Name: Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 lbs French green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and cut in half; 1/2 yellow onion, chopped; 2 cups chopped mushrooms (about 8 ounces); 3 T olive oil; 3/4 cup sour cream; 1 cup milk (of choice); 6 ounces fried onions; Salt and pepper to taste

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Green bean casserole has been a popular Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition since the 1950s. This recipe elevates the original classic side dish by using fresh ingredients without sacrificing the quintessential comfort food vibe. This Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Beans is now a staple of our holiday dinners.

Green Bean Casserole Ingredients

You will need 2 pounds of French green beans, rinsed, trimmed, and cut in half. French green beans are preferred because they are longer and thinner than typical fresh green beans. In addition, this recipe calls for 1/2 of a yellow onion, 2 cups of fresh mushrooms, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 cup sour cream, 1 cup of milk of choice, salt, pepper, and a container of fried onions (such as French’s brand).

Preparing This Green Bean Casserole

First, preheat the oven to 400°.

Wash, trim, and cut green beans in half to make them more manageable to cook evenly and eat.

Green beans on a cutting board trimmed and being cut in half Steam green beans for 10 minutes. I use a large pot with a steamer, like this one on Amazon. You want them to be slightly softened but not cooked completely through. Since it is a lot of beans, I use silicone-tipped tongs (so as not to cut them with the metal ones) to stir them around a couple of times during the steaming, to cook them evenly.

Green beans steaming in a large pot

While they are steaming, chop the onions and mushrooms. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a medium pan, then sauté the onions for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until softened about 5 minutes.

Onions and mushrooms being sauteed in a pan

When the beans are finished, let them cool for 5 – 10 minutes so it’s easier to handle the pot. Drain the water out of the beans and set aside.

Add sour cream and milk to the onions and mushrooms and bring to a low boil for 5 minutes, cooking until the sauce is thoroughly combined.

Grease a baking dish (like this large-sized Staub Baking Dish), add green beans, and then pour the mushroom onion sauce over the top. Grind salt and pepper to taste over the top. Use tongs to mix everything in the baking dish. It will naturally mix more in the oven so don’t worry if it’s not perfect.

Sprinkle the fried onions over the top. Put in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes, or until onions are browned on top. All ingredients have already been mostly cooked, so the oven time is to allow all the flavors to come together in the dish and brown the onions on top.

Green bean casserole fresh out of the oven, nicely browned on top

Tips and Serving Suggestions for This Green Bean Casserole

Some of our other holiday favorite side dishes include these Gruyère Scalloped Potatoes and Butt Bun Potato Rolls.
If you love fresh green beans, try these other yummy recipes: Bacon and Brown Sugar Green Bean Bundles and Green Beans with Carmelized Onions.