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Make the best Cheesy Green Bean Casserole ever with this elevated take on a classic recipe! Loaded with fresh green beans and a homemade cheese sauce, this dish will become a family favorite for holidays and cozy meals.
This green bean casserole with cheese is NOT the same old casserole that has graced so many holiday tables. Oh no, this is easily 1,000% better.
This version is made with fresh green beans, no condensed soup, and it is mushroom-free. It has an incredible homemade cheese sauce and it will become your family’s new favorite holiday dish.
And once you make this, you’ll definitely want to try out our Asparagus Casserole for a fresh take on that cheesy classic.
Is Green Bean Casserole Better With Canned or Fresh Green Beans?
I prefer fresh whenever possible, but canned or frozen will also work beautifully.
In the recipe card below I’ll walk you through the process of how to prep and cook the fresh green beans.
If you prefer to use canned, you’ll want to sub in 3, 15 oz cans of cut green beans (drained).
I also have a tutorial on how to can green beans, and those would work well too.
Ingredients and Variations
You’ll find exact measurements in the printable recipe card below, but this recipe is rocking:
- Green beans – trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces.
- Cheese – my preference is an extra sharp cheddar because it gives a truly robust flavor.
- Unsalted butter and olive oil
- Garlic – because it makes everything better
- All-purpose flour (see notes below for how to make this gluten-free)
- Warmed whole milk
- Chicken stock or turkey stock, or use veggie stock to make this vegetarian.
- Lemon zest to enhance the flavors.
- Fried shallots or crispy fried onions.
If you have any leftover fresh lemons after making this recipe, check out our post on how to freeze lemons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since you’re making a cheese sauce on the stovetop, I highly recommend using a pan that can go from the stovetop to the oven. This cuts down on dishes, which makes everyone happier.
I recommend using a small dutch oven (3-4 quart), a deep cast iron skillet, or a braiser pan. Those pans all have a heavy bottom and will conduct heat evenly and can be used in the oven.
If you don’t have an oven-safe pan, make the cheese sauce in a saucepan and then transfer the mixture to a lightly-greased 8×8 or 9-inch casserole dish.
It is not necessary to cover green bean casserole while it bakes. Covering it with foil can actually increase the amount of time it needs to bake through.
If the top of the casserole is browning too quickly, you can loosely tent the top of it with foil, but I have never found this necessary.
Yes, absolutely! This recipe uses all-purpose flour to create a roux. You can use your favorite gluten-free flour or cornstarch (like in this Gluten-Free Cheese Sauce) instead of all-purpose flour.
Most store-bought fried onions contain gluten. To make this green bean casserole with cheese grain-free, buy gluten-free fried onions, or you can make these Gluten-Free French Fried Onions or these Fried Shallots. Both can be made days ahead of time.
You can cook and blanch the green beans up to three days ahead of time. Drain and store in an air-tight container in the fridge.
The cheese sauce can also be made 2-3 days ahead of time. You can store the cheese sauce separately from the green beans in the fridge OR combine the beans and cheese sauce without the fried onions/shallots. Mix in the onions/shallots just prior to baking.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- This is a pretty “saucy” recipe. You can increase the green beans by up to 2 cups if you prefer your green bean casserole thicker and absolutely loaded with veggies.
- Do not skip the step of warming the milk before adding it to the roux. This will prevent the sauce from breaking/curdling.
MORE DELICIOUS SIDE DISHES YOU’LL LOVE
Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 5 cups green beans {ends removed, and cut into 2-inch pieces}
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic {minced}
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup whole milk {warmed}
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 cups extra sharp cheddar {grated}
- 1.5 cups fried onions {divided} {or fried shallots}
Instructions
- Fill a medium mixing bowl with ice water. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil.
- Add green beans, and reduce heat to medium-high.5 cups green beans
- Cook green beans for 5 minutes, and then using a slotted spoon, transfer them to the bowl of ice water.
- After 3 minutes, drain the green beans from the ice water and set aside.
- In a medium heavy-bottomed oven-safe saucepan, combine butter, olive oil, and garlic over medium heat. Stir until garlic is starting to soften (~3 minutes).3 tbsp unsalted butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, 4 cloves garlic
- Sprinkle flour over the top of the butter/garlic mixture, and whisk to combine. Cook until the flour turns a light caramel color (~3 minutes).3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Add chicken stock, warmed milk, salt, and lemon zest. Increase the temp slightly and cook, whisking constantly for 3 minutes.1 cup chicken stock, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp lemon zest
- Turn off the burner, add cheddar to the pan, and stir until cheddar has melted.3 cups extra sharp cheddar
- Add in the green beans and ¾ cup of the crispy onions and gently stir to combine.1.5 cups fried onions {divided}
- Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.
- Gently stir the mixture, add the other ¾ cup of crispy onions to the top of the mixture, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.1.5 cups fried onions {divided}
Notes
- If you prefer to use canned green beans, you’ll want to sub in 3, 15 oz cans of cut green beans (drained).
- You can use your favorite gluten-free flour or cornstarch instead of all-purpose flour.
- You can increase the green beans by up to 2 cups if you prefer your green bean casserole thicker and absolutely loaded with veggies.
- Do not skip the step of warming the milk before adding it to the roux. This will prevent the sauce from breaking/curdling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! Love the lemon zest! This is worlds better than the stuff I grew up with!
So glad you enjoyed it Emily! I made this to heal my own childhood trauma, and I’m so happy to hear it is helping others. 🙂
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
This was an excellent substitution for the normal green bean casserole that I loathe. I didn’t have the French fried onions but I didn’t feel it took away I just will definitely remember them next time because I’m sure it will elevate the dish. 5 stars as always, Sarah.Â
Give it a try with the onions next time, but even without them, I agree that it’s a huge improvement from the “normal” GBC. So glad you enjoyed it, Lisa!