Easy Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Easy Homemade Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole is a staple of Thanksgiving dinner. Cans of green beans and soup are always on special this time of year. But what if you could make the favorite dish from fresh whole ingredients easily, and even a day ahead so you aren’t rushing around on the big day? Homemade Green Bean Casserole is a great way to know what you are eating without all the guesswork. Plus it’s easy to make! My favorite kind of recipe!
Fresh Ingredients for Homemade Green Bean Casserole
I start off my Homemade Green Bean Casserole with fresh green beans from the produce section of my favorite grocery store. They always have fantastic green beans. If you can’t find fresh, frozen will work, but avoid the canned. They are too mushy for this recipe. To make the mushroom soup, I start with white and baby bella mushrooms, and saute them in butter. A bit of flour dusts the mushrooms when they are caramelized, and then half n half creates the creamy base of the “soup”. A little bit of minced garlic gives the sauce a phenomenal flavor that you’ll absolutely love. As always, I topped it with some french fried onions for that traditional crispy goodness. It is always the first dish to be empty on the table.

1 lb mushrooms, white and baby bella, diced
¾ stick butter
3 T flour
1 ½ C half n half
1 t garlic, finely diced
1 ½ lbs fresh green beans, ends snapped and washed
salt
pepper
1 lg container french fried onions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the mushrooms and saute until slightly caramelized.
Sprinkle the mushrooms with the flour and stir, allowing to cook for about a minute.
Add half n half, continually stirring. Allow to simmer until thickened, about a minute or two.
Add the garlic simmer 30 seconds.
Add the beans and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Spray a 2 qt casserole with nonstick cooking spray.
Transfer the mixture to the casserole pan and cover.
Bake in heated oven for 40 minutes, until the mixture is bubbly.
If serving now, sprinkle generously with the onions and return uncovered to the oven for 10 minutes.
If making a day ahead, remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate until about an hour before serving. An hour before serving remove from the refrigerator and allow to warm in the room (so the pan doesn’t break). Sprinkle with onions and bake in 350 degree F oven for 20 minutes uncovered.
Serve hot.

Make up Homemade Green Bean Casserole a Day Ahead
When I’m planning my Thanksgiving dinner, I always love dishes that I can make the day ahead, then just heat up for dinner. Homemade Green Bean Casserole is the perfect dish for heat and eat cooking. I bake it until I’m ready to add the onions, then while my turkey is resting, I sprinkle onions over the top and warm it in the oven for 20 minutes or until it’s bubbly. It really brings the flavor up a lot when you make Homemade Green Bean Casserole from scratch.

Check out tips on how to save on your upcoming Thanksgiving Dinner:

10 Ways To Save On Thanksgiving Dinner

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