• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Meet Kelly
  • Browse All Recipes
  • Contact

The Anthony Kitchen logo

  • Recipe Index
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Dessert
  • Entertaining
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
  • Stay in touch...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home · Recipes · Side Dishes · Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Cheese

    December 1, 2017

    Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Cheese

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Image for Pinterest
    Image for PInterest
    Image for Pinterest

    A fresh green bean casserole with cheese, featuring freshly cooked green beans, a simple, and an incredible homemade cream of mushroom sauce.An overhead shot of homemade green bean casserole in an oval white baking dish. Fried onions are bordering the dish.

    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.

    HOW TO MAKE FRESH GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE WITH CHEESE

    My updated, homemade green bean casserole with cheese features fresh 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.

    Homemade Green Bean Casserole in a white serving dish. The fried onions are bordering the dish.

    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. Please, enjoy.

    5 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.
    4.55 from 11 votes
    Homemade Green Bean Casserole
    Print
    Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Cheese
    Prep Time
    30 mins
    Cook Time
    35 mins
    Total Time
    1 hr 5 mins
     

    A green bean casserole featuring freshly cooked green beans, a simple, homemade cream of mushroom sauce and freshly grated Cheddar cheese.

    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Green Bean Casserole
    Servings: 12 people
    Calories: 362 kcal
    Author: Kelly Anthony
    Ingredients
    • 1 ½ pounds  (24 ounces) Green Beans, washed and trimmed
    • ¼ cups Unsalted Butter
    • 1 Yellow Onion Finely Diced
    • 8 ounces  White Button Mushrooms wiped cleaned roughly chopped
    • ⅓ cup  All-Purpose Flour
    • 2 ½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
    • ½ cup Unsalted Chicken Broth
    • 1 ½ teaspoons  Kosher Salt
    • 1 teaspoon  Black Pepper
    • ½ teaspoon  Soy Sauce
    • 8 ounces  Cheddar Cheese freshly grated
    • 1 cup French’s Crispy Fried Onions
    Instructions
    1. Preheat the oven to 350°,  and have ready a large pot of boiling water and a greased 9x13 casserole dish.

    2. Carefully, add the prepared green beans to the pot of boiling water and allow them to cook for 5-7 minutes, just until al dente. 

      Remove from the stove top and strain into a colander. Run under cold water until cool to the touch and no longer steaming. Set aside until ready to use.

    3. Add butter to a large saucepan over medium heat and allow to melt. Add the onion and mushrooms to the Dutch oven and sauté 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

    4. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir to coat. Add the cream a splash at time, whisking after each addition, until the mixture resembles pudding. Stream in the remaining cream and the chicken broth. Stir to combine and allow to simmer and slightly thicken, about 6 minutes. Sauce will taste salty.

    5. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the Cheddar, salt, pepper and soy sauce. Add in green beans and stir. Transfer the contents to the casserole dish. 

    6. Top with remaining Cheddar, cover with aluminum foil and bake 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle fried onions across the top. Return to the oven uncovered to bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until bubbly and the onions have deepened in color.

    Nutrition Facts
    Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Cheese
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 362 Calories from Fat 279
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 31g48%
    Saturated Fat 19g119%
    Cholesterol 98mg33%
    Sodium 434mg19%
    Potassium 270mg8%
    Carbohydrates 14g5%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 3g3%
    Protein 8g16%
    Vitamin A 1428IU29%
    Vitamin C 8mg10%
    Calcium 196mg20%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    PInterest image of Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Cheese

    Easy Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Fresh Green Beans
    The Best Green Bean Casserole
    « Creamy Horseradish Sauce | Recipe
    Pear and Walnut Salad »
    1251 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly

    Looking for more recipes?

    Be sure to check out the recipe index where you can browse recipes by meal type and category!

    Check Out the Recipe Index

    Primary Sidebar

    I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

    Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

    Trending recipes

    • A close up of two Beef Ribs, stacked. The outer layer is blackened but the middle is a little pink.
      Beef Ribs Recipe
    • A close up of a wooden spoon scooping some Homemade Baked Beans out of the pot. The beans are in a thick, brown sauce.
      Homemade Baked Beans
    • A big, glass mixing bowl full of Italian Pasta Salad sits on a white work surface. It is vibrant and full of color.
      Italian Pasta Salad
    • An overhead view of Smoked Pork Chops on a sheet pan. They are crispy around the edges.
      Smoked Pork Chops
    • An overhead shot of the chicken salad that has been mixed in a clear glass bowl being held by two hands.
      Chicken Salad with Grapes
    • A close up shot of a clear glass bowl filled with spaghetti salad.
      Spaghetti Salad

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for weekly recipes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Contact

    • Work with me
    • Contact