Green Bean Casserole | The Modern Proper (2024)

December 1, 2023

Fresh green beans and not a can in sight—our homemade green bean casserole recipe gives your favorite creamy veggie side dish a bit of a makeover.

Classic Green Bean Casserole Made From Scratch

You can make a fresh green bean casserole, from scratch! It’s not even harder than the canned version! Starting with fresh green beans—or even frozen ones—will yield a green bean casserole with better texture. Add this to the holiday list, and make some other greats from our 40 Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes. Or if you’re looking for other ways to serve string beans check out Green Beans Almondine and Green Beans with Apples and Sage Butter.

Green Bean Casserole | The Modern Proper (2)

Green Bean Casserole | The Modern Proper (3)

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Can You Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time?

A few hours ahead of time? Yes! A day or two ahead of time? Not really. Green bean casserole is just one of those things that’s best enjoyed freshly-baked. Especially if you’re making it from fresh green beans instead of canned, and making this classic casserole from scratch! There are a few shortcuts.

Blanch the green beans ahead of time! You can do this step easily a day or two ahead, and just keep the bean in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the casserole.
On Thanksgiving Day, if you’re short on stove top and oven space, prep the casserole up to the point of putting it into the oven. Then pop it into the fridge until 20 minutes before dinner time. Then, pop it in the oven to bake. You’ll be pulling it out right as the turkey is finished carving.
If you’re looking for ways to cut down on prep time, the Green Beans Almondine is a real game changer!

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Fresh Green Bean Casserole Ingredients

Green beans–fresh or frozen–either is OK!
See Also
Green Bean Casserole
Dairy: Butter and Half & Half
Flour
Dijon mustard
Seasoning: Onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg
Vegetable or chicken stock. FYI, if you use veggie stock, this green bean casserole will be fully vegetarian, in case you’d like to offer a vegetarian side dish at Thanksgiving.
French’s fried onions. This is the one classic ingredient that we’re not messing with. There’s just nothing quite like these crispy fried onion bits, and we’re keeping ‘em! Plus, we’ve been known to snack on them as we cook on Thanksgiving Day—it’s a marathon! We need snacks!

Green Bean Casserole | The Modern Proper (5)

Green Bean Casserole | The Modern Proper (6)

How Do You Make Green Bean Casserole From Scratch?

Blanch the green beans until they’re just bright green—three minutes for frozen, about five for fresh. Drain green beans, pat them dry, and add them to a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Start making the cream sauce by melting butter, then whisking in flour, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, salt, nutmeg and Dijon mustard in a large saucepan.
Whisk in the stock until it’s thoroughly combined, then stir in the cream.
Bring the cream sauce to a gentle simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
Pour the sauce over the green beans, and mix to combine.
Bake the casserole for 20 minutes.
Pull the casserole out, give the green beans another stir, then top with French’s crispy onions and bake them for another 10 minutes.
Serve piping hot!

Green Bean Casserole | The Modern Proper (7)

Green Bean Casserole | The Modern Proper (8)

How to Store Leftover Green Bean Casserole + Tips

Leftovers will last for 3-4 days in the fridge, and are best reheated in the oven.
Can you freeze green bean casserole? We don’t love the texture of this green bean casserole after it is frozen. Best to eat those leftovers as soon as possible!
More great Thanksgiving recipes to complete your meal: Baked Brie, followed by Perfect Roast Turkey Recipe, Potato Leek au Gratin and Glazed Carrots, finished with our homemade Pumpkin Pie.

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A Few New Classics Holiday Dishes You Will Love

Endive and Roquefort Salad with Pear Vinaigrette
Creamed Brussels Sprouts
Crispy Shallot Mashed Potatoes
Cornbread Stuffing

Endive and Roquefort Salad with Pear VinaigretteAn easy and delicious salad for the holiday table, this endive and roquefort salad with pear vinaigrette is easy to pull together and looks stunning on a serving platter.
Creamed Brussels SproutsBrussels sprouts need very little work to make them delicious, but we’ve added cream, seasonings, parmesan, and toasty hazelnuts to take them to the next level.
Crispy Shallot Mashed PotatoesMashed potatoes are transported to the next level with crispy shallots and the oil they are cooked in, with butter and milk, of course!
Cornbread StuffingDelight your family and friends with this delicious and easy cornbread stuffing recipe filled with big pieces of crumbly seasoned cornbread and crunchy buttery veggies.

We’ve Got The Full Thanksgiving Menu + More

For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

Green Bean Casserole | The Modern Proper (2024)

FAQs

How do you make green bean casserole not soggy? ›

If you are finding that your green bean casserole is soupy, be sure to drain the green beans really well after blanching so you aren't getting extra water in the casserole that way. Then make sure to thicken the sauce properly by letting the chicken broth and half-and-half simmer long enough to thicken.

Which is better in green bean casserole canned or frozen? ›

When I make green bean casserole, I skip canned beans all together. Frozen green beans are the best green beans to use for green bean casserole.

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Why green bean casserole is the best? ›

Green bean casserole was considered a perfect dish for holiday entertaining because it was simple, inexpensive, and could easily be made ahead of time.

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Why is my green bean casserole always runny? ›

Green bean casserole should have a nice thick sauce that coats the green beans—it should not resemble soup. One common cause of a watery casserole is not adding enough thickener, such as flour or cornstarch, to your sauce.

How do you keep green beans crisp when cooking? ›

This is the correct answer but their time was a bit off. Blanche in boiling water for about 45 seconds and then move immediately to ice water to stop cooking. This will maintain the bright color of your vegetables and assuming they aren't overcooked later will keep them crisp.

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Can you overcook green bean casserole? ›

The Green Beans Are Mushy

Oftentimes, mushy green beans come down to one of two issues. The first is simply that you overcooked them, and they lost their shape and texture.

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How do you thicken green bean casserole? ›

Start making a slurry, a tool for thickening sauces, by whisking a small amount of cornstarch or flour with water or broth. Whisk until there aren't visible lumps. It should be thick but drizzly in consistency. As you constantly stir, add small amounts of the slurry to the filling.

Do most people like green bean casserole? ›

Instacart conducted a survey with The Harris Poll and found that a majority of Americans, 69%, secretly dislike some classic Thanksgiving food but eat it anyway because of tradition. The top offenders were: Canned cranberry sauce (29%) Green bean casserole (24%)

How many days is green bean casserole good for? ›

Green Bean Casserole Leftovers

Your creamy green bean casserole will last about four days in the fridge. The crunchy topping will get softer as time goes by; pop it into the oven to reheat to crisp it up a bit. While casseroles have a reputation for being freezer-friendly, green bean casseroles don't freeze so well.

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Why are my home canned green beans mushy? ›

Avoid using overripe or tough beans, as these may become mushy during the canning process. Process the beans quickly: To preserve the crispness of the beans, it's important to process them quickly after harvesting. Ideally, you should can your green beans within a few hours of picking them.

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Will green bean casserole get soggy? ›

Any liquid from the beans will make your casserole watery. Only add 1/4 cup milk with the condensed soup—do not add the water as directed on the can. Add the crispy fried onions during the last 5 minutes of baking or they will absorb some of the sauce and become soggy.

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How long can a green bean casserole sit out after baking? ›

The casserole can sit out at room temperature for about an hour, then it should be reheated or stored in the fridge.