Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Cheese

A Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Cheese, featuring freshly cooked green beans and a simple, incredible homemade cream of mushroom sauce.

There is not a casserole I crave more come the holidays than green bean casserole with cheese. As a little girl, green beans were my favorite vegetable. The idea of getting to smother them in a creamy cheese sauce was...well, pretty much a dream come true, and it was one of the first dishes I ever learned to make.

I can recall standing by my dad's side in the kitchen, as he showed me how the layers were supposed to go: A drained can of green beans, half a can of cream of mushroom, top it with slices of Velveeta, then repeat the layers, and top it off with a heaping cup of fried onions.

Decades later, with two little girls by my side, we are still making green bean casserole with cheese come the holidays, just a somewhat elevated version. I don't cook with canned vegetables, and it made no sense to buy them for casserole purposes, knowing fresh green beans were extremely easy to prepare and by comparison, a superior product.

This is a traditional Southern side that is timeless, in my opinion. Another one of those classic green bean sides is stewed green beans. I'll forever die on the hill of the green bean being my favorite veggie, and this recipe also keeps that ringing true.

HOW TO MAKE FRESH GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE WITH CHEESE

My updated, homemade green bean casserole with cheese features fresh green beans (like our Slow Cooker Green Beans), a homemade cream of mushroom soup and freshly grated Cheddar cheese. And, if you don't mind me saying so, the very best green bean casserole you will ever taste. Guaranteed.

FRESH GREEN BEANS OVER CANNED

Fresh green beans have a sweet and somewhat nutty flavor. They boast a lovely texture once cooked, and hold up beautifully baked in a casserole. But, quite possibly the best part is that they are beyond simple to make, and if you can boil water, you can make fresh green beans.

To simplify working with fresh green beans, buy the already snipped and strung, pre-packaged bags in the produce section of the grocery store.

EASY HOMEMADE CREAM OF MUSHROOM

I came across a version of this recipe in one of my favorite cookbooks, Comfort Foods by Rick Rogers. I had never made a homemade version of Cream of Mushroom soup before but was pleasantly surprised at the simplicity of it.

Homemade cream of mushroom begins on the stovetop with melted butter. In goes the chopped mushrooms, followed by an onion for flavor. Once cooked, flour is sprinkled over the vegetables, and cream is added one big splash at a time, stirring well after each addition. Chicken broth, a touch of soy sauce (added for depth of flavor), salt and pepper are added, and the mixture bubbles altogether until slightly thickened.

FRESHLY GRATED CHEESE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Trading in the processed cheese food for actual real cheese might be one of my favorite new additions to the green bean casserole. I would also encourage buying a block of Cheddar, rather than the bagged, pre-shredded version. Freshly grated cheese is smooth and creamy, and similar to the fresh green beans, it is a completely different product than its processed counterpart.

FRENCH FRIED ONIONS - SOME THINGS NEVER CHANGE

The first homemade green bean casserole I ever made, I actually breaded and fried shallots in place of the French fried onions. However, it added a great deal of work and time to the process, made for extra clean up, and I found when used as a topping, the casserole was lacking overall in texture.

As hard as it is for me to say, in this case, I would actually recommend French's French Fried Onions. They remain crispy even after the casserole is baked, and have a great deal of flavor.

Green bean casserole is a favorite holiday casserole for so many, why not make it extra special this year by putting a little extra T.L.C. into the dish? Fresh green beans, a homemade cream of mushroom and freshly, grated Cheddar cheese -- it's a combination that could do you no wrong.

You and your taste testers will fall in love with this casserole upgrade, and I suspect you too will likely find it difficult to go back to the processed version. Serve it with other homemade favorites like cranberry sauce with orange juice and Southern cornbread dressing for a crowd-pleasing side dish line up family and friends will love for years to come.

6 MORE SIDE DISHES YOU'LL LOVE

• Green Bean Almondine is a simple way to spruce up fresh green beans! The name may mislead some into thinking it’s a complex recipe, but rest assured, these buttery green beans topped with a crunchy almond sauce comes together quickly and with very few ingredients.
• Cream Corn Casserole is a Southern holiday favorite. This recipe is an adaptation of classic creamed corn turned casserole, and you’ll find no cornbread mix in this recipe. Instead, sweet corn baked in a perfectly smooth and creamy sauce, topped off with melty Cheddar and buttery Ritz crackers, and baked to absolute perfection.
• Yellow Squash Casserole features yellow squash, cheese, and Ritz crackers. Perfect for holidays, barbecues, family dinners, potlucks, and more!
• Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is a family-friendly side dish Ranch lovers will swoon for. Pasta salad coated in a quick and easy Ranch dressing (homemade or store-bought), crispy bacon, and more!
• Fresh Green Beans are still great on their own, so don’t fret if you can’t swing an Almondine sauce tonight. Featuring over fifteen amazing ways to eat fresh green beans in stellar side dishes, salads, and main courses.
• Sweet Potato Souffle is a salty-sweet, decadent showstopper that your Thanksgiving guests will love! With creamy sweet potatoes as the base and a crunchy, buttery pecan streusel topping, we can guarantee your guests will scoop up seconds.