Green Bean Casserole

Better than your mama’s green bean casserole. Trust. This cast iron casserole has all the green beans and fried onions you know and love with a fresh homemade sauce in lieu of soup from a can.

This year, when it was harvest time, Mom put out the SOS. My sister and I pitched in and helped harvest.

Apparently Mom likes green, yellow and purple beans. She had 3 rows of beans. 3. Rows. Of. Beans.

We had beans on beans on beans.

This recipe is dedicated to all 3 rows.

My best green bean casserole tips + tricks

No. 1 –> Choose smaller green beans if possible, the smaller they are the more tender they tend to be.

No. 2 –> Skip the canned mushroom soup! This easy cast iron green bean casserole recipe is SO delicious you’ll be glad you made the mushroom gravy.

No. 3 –> I love to use my cast-iron skillet for this recipe because it’s stovetop to oven to table friendly! You can buy one here at Kohl’s or splurge for this one at Williams Sonoma.

Cast Iron green bean casserole ingredients

• green beans
• mushrooms
• garlic
• butter
• half and half
• fried onions

How to make green bean casserole from scratch

It’s really not hard to make this casserole without a can of soup, and trust me you’ll be glad you skipped it! The flavour profile created with this mushroom garlic gravy is fantastic in this dish. It’s just the right amount of richness. This is the best cast iron skiller green bean casserole.

1. Preheat oven to 350f.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil, once it reaches boiling, add the beans and blanch for 3.5 minutes. Strain the beans and rinse with cold water until beans are cold.
3. Meanwhile, in a 10″ cast iron skillet, heat the mushrooms and butter over medium heat and cook until the mushrooms start to release their liquid, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic to the mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Sprinkle flour in the skillet, and stir well. Add water and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk in the cream. Lightly simmer the cream sauce until thickened.
7. Salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add the blanched beans with 1/3 cup of fried onions to the skillet, and toss to coat.
9. Spread the remaining fried onions on top of the casserole.
10. Bake at 350f for 15 minutes.

Make ahead

Of course! The beauty of casseroles is that you can prep them ahead of time to ease the prep work pinch on important days like Thanksgiving.

Simply follow the directions, but stop before spreading the fried onions on top of the casserole. Cover the casserole and place in the fridge for up to 2 days. Remove from the fridge an hour before placing in the oven to reheat. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes, then top with the fried onions and bake at 350F for another 15 minutes, or until warmed through.

When to serve cast iron green bean casserole

I’m not a green bean casserole purist. This recipe is SO delicious, I say eat it whenever! If you have the desire to make it, you should eat it any day of the week.

You should also serve it when you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinners because you never know, the people around your table might be green bean casserole purists!

Side dish inspiration!

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📖 Printable Recipe

Better Than Your Mama’s Green Bean Casserole

Allyson Letal

Better than your mama's green bean casserole. Trust. This casserole has all the green beans and fried onions you know and love with a fresh homemade sauce in lieu of soup from a can.

4.20 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 185 kcal

Ingredients

 

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 3 cups chopped mushrooms
• 1 tbsp butter
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp flour
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 cups half and half
• salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE CASSEROLE:

• 6 cups trimmed and chopped green beans
• 2 cups French’s fried onions divided

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Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350f.
• Bring a pot of water to boil, once it reaches boiling, add the beans and blanch for 3.5 minutes. Strain the beans and rinse with cold water until beans are cold.
• Meanwhile, in a 10" cast iron skillet, heat the mushrooms and butter over medium heat and cook until the mushrooms start to release their liquid, about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic to the mushrooms and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Sprinkle flour in the skillet, and stir well. Add water and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk in the cream. Lightly simmer the cream sauce until thickened.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the blanched beans with 1/3 cup of fried onions to the skillet, and toss to coat. Spread the remaining fried onions on top of the casserole.
• Bake at 350f for 15 minutes.

Notes

*This casserole keeps wonderfully in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Recommended Equipment + Ingredients

French’s Original Crispy Fried Onions

Lodge Cast Iron Skillet

Knife Set

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 5gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 180mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7g

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