Healthy Green Bean Casserole with Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
Green Bean Casserole is a Thanksgiving classic and today we’re bringing you a Green Bean Casserole from Scratch, made without canned mushroom soup. This healthy green bean casserole is holiday comfort food at it’s finest!
Green Bean Casserole from Scratch Recipe
I agree with Anthony Bourdain that Thanksgiving is not the time for experimentation.
There are certain classics we look forward to year after year and for many of us, it’s the whole point of the day – indulging in those comfort food classics with our loved ones around us.
However, just because you want those classic dishes doesn’t mean you have to stick to the classic recipe – which in the case of a classic green bean casserole usually features bland canned soup. By swapping out the canned soup for our easy homemade mushroom soup, we enhance the flavor of this dish, reduce the sodium and still stay true enough to the original that everyone will be happy (and probably won’t even notice the substitution – other than thinking it’s the BEST green bean casserole they’ve ever had).
This green bean casserole features perfect, crunchy green beans, a creamy mushroom sauce and a salty-crunchy topping of fried onions that all come together to create a delicious side dish that really should be served year-round. You can add the mushrooms from the soup or omit them, according to your personal preferences.
While I used French’s Fried Onions for the topping, you can also make your own fried onions with this copycat recipe.
Of course, if you want to use a pre-made mushroom soup, you can swap that in for this recipe but if you take the extra few minutes to prepare the homemade cream of mushroom soup you will not regret it.
Plus, you can easily double or triple this recipe so you can have plenty of leftover soup for pairing with turkey sandwiches. This cream of mushroom soup recipe makes enough for a triple or quadruple batch of our green bean casserole, or you can use the excess cream of mushroom soup as an appetizer or in your stuffing recipe.
You can make this green bean casserole up to 48 hours in advance. Simply prepare the recipe as directed right up until you need to add the fried onion topping. Do not add the fried onions, as they will become soggy in the fridge. Simply cover your casserole dish and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before you’re ready to bake. Allow the casserole to come to room temperature before topping with fried onions and baking as directed.
Do I need to use fresh green beans for green bean casserole? While I’m not a fan of canned beans and don’t recommend them for this recipe, you can safely use fresh or frozen green beans and have amazing results. If using frozen green beans, just rinse them under warm water briefly before boiling, as described in the recipe. Frozen produce is picked at the peak of freshness and can last in the freezer for up to 3-6 months, so picking up a package before the holidays is a great way to ensure that you won’t be frustrated by supply and demand issues for fresh green beans when Thanksgiving week arrives.
Does green bean casserole have cheese? Traditionally, no, but if you’d like to add cheese stick with something sharp that’s going to add to the flavor of the dish – like a sharp cheddar, Gruyere, Parmesan, etc. Keep in mind that cheese will make this dish saltier.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
- Homemade Gravy
- Anthony Bourdain’s Cranberry Orange Relish
- Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Streusel Topping
- Roast Turkey Breast
- Maple Pecan Pie
- One Hour Dinner Rolls
- Easy Baked Hasselback Potatoes
Green Bean Casserole Ingredients
For the Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup:
- Butter or Olive Oil
- Mushrooms, diced
- Onion, diced
- Garlic, sliced
- Thyme
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- All-purpose Flour
- Whole Milk, divided
- Chicken Broth <– grab our recipe for Instant Pot Chicken Broth here
Note: this recipe makes 4 1/2 cups of cream of mushroom soup – you will only need 1 cup for this recipe. Use the excess in your stuffing or as an appetizer.
For the Casserole:
- Green Beans <– use fresh or frozen
- White Pepper, optional
- Fried Onions
Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.
Tip: You can add the vegetables cooked in the process of making the soup to the casserole for even more flavor.
Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful
- Saucepan
- Colander
- Casserole Dish
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Sharp kitchen knife
How to Make Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
In a medium-sized saucepan, melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter.
Add the mushrooms and onions to the hot butter and sautee until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
Remove vegetables to a small bowl and then add remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter to the saucepan. (The reserved onions and mushrooms can be added back to the casserole before baking or saved as a separate side dish.)
Use a spatula to scrape up all the browned bits in the saucepan.
Once the butter is melted, whisk in your flour to form a roux.
Whisk 1 cup of the milk into the roux to make a thicker paste, then slowly whisk in the broth.
Reserve 1 cup of the cream of mushroom soup for the green bean casserole.
How to Make the Green Bean Casserole
Preheat oven 325F
Boil a pot of water and add the green beans. Boil for 5 minutes, then strain and run under cold water to shock them.
Place the green beans in a large casserole dish and cover with the cream of mushroom soup (1 cup) and 1 cup of milk.
Stir to coat completely.
Sprinkle on white pepper, if using, then cover with tinfoil.
Bake the casserole for 15 minutes until bubbly.
Remove the tinfoil and sprinkle the dried onions overtop.
Return to oven and continue to bake for 10 minutes.
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Healthy Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
A delicious green bean casserole made without canned soup, this holiday classic has amazing flavor and that perfect creamy-crunchy combo that make this side dish a comfort food classic.
Ingredients
For the Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup:
- 3 Tablespoons butter or oil
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk, divided
- 3 cups chicken broth
For the Casserole:
- 2lbs green beans
- 1 teaspoon white pepper, optional
- 1 1/2 cups fried onions
Instructions
How to Make Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup
- In a medium-sized saucepan, melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter.
- Add the mushrooms and onions to the hot butter and sautee until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
- Remove vegetables to a small bowl and then add remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter to the saucepan. (The vegetables can be saved for a separate side dish or added later to the casserole before baking.)
- Use a spatula to scrape up all the browned bits in the saucepan.
- Once the butter is melted, whisk in your flour to form a roux.
- Whisk 1 cup of the milk into the roux to make a thicker paste, then slowly whisk in the broth.
- Reserve 1 cup of the cream of mushroom soup for the green bean casserole.
How to Make the Green Bean Casserole
- Preheat oven 325F
- Boil a pot of water and add the green beans. Boil for 5 minutes, then strain and run under cold water to shock them.
- Place the green beans in a large casserole dish and cover with the cream of mushroom soup (1 cup) and 1 cup of milk.
- Stir to coat completely.
- Sprinkle on white pepper, if using, then cover with tinfoil.
- Bake the casserole for 15 minutes until bubbly.
- Remove the tinfoil and sprinkle the dried onions overtop.
- Return to oven and continue to bake for 10 minutes.
Notes
This recipe makes 3-4 cups of cream of mushroom soup. The soup can be served as a side dish, saved for lunch the next day or used to make other recipes that traditionally call for canned mushroom soup. It's delicious added to casseroles or mashed potatoes.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 254Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 365mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 5gSugar: 8gProtein: 9g
Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.
I hope your family loves this healthy green bean casserole as much as mine does! I’ll never make green bean casserole with canned mushroom soup again!
For more delicious vegetable side dishes, check out our Instant Pot Corn Chowder recipe or our Brussel Sprout Salad with Bacon and Feta.
