The Best Cheesy Green Bean Casserole – Quick Facts
- Ready In: 1 hour + 15 minutes
- Serves: 12 people
- Best For: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas dinner, Easter, or any other special occasion
- Dietary Info: dairy-free friendly, gluten-free friendly, vegetarian, holiday side dish
- Main Ingredients: fresh green beans, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, french fried onions
- Origin: Born and raised in Wisconsin, I love adding a delicious cheese spin to pretty much any recipe! Our holiday table always has an easy green bean casserole and it was time for it to get that delicious Wisconsin cheese twist. The result was amazing! It is extra creamy, delicious, and a total crowd-pleaser!
Variations & Upgrades: If you also love this holiday green bean side dish, but are looking to change it up in other ways, try our green bean casserole with bacon!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, & estimated nutritional information.
- Green Beans – fresh green beans provide a nice crunch to your creamy cheese green bean casserole, but canned beans or frozen beans could also be used.
- Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup – highly recommend taking the extra steps to make the best homemade cream of mushroom soup, but feel free to hit the easy button and use that classic canned soup.
- Shredded Cheese – a classic sharp cheddar cheese is what I used during testing, but you can use your favorite type of cheese or dairy-free alternative.
- French Fried Onions – a traditional topping for this holiday side dish! Homemade onions strings or even some easy crispy shallots would make a delicious twist.
How To Make Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
Step 1 – Simply blanch fresh green beans before cooking.
Step 2 – Transfer hot beans to an ice bath to cool.
Step 3 – Sauté the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in a cast iron skillet.
Step 4 – Melt the remaining butter and mix in the flour.
Step 5 – Gradually pour in the broth and creamer, whisking continuously.
Step 6 – Mix in the seasonings and some of the shredded cheese to melt.
Step 7 – Spread the blanched green beans in a casserole dish and pour the mushroom mixture of the top. Mix along with some of the french fried onions. Bake until hot and bubbly.
Slow Cooker Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
If you want to free up some oven space, consider making our crock pot green bean casserole (with canned beans). Or follow the recipe below and transfer the blanched green beans and soup mixture in to a crock pot. Cook, covered, on the high setting for 1 1/2 hours. Add the rest of the cheese and french fried onions right before serving.
Step 8 – Add the remaining cheese and french fried onions; finish baking for 5 more minutes.
Erin’s Learnings During Testing
A few tips that I discovered during the testing process for the best cheesy green bean casserole are to take the few minutes needed to blanch the fresh beans. It helps to keep them crisp but not undercooked after baking. Also, freshly grate the cheddar cheese. It melts so much better than pre-shredded cheese.
Best Ways To Serve Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
There is simply nothing better than this old fashioned cheesy green bean casserole that can be served alongside an ultimate herb butter turkey or the best grilled ham. Of course it’s the holidays, so we also suggest adding some Yukon gold mashed potatoes, easy homemade stuffing, turkey gravy from scratch, & fresh cranberry sauce.
Cheesy Green Bean Casserole FAQs
In this recipe, I used fresh green beans but canned beans or frozen beans could also be used. If using canned, be sure to drain before using. If using frozen, be sure to thaw and drain before adding to the casserole.
For this recipe, yes, the fresh green beans are blanched in hot water for a couple minutes, transferred to an ice bath, and then used in the casserole.
Sharp cheddar cheese provides great flavor with a little saltiness. Option to swap it for a mild cheddar cheese or even Swiss cheese, but cheddar is definitely the favorite at our holiday.
Yes, the full green bean side dish can be assembled up to the point of baking in the oven. Instead of moving it to the oven, cover, and place in the fridge until ready to bake. A great option for those busy holidays that involve so much baking!
Other Green Bean Casserole Recipes You Might Like
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Simple Cheesy Green Bean Casserole (with fresh green beans)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Stove Top + Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Cheesy Green Bean Casserole is your classic holiday side dish made from scratch with fresh green beans and a cheesy twist!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into large pieces
- 7 tablespoons butter, divided (sub plant-based butter)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 small sweet yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 8–12oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened/unflavored Nutpods OR heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded, divided (more if desired)
- 2 cups crispy fried onions, divided (more if desired)
Instructions
- Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Blanch Green Beans: Fill a medium saucepan 3/4 full of water and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, take a large bowl and fill 3/4 of the way with water. Add ice to create an ice bath. Set aside. Add green beans to the simmering water. Let cook for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the green beans from the simmering water and place them directly into the ice bath. Let sit for 5 minutes or until fully cooled. Remove and place in a 9×13 baking pan.
- Cook Onions + Mushrooms: Bring cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of butter and let melt; swirl to coat the pan. Add 1 tablespoon garlic and sliced onion. Move around pan until until the onions have softened, approximately 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and move around pan until they have softened, another 2-3 minutes.
- Make Sauce: Add remaining 4 tablespoons of butter to pan and let melt. Add 1/4 cup flour and mix to combine. Slowly add in 3/4 cup chicken broth and then 1 1/2 cups of creamer, whisking the entire time and ensuring the mixture is hot enough to just barely simmer. Let simmer, uncovered, 3-5 minutes. Once thickened remove from heat and add in 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt or pepper, as needed.
- Combine: Pour the creamy sauce over the green beans in the baking dish and add about 3/4 cup of the french fried onions; stir to combine.
- Bake: Place in oven, middle rack and uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove and cover with remaining cheese and french fried onions. Return to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Cook + Serve: Remove and let cool sightly at room temperature before serving (sauce will thicken as it cools).
Notes
- Mushrooms + Onions: you can remove these from the pan before Step 4 if you prefer and then add them back in after the Sauce has been made, if that is easier for you.
- Gluten-Free: use gluten-free flour and gluten-free french fried onions.
- Make in Advance: option to complete steps 1-5, let cool, cover, and keep in the fridge until ready to bake. Bake time may need to be increased due to it all being cold.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 4.3 g
- Sodium: 235.2 mg
- Fat: 8.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 11.9 g
- Protein: 4.1 g
- Cholesterol: 21.5 mg
Bridget says
Yum! Love this cheesy option! My family loved it!
Sarah says
Can’t wait to make! Can this be made in advance, refrigerated, and cooked the next day?
Erin says
Hi Sarah! Yes, this could definitely be prepped the day before, refrigerated and cooked the next day!