FOOD · THANKSGIVING

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Onions

This is my family’s favorite at the Thanksgiving table. What makes it special? No canned cream of anything. The mushroom soup is made from scratch and is truly restaurant quality, with wine, garlic, onion, and enough mushrooms for that delicious umami without overpowering the dish. The green beans are cut into bite-size pieces, each coated in the creamy sauce. The crispy onions are the only thing I won’t make you work for. Those are delicious straight from the tub and pair perfectly with this dish.

SERVINGS

16–20 side servings

COOK TIME

18 minutes baking, plus stovetop cooking

METHOD

Stovetop + oven

Ingredients

  • Homemade Mushroom Base
    • 1½ lb mushrooms, thinly sliced (I like portobello)
    • ½ onion, chopped
    • 4 fresh garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 4 tablespoons butter
    • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
    • 3 cups chicken stock
    • ½ cup dry white wine
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
    • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed
  • Green Beans & Topping
    • 5 lb fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
    • 6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
    • ½ onion, chopped
    • Salt, for the green bean cooking water
    • French-fried onions, to taste, for topping

My ingredient notes: I like portobello mushrooms, sliced thinly so they mix through the sauce.

You’ll use one onion total: half in the mushroom base and half with the bacon.

I buy the tub of French-fried onions and add them right before serving so they keep their crunch.

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Have a baking dish ready that comfortably holds all the green beans and mushroom sauce.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the sliced mushrooms and half the chopped onion. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent and the mushrooms have shrunk by about a third, approximately 5–7 minutes. Add the minced garlic toward the end so it doesn’t burn, along with 1 teaspoon salt.
  3. Add the butter. Once melted, stir in the flour and cook, stirring, until lightly golden.
  4. Gradually stir in the chicken stock, dry white wine, and heavy cream. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, parsley, and thyme leaves. Simmer gently on LOW for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom base has thickened.
  5. Meanwhile, cook the chopped bacon and remaining half of the onion in a skillet until the bacon is crispy and the onion is soft and translucent. Keep the onion from browning, and retain the rendered bacon fat.
  6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the trimmed, halved green beans and cook for 8 minutes. Drain well. There’s no need for an ice bath; they’re going straight into the sauce.
  7. Combine the hot green beans, mushroom base, and bacon-onion mixture, including the rendered fat. Mix until every piece of green bean is coated, then transfer to your baking dish.
  8. Bake uncovered for 18 minutes, until bubbling and heated through.
  9. Just before serving, scatter French-fried onions over the top to your liking. Serve warm.

My serving suggestion: Bring it to the table in its baking dish and add the fried onions at the last minute. This rich casserole serves 16–20 alongside the other Thanksgiving sides.

If you’re setting it out before dinner, save the topping until everyone is ready to eat.

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