Author: This classic green bean casserole features tender green beans and crispy fried onions wrapped in a creamy sauce. Whether you want to serve this on a regular weeknight or for your family holiday meal, this recipe is the perfect classic variation the whole family will love!
I love a good holiday meal. Homemade rolls, cranberry sauce, creamy mashed potatoes, a home-grown roast turkey, and a fresh pecan pie. In fact, we sometimes get a craving for that meal in the spring, so I will whip it up!
For my son’s birthday party last year (in March), we had Thanksgiving dinner for the meal at his request! But no matter when we eat a holiday meal, homemade green bean casserole is a must-have!
Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Green bean casserole is a classic holiday dish, one that nearly every American family enjoys during both the Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. We have never had a holiday meal without it, and I think the world might end if I even tried to skip this staple!
It was originally created in 1955 to showcase a few pantry staples from the Campbell Soup Company: canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and crispy fried onions. And of course, it quickly became a holiday classic, thanks to how easy and affordable it was to make (and how delicious it was!).
But before canned goods and pre-packaged toppings, this dish would have come together with fresh green beans from the garden, a homemade cream sauce, and onions fried right at the stove. So, we are going to make this classic recipe completely from scratch!
Ingredients
Green beans, a simple roux, and some fried onions. That’s all you need for this amazing homemade green bean casserole! Full directions and measurements are in the printable recipe at the end of the post.
Ok, I’ll admit, while I have always loved green bean casserole, I’ve always hated the mushrooms that came along with it. I may be the only one, but I’m so happy to be able to make my own, without mushrooms now! You can, of course, add some sauteed mushrooms after making the roux if you want!
- Green Beans – Both canned green beans and fresh green beans will work just as well for this recipe. I like to mark a few of my best jars of green beans as “holiday beans” for use in this recipe!
- Butter – Salted and unsalted both work perfectly here. We use salted, because that’s what we keep on hand, but use what you have.
- All-Purpose Flour – We use einkorn flour in our home, so that’s what we use in this recipe. However, you can use any all-purpose flour!
- Milk – Whole milk, almond milk, soy milk, it all works! Use whatever type of milk you have. The taste will be slightly altered if you aren’t using cow’s milk, but it’s still delicious. Until we found raw milk, we made this recipe with almond milk.
- Salt, Pepper, and Garlic – Used to season the roux, don’t skip any of them if you can help it!
- Onion Toppers – Making your own homemade onion toppers is so simple! You can do this a few days in advance, or even months in advance, and keep them in the freezer! If you don’t want to make your own, store-bought will also work.
Instructions
You can make any part of this recipe with a store-bought version, but I’m going to walk you through making the recipe from scratch. It’s really simple and the taste is so much better than what you may be used to!
You can easily increase this recipe as many times as needed for the size gathering you are having.
If Using Fresh Green Beans
- Snap and cut the green beans. Boil in salted water until tender.
- Drain the green beans and continue with the recipe.
For Casserole
- Melt the butter on low heat. Add the flour to the melted butter and mix until well combined.
- Slowly add milk, mixing in between each addition until smooth. Turn the heat up to medium-low and continue stirring until the mix thickens to a custard consistency.
- Add the spices and mix well. Remove the finished roux from the heat.
- In a large casserole dish, add the green beans. Pour the roux over the beans and mix until all the green beans are coated.
- Top with fried onions and bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Even More Classic Holiday Recipes
If you are looking to round out your holiday table with some of the best, tried-and-true recipes, take your pick of the recipes below!
- How to Cook a Frozen Turkey
- Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Jellied Cranberry Sauce
- Copycat Stovetop Stuffing
- Classic Deviled Eggs
- Homemade Pecan Pie
- Old-Fashioned Gingersnap Cookies
Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lb green beans (fresh or canned)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp garlic
- 4 cups onion toppers (we like to make our own homemade onion toppers!)
Instructions
If Using Fresh Green Beans
- Snap and cut the green beans. Boil in salted water until tender.
- Drain the green beans and continue with the recipe.
For Casserole
- Melt the butter on low heat. Add the flour to the melted butter and mix until well combined.
- Slowly add milk, mixing in between each addition until smooth. Turn the heat up to medium-low and continue stirring until the mix thickens to a custard consistency.
- Add the spices and mix well. Remove the finished roux from the heat.
- In a large casserole dish, add the green beans. Pour the roux over the beans and mix until all the green beans are coated.
- Top with fried onions and bake at 350° for 35 minutes.
Nutrition
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