Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Nov 20, 2019, Updated Nov 24, 2025
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Putting a fresh twist on a holiday classic
Green bean casserole is a holiday classic. This recipe is a fresh take on this crowd favorite. Made from scratch using 100% FRESH ingredients, the taste cannot be beaten!
Most often, green bean casserole is made using canned beans, canned soup, and canned fried onions. What a shame because 100% fresh ingredients taste 1000% better!
This fresh recipe is rich and creamy with lots of texture. The green beans remain firm and the panko bread crumbs provide just the right amount of crunch.
Ingredients for Fresh Green Bean Casserole
- Fresh Green Beans – the star of the dish
- Other fresh veggies: mushrooms, onion and garlic
- Made-from-scratch cram sauce: butter, flour, whole milk, half-and-half, cayenne pepper, cardamom, grated cheese, and salt & pepper
- Bacon – no explanation needed!
- Panko bread crumbs – for the crunchy topping
How To Make Fresh Green Bean Casserole
Scratch-made doesn’t always mean labor-intensive. This recipe doesn’t take much longer to whip up than old-school green bean casserole. And what extra time it does take is, without a doubt, worth it!
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then, you will need to blanch or steam the green beans: Cook the trimmed beans in boiling, salted water for about 3-5 minutes until they are bright green.Immediately plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking and preserve their color and texture.
Next, add the bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon for 2 minutes, and then add the sliced white mushrooms, garlic and onions, and continue cooking until the bacon is done (but not crisp) and the onions are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Then, in a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or 2, and then pour in the milk and half-and-half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne, cardamom and and then add the grated cheese. Stir while the cheese melts. Turn off the heat.
Add the bacon/onion mixture and stir to combine. Add in the green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with panko. Finally, bake until the sauce is bubbly and the panko is golden – approximately 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make the Fresh Ingredient Green Bean Casserole ahead of time?
Yes! If time is extra tight on the day of your meal, make your Fresh Green Bean Casserole the day before. Assemble all the ingredients into the casserole dish as instructed in the recipe below, but do not bake. Instead, cover it tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. The next day, uncover it and bake as instructed.
Do I have to blanch the fresh green beans?
Yes, blanching is highly recommended. It partially cooks the beans, ensuring they are crisp-tender and not mushy or raw-tasting after bakin
Can I use frozen green beans instead of fresh?
Yes, frozen green beans are generally a better substitute than canned. Be sure to thaw and drain them completely before adding them to the casserole mixture to prevent the sauce from becoming watery. You can typically skip the blanching step. This may make the casserole with a different overall texture.
The Prodcue Moms’ Tip
Want to make this dish vegetarian? Simply leave out the bacon or replace it with these mushroom chips that taste crazy similar to bacon!
More Green Bean Favorites
- Green Beans with Crispy Chickpeas
- Air Fryer Green Beans
- Blistered Green Beans with Fried Shallots
- French Bean Refrigerator Salad
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Fresh Ingredient Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh green beans
- 4 slices bacon cut into 1/4″ pieces
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 oz sliced white mushrooms
- 1/2 large onion chopped
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2/3 cup flour
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk plus extra for thinning if needed
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp cardamom
- 1 cup sharp cheddar grated
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Blanch the green beans: Cook the trimmed beans in boiling, salted water for about 3-5 minutes until they are bright green.Immediately plunge them into an ice bath to stop the cooking and preserve their color and texture. Set to the side.
- Add the bacon pieces to a skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon for 2 minutes, and then add the sliced white mushrooms, garlic and onions, and continue cooking until the bacon is done (but not crisp) and the onions are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the butter. Cook for a minute or 2, and then pour in the milk and half-and-half. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, while the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Add salt, black pepper, cayenne, cardamom and and then add the grated cheese. Stir while the cheese melts. Turn off the heat.
- Add the bacon/onion mixture and stir to combine. Add in the green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour into a baking dish and top with panko. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the panko is golden – approximately 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If I can’t find that particular brand of green beans, please tell me the quantity I may need in another brand.
You would need 12 oz