaminess and adds a slight tang to the sauce.
• Chicken Bouillon Powder, Dijon Mustard, Onion Flakes, Parsley Flakes, Garlic Powder, Salt, and Pepper: These seasonings add complexity and depth to the flavor of the sauce.
• Panko Crumbs: Used for the topping, they provide a crunchy texture contrast to the creamy green bean casserole when toasted in butter.

How To Make Green Bean Casserole

1. Prep the Beans: Preheat your oven to 375°F. Boil halved green beans for 3-5 minutes, then cool them quickly in an ice bath and dry them.
2. Make the Sauce: In a pot, melt butter and whisk in flour to form a paste. Gradually add milk and chicken broth, whisking until smooth. Stir in Cheddar and half of the Parmesan until smooth, followed by sour cream, chicken bouillon, Dijon mustard, onion, parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
3. Assemble: Place dried beans in a 9×13-inch dish. Pour the sauce over and stir to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.
4. Prepare Topping: In a pan, melt additional butter and toast panko crumbs until brown. Sprinkle over the green bean casserole.
5. Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes until bubbly. Serve hot.

Variations

• Bacon: Fry or bake bacon, dice, and sprinkle on top after baking.
• Healthier Version: Use 1% milk and fat-free sour cream.
• Mushrooms: Sauté up to 8 ounces of mushrooms and fold into the sauce.
• Onion: Sauté thinly sliced yellow onion and fold into the sauce.
• Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free panko and flour in this green bean casserole.
• Vegetarian: Substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock and use vegetable bouillon powder.

More Holiday Favorites

• Winter Fruit Salad
• Frog Eye Salad
• Cranberry Sauce with Crock Pot Turkey
• Watergate Salad
• Dinner Rolls
• Thanksgiving Dinner on 2 Sheet Pans

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4.58 from 14 votes

Green Bean Casserole

By Chelsea Lords

A quick and easy Green Bean Casserole recipe, perfect for the holidays. This modern version ditches canned cream of mushroom soup for a homemade creamy cheese sauce, adding a fresh twist to this classic dish, sure to be a favorite at any festive dinner.

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings (as a side)

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 pounds washed and trimmed fresh green beans, halved
• ▢ 3 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1/3 cup white all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup milk (1%, 2% or whole; I use 1%)
• ▢ 2/3 cup chicken broth or chicken stock
• ▢ 1 cup freshly grated sharp Cheddar cheese
• ▢ 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• ▢ 1/2 cup sour cream (I use fat free)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
• ▢ 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion flakes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon EACH: dried parsley flakes, roasted garlic powder
• ▢ salt and pepper, to taste

Topping

• ▢ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 3/4 cup panko crumbs (next to breadcrumbs in grocery store)

Instructions 

• GREEN BEANS: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a very large pot of water to a rolling boil. While water is heating, wash and trim green beans. Halve the beans (make sure they're all bite-size). Add green beans to boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes (3 minutes for al dente green beans (that have a good bite to them) and 5 minutes for softer beans) I like them at the 3-minute mark for a good chew in the final casserole. Although they're being baked later, they don't get too much softer after this initial boil. Fill a large bowl with ice. Drain beans, run under cold water, and then transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Then drain out any ice and let beans dry. I dab with a paper towel until completely dry.
• SAUCE: Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, gradually whisk in flour until a thick paste forms. Whisk for one minute to cook out the raw flour taste and then gradually add in 1/3 cup of the milk while whisking constantly. Gradually add 1/3 cup chicken stock or broth while whisking. Add in another 1/3 cup milk, then remaining 1/3 cup stock, and last remaining 1/3 cup milk. Whisk after each addition until completely smooth and sauce is thickened. Whisk in 1 cup of Cheddar cheese and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese until completely smooth. Add in sour cream and whisk until smooth. Stir in the chicken bouillon powder, Dijon mustard, granulated onion, dried parsley, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; add to taste preference -- the Parmesan cheese does add a good amount of saltiness as well).
• ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Add the dry green beans (if they're still wet, it will make the casserole soggy) to the base of a 9x13-inch ceramic casserole dish. Pour the sauce over everything and spread to evenly coat. Gently stir the beans into the sauce until well coated. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese over top of sauced green beans. In a saucepan over medium high-heat, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Add the panko and toast, stirring constantly, until the crumbs are light brown and toasted. Sprinkle this topping evenly over cheese. Cover casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Remove and serve hot.

Nutrition

Serving: 8servings | Calories: 244kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.6g | Protein: 14.4g | Fat: 14.6g | Cholesterol: 34.1mg | Sodium: 510.9mg | Fiber: 3.2g | Sugar: 5.6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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