American · Sides

Classic green bean casserole

Name: Classic green bean casserole
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 side servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-inch pieces; 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon, divided; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced; 1 small shallot, finely diced; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth; 3/4 cup half-and-half; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 1/2 cups canned crispy fried onions, divided

Tender green beans in savory mushroom cream sauce beneath the familiar crackle of fried onions.

About 50 minTotal

About 50 minActive

$$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 8 side servings

Equipment

Use another covered 12-inch oven-safe skillet or transfer before the oven finish.
Best large covered skillet
All-Clad D3 12-Inch Fry Pan with Lid · 41126
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use another covered 12-inch oven-safe skillet or transfer before the oven finish.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the twelve-inch footprint, fitted lid, tri-ply heat distribution, 600°F oven and broiler rating, current model 41126 and UPC, ownership burden, and exact Amazon identity. Kwilt has not cooked with this pan.
All-Clad D3 12-Inch Fry Pan with Lid · 41126: Its twelve-inch cooking surface gives rice, shrimp, meat, and vegetables room to cook evenly, while the fitted lid and 600°F oven rating cover both the lidded stovetop method and the shepherd's-pie oven finish. Trade-off: It is a premium-priced pan, food can stick without sound preheating and fat control, and the long handle plus lid need more storage room than a basic skillet.
Another workable path: Use another oven-safe 12-inch skillet with a well-fitting lid; if the handle has a lower heat limit, transfer oven-finished food to a suitable baking dish.
Sources
All-Clad model 41126 specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 8 side servings

1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 small shallot, finely diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 cups canned crispy fried onions, divided

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°F. Bring a pot of water to a boil with 1 tablespoon salt. Blanch green beans 4 minutes until bright and barely tender, then drain and rinse under very cold water; dry well.
Melt butter in a over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook undisturbed 3 minutes, then stir in shallot and remaining salt and cook 4 minutes until browned and their liquid evaporates.
Sprinkle flour over mushrooms and stir 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth, then half-and-half. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickly coats a spoon; stir in soy sauce and pepper.
Fold beans and 1/2 cup fried onions into the sauce. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish and bake 18 to 20 minutes until bubbling and 165°F in the center.
Top with remaining fried onions and bake 5 minutes more until crisp and golden. Serve promptly; adding most onions only at the end preserves the nostalgic crunch instead of burying it in sauce.

North AmericaContemporary North American household cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Green bean casserole was created in the United States in the 1950s and became a holiday staple through its contrast of beans, mushroom sauce, and crisp fried onions.

Campbell test-kitchen manager Dorcas Reilly created green bean casserole in 1955 around ingredients widely stocked in American homes; the original recipe is now held by the National Inventors Hall of Fame. This version respects its mushroom-cream-and-fried-onion identity while using fresh beans and a quick skillet sauce. It is a recognizable upgrade, not a reinvention with cheese or luxury mushrooms. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Protect the 1955 dish's recognizable flavor architecture, apply the comparison winner's fresh-bean and thick-sauce lessons, and retain store-bought fried onions as the beloved defining convenience ingredient.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe