Old Fashioned Homemade Green Bean Casserole (No Canned Soup)

My homemade green bean casserole is the old-fashioned Thanksgiving side, made from scratch with fresh green beans, a creamy cream cheese sauce, melted cheddar and crispy fried onions.

I skip the canned cream of mushroom soup, so it tastes like it came straight out of Grandma's kitchen. Best of all, I can put it together the day before, so it's one less thing to juggle on the big day.

Planning your holiday menu? This casserole fits right in with my 25 classic Thanksgiving side dish recipes, and it's even better served alongside my old-fashioned stuffing and sweet potato casserole.

What to Know About Homemade Green Bean Casserole

• No cream of mushroom soup - the creamy sauce is made from scratch with cream cheese, heavy cream, butter and chicken broth. There's no flour or roux to fuss with, and sautéed mushrooms give it that classic flavor.
• Fresh green beans - no blanching needed. They cook right in the skillet with the onion and mushrooms, so there's no extra pot of boiling water, and they stay bright and tender. Frozen beans work too if you thaw and drain them well.
• Easy to make ahead - assemble your green bean casserole up to 1 day early, keep it in the fridge and bake it when the oven frees up.
• Bakes at 350°F for about 30 minutes in a 9x9 dish and serves 8 as a side. Double it in a 9x13 for a crowd.
• The classic topping - melted cheddar and crispy French fried onions, added at the end so they stay crunchy.

Ingredients for Old-Fashioned Green Bean Casserole

• Fresh green beans - thin French green beans (haricots verts) are great if you can find them, but regular fresh green beans work just as well. Just trim the ends.
• Mushrooms - I use cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, but white button mushrooms work too.
• Onion - diced and sautéed with the mushrooms for a sweet, savory base.
• Garlic - freshly minced garlic is best, but jarred minced garlic or frozen minced garlic work well too.
• Cream cheese - let it soften first so it melts smoothly into the sauce.
• Heavy cream and chicken broth - these make the sauce rich and creamy without being too thick.
• Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper - a small splash of Worcestershire adds a deep, savory flavor.
• Cheddar cheese - shred it yourself from the block if you can, since it melts smoother than bagged shredded cheese. Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Gruyère or Swiss are all good swaps.
• French fried onions - I use store-bought, like French's, for that classic crunchy topping.

You'll also need a little olive oil for the skillet. Full amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Step 1: Cook the onion and mushrooms

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion and mushrooms until they're soft but not browned.

Step 2: Add the green beans

Add the green beans to the skillet and cook them just until they start to soften. They'll finish cooking in the oven, so don't let them go limp.

Step 3: Make the creamy sauce

While the vegetables cook, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat and cook the garlic for about 1 minute. Stir in the cream cheese, heavy cream, broth, Worcestershire, salt and pepper, then simmer and stir until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Step 4: Stir it together and add the cheese

Pour the sauce over the green beans and stir until everything is coated. Spread it in a 9x9 baking dish and sprinkle the cheddar over the top.

Step 5: Bake and top with fried onions

Bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Scatter the fried onions over the top for the last 5 minutes so they turn golden and stay crispy.

Grandma's Tips for the Best Green Bean Casserole

• Pull the beans early. They keep cooking in the oven, so take them off the stove while they still have a little snap.
• Soften the cream cheese first. Cold cream cheese leaves little lumps in the sauce.
• Onions go on last. Added at the start, they can burn or turn soggy.
• Dry frozen beans well. Extra water thins out the sauce.

How to Make Ahead and Store Green Bean Casserole

• Make ahead: Assemble the casserole (without the fried onions) up to 1 day ahead. Cover it and refrigerate. It goes into the oven cold, so give it a few extra minutes of baking time.
• Leftovers: Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheating: Warm single servings in the microwave, or reheat a bigger dish in the oven. A handful of fresh fried onions on top brings back the crunch.
• Freezing: I don't recommend it. The creamy sauce can turn grainy once it's thawed.

Modern Updates

• Add bacon - crumble cooked bacon into the beans or over the top.
• Swap the cheese - try Swiss or Gruyère instead of cheddar.
• Change the crunch - buttery cracker crumbs or crushed potato chips work in place of fried onions.

What to Serve With Green Bean Casserole

This old-fashioned green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving side through and through. I like it next to a roast turkey (or a slow cooker turkey breast for a smaller crowd), creamy scalloped potatoes and a bowl of cranberry fluff salad, just like a big old-fashioned family dinner. And save room for a slice of old-fashioned pumpkin pie.

FAQs

How do you make green bean casserole without cream of mushroom soup?

Make a quick homemade cream sauce instead. Cream cheese, heavy cream, butter and chicken broth make it rich, and sautéed mushrooms give it that familiar mushroom flavor.

Can I use frozen green beans?

Yes, frozen green beans work in a pinch. Thaw them and drain them well first so the sauce doesn't get watery. Fresh beans give the best texture.

Do you have to blanch the green beans first?

No. In this recipe the fresh green beans cook right in the skillet with the onion and mushrooms until they just start to soften, then finish in the oven. That saves you a pot and keeps them from going mushy.

How do you keep green bean casserole from getting watery?

Simmer the sauce until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon before you pour it over the beans. If you're using frozen green beans, thaw them and pat them dry so the extra water doesn't thin out the sauce.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

• 25 Fresh Green Beans Recipes
• Old-Fashioned Mac and Cheese
• Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
• Easy Cranberry Millionaire Salad
• Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp