Get ready to enjoy a warm, comforting side dish, Green Bean Casserole without Mushroom Soup. Tender green beans baked in a smooth and creamy sauce topped with crunchy fried onions - yum!
Why you'll love this recipe
- Holiday classic: Known as a mainstay for Thanksgiving dinners in the midwest, this side dish makes me think of good food and family times. Although green bean casserole typically graces our holiday table, there's no shame in making it on for a Sunday dinner!
- Easy Peasy: This easy recipe is super simple and requires little effort. Only five minutes of preparation time is needed, and believe me, I know we have other things we can be doing.
- Familiarity: Aside from being a traditional holiday dish, green bean casserole is a classic comfort dish, that practically everyone has enjoyed at some point or another.
This recipe is great for holiday meals , cold or rainy days, or a time when you are looking for family friendly comfort food. It's a great accompaniment to cheesy corn casserole and air fryer pork loin roast.
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Ingredients
This recipe only requires five minutes of prep time. Chances are I'll take you longer to gather your ingredients than it will to assemble the casserole!
- green beans - You can't make a green bean casserole recipe without green beans! If you have fresh green beans, they're great in this recipe as well as in roasted asparagus and green beans. You can also use frozen green beans or canned green beans. If you are using frozen green beans, I like to let them thaw before use to avoid the casserole being watery.
- fried onion - Crispy fried onions make all the difference in green bean casserole. It's my favorite part because of the crunchiness it adds at the top of the dish. It's the perfect contrast to the creamy sauce.
- cheddar cheese - Who doesn't love cheese? This, along with the milk, helps to thicken the casserole a little bit, because there's no cream of mushroom soup in this recipe.
- soy sauce - Known to be salty and savory, soy sauce provides a new flavor to this dish. Don't count it out this umami secret ingredient until you try it!
- milk - Serves as a thickening agent to help the casserole maintain it's creamy texture. Making the sauce from scratch and makes no need for cream of mushroom soup.
Substitutions
If you don't have soy sauce, consider using Worcestershire sauce! This sauce has significantly less sodium, so be sure to pay attention to the flavor profile of salt if using.
Instead of using French fried onions, you can use sautéed onions for a different flavor and texture! Another crunchy substitute that'll work for you is toasted breadcrumbs.
Instead of nutmeg, you can use herbs such as thyme, rosemary or garlic powder for the flavor element. Nutmeg works great, but other spices work great in a pinch.
How to make Green Bean Casserole without Mushroom Soup
Green bean casserole is allllll about assembly and then throwing it in the oven!
Step #1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter and cook flour for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step #2: Pour in milk and stir in the sauce with a whisk to break up all lumps. Next, add salt and spices, then mix. If the sauce is too thick, you can add more milk.
Step #3: Combine green beans, ⅔ cup cheddar cheese and most of fried onion in a large bowl.
Leave 3 tablespoons of fried onions to the side for later. Add sauce and stir.
Step #4: Transfer to 12 x 12 inch casserole dish and bake for 25 minutes.
Add the rest of cheese and fried onions on top, and put back in the oven for 10 minutes.
Let set for 10 minutes and then serve.
Hint: Don't forget to add the fried onion reserves on the top of the casserole. This is my favorite part and makes the dish that much better!
If you have picky eaters, you already have bonus points because this green bean casserole doesn't have mushrooms! But for the onion hating picky eaters, you can also split it up in two dishes - one with onions and one without.
If you go this route you may want to reduce the cooking time.
Variations
For a spicier version of green bean casserole, add cayenne pepper, hot sauce, or red pepper flakes to give it a kick. Although this is less traditional, it pairs nicely with the creamy elements.
To make this more of a main dish, consider adding protein! This can be cooked bacon crumbles, leftover turkey, or whatever you have on hand.
Serving Suggestions
If you're making this ahead of time, set out the casserole at room temperature for 30 minutes or so because it goes in the oven.
This side dish compliments any hearty main dish with protein in it.
Top tip
Assemble the casserole ahead of time, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook it!
Don't forget to let the casserole come up a bit to room temperature before you bake OR you can keep it in the oven for a few minutes longer.
Recipe FAQ
If you are using frozen green beans, allow time for beans to thaw before you use! Also, be sure to not add too much milk. You can always add more if it is too thick.
Yes! Be sure to set out for a few minutes to cool to room temperature before baking, or add a few minutes to the timer while it is in the oven.
If you tried Green Bean Casserole without Mushroom Soup or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments.
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Related
Looking for other side dish recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are more holiday foods you'll like:
Green Bean Casserole without Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup fried onion such as French's
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon until the butter has absorbed into the flour and is a golden color.
- Add in the milk and stir the sauce with a spatula or whisk to break up all the lumps and make a smooth sauce. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir to incorporate. The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and drip back into the pan. If the sauce is too thick, add an additional tablespoon or two of milk and stir.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine green beans, ⅔ cup grated cheddar, and fried onions (reserve 3 Tablespoons of the onions for topping). Add the sauce from the pan and stir to combine.
- Transfer to an oven safe 12 x 12 inch baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Add the remaining cheese and onion on top and bake for another 10 minutes until the top is lightly golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
This Farm Girl Cooks is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
