Here’s a modern twist that makes the best green bean stew! It’s homemade with fresh green beans, mushrooms and crispy potato chips.
Ready for the best green bean casserole? After moving to Indiana, I fell in love with this holiday classic: canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions. It has that cozy, comforting quality like all great 1950s dishes (right?). But after we transitioned to eating less processed foods, Alex and I asked ourselves: Could there be a fresh, whole version of green bean casserole? So we set out to make a green bean casserole “from scratch”… and added a few innovations of our own.
Do you have an instant pot? Go to Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole.
Why is this the best green bean casserole?
What do we think makes this the best green bean casserole? Let’s leave that aside for now, if you’re looking for the 100% classic canned mushroom cream and green beans recipe, this isn’t the recipe for you! But if you fancy a Foodie from scratch, There it happens. Here are the features that we think make it the best:
- Fresh green beans. Steaming green beans gives them a crispy and tender texture: nothing like canned beans.
- Real Mushrooms. None of those creepy black spots that were part of my childhood nightmares. This version uses real mushrooms, which are really delicious.
- Parmesan and a touch of cream. Instead of the can, we’re replacing the milk jug with just enough parmesan and heavy cream for a “real” creamy base. It coats the beans just enough! (This also makes this a gluten-free green bean casserole.)
- Potato chips with sour cream and onion. Yes, since fried onions are not part of our standard offering, we decided to innovate and ate sour cream and onion chips for garnish. We will never return! This results in a unique crunchy topping that we hope catches on.
What people are saying about this green bean casserole
This green bean casserole gets rave reviews! Here’s what some readers had to say:
- “It’s better than I expected!” I’m used to the green bean soup casserole, so I wasn’t sure if it would be as flavorful or as rich. But it’s even truer! I will be doing this for Thanksgiving for years to come! -Kristi
- “This was by far the best green bean casserole I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t even put it in the same category as the old school genre! It also made some really tasty leftovers. -Lisa
How to trim green beans…quickly.
The one part of many green bean recipes that you might get stuck on is trim green beans! This recipe calls for two pounds, which is a big chunk. If you break off each of the ends with your fingers like the traditional method, it may take some time! Luckily, Alex and I found a time-saving trick on how to prune green beans! Go to How to Prune Green Beans Quickly!
Where does the green bean casserole actually come from?
That’s what we asked ourselves when we made this recipe. Did you know that green bean casserole was actually a Campbell’s Soup invention? (I had no idea.) It was invented to take their cream of mushroom soup and pair it with canned green beans and crispy fried onions. It’s an odd combination, but somehow it works! Since then, Americans have been making them mainly for Thanksgiving and other holidays.
Want some extra Thanksgiving (or Friendsgiving) recipes?
Alex and I made this Green Bean Casserole for a Virtual Friendsgiving with two of our dear friends! We teamed up with Erin from Well Plated and Becky from The Cookie Rookie to create some Thanksgiving recipes that go great together. Erin and Becky were kind enough to whip up vegetarian recipes that they knew you would love, dear readers! Here are her drooling recipes (no kidding, we’re drooling around here…).
Becky walked out of the park with this cheesy cauliflower gratin! Don’t wanna jump in that bowl?
Sure, Erin’s Pecan Pie Cobbler is awesome! It’s less hassle than cake and looks (to us) even tastier.
This best green bean casserole recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free.
The description
Here’s a modern twist that makes the best green bean stew! It’s homemade with fresh green beans, mushrooms and crispy potato chips.
- 2 pound green beans*
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 large shallot
- ½ cup whipped cream
- 1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ½ cup Gourmet Potato Chips, Sour Cream and Onion Flavor**
- Finely chop the mushrooms. Chop the shallot and garlic. Peel and halve the green beans.
- In a large skillet, heat ¼ cup water over medium-high heat. When it boils, add the green beans and cover. Cook green beans until green and soft, 7 to 9 minutes, stirring once or twice. Transfer the beans from the pan to a bowl.
- In the same pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushrooms and stir-fry, until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic. Cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add whipping cream and spices and stir until combined. Return the green beans to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Place on a serving platter (9 x 9 or medium casserole dish). Garnish with grated parmesan and shavings. (If making ahead, add the topping just before serving to keep it crispy.)
Remarks
*This amount is enough for a 9×9 casserole dish or the equivalent of a saucepan. If you’re feeding a larger crowd for Thanksgiving or a large crowd, you can double them up and fit in a 9×13 casserole dish.
**Of course, if you must, do not hesitate to substitute the traditional fried onions! We won’t judge.
- Category: garnish
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Thanksgiving
Keywords: Green Bean Casserole, Best Green Bean Casserole
More Thanksgiving Resources
Here are some additional resources for Thanksgiving planning:
