Fresh Green Bean Casserole from Scratch has tender, crisp green beans, caramelized mushrooms and shallots, smokey prosciutto, fennel and a garlic cream sauce all topped with a golden, buttery panko and parmesan crust.
Ok, truth. This is not the easy-peezy, green bean casserole from a series of cans.
This Green Bean Casserole is a slight pain in the you-know-what to make to be perfectly honest. But, in my humble opinion and for whatever it is worth, it is THE BEST one you will ever eat. I would even go as far as to say think Can-O-Spam verse a perfectly cooked beef tenderloin.
The fresh ingredients brought together in the spirit of this iconic dish, but in a most updated and foodie fabulous way, takes this formerly canned side dish to the surprise Super-Star of the meal.
While there are more steps, this recipe is actually very easy to prepare.
How to make Fresh Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
Begin by parboiling trimmed, fresh green beans in boiling, salty water for a few minutes. Dunk them into cold ice water bath while they are still tender-crisp and they will maintain their brilliant color and be the perfect doneness in your casserole.
Sauté fresh sliced mushrooms in a hot skillet with a bit of butter and salt until they have released their moisture and begun to brown. Remove them from the skillet, and do the same with sliced shallots and fennel.
Finally, sauté prosciutto until it is crisp, adding all the batches to a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Melt butter, add minced garlic, salt, fresh cracked pepper, and nutmeg to the sauté pan. Whisk in 2 flour and cook briefly. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This has a lot of flavor in it.
Whisk in the half and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for several minutes until it begins to thicken.
Stir the garlic cream sauce into the baking pan of vegetables and crisp prosciutto.
In a small mixing bowl, stir together Panko breadcrumbs, grated or finally shredded Parmesan cheese, melted butter, and lemon zest.
Sprinkle this over the top of your casserole and bake to golden, bubbly fragrant glory. Garnish with any additional fennel fronds or parsley if you desire.
Can this Fresh Green Bean Casserole be made ahead of time?
Yes. The casserole may be assembled the day before and refrigerated excluding the Panko and Parmesan breading. The topping needs to be assembled and added just before cooking in order to not be soggy.
Can I use frozen or canned green beans instead of the fresh green beans for this recipe?
I do not recommend either. There is a distinct texture and flavor variance found in both options that differs from fresh green beans, but as long as the excess moisture is removed/drained, they may be substituted.
Is there something that can be substituted for the prosciutto?
Another cured meat like bacon or pancetta may be substituted.
Looking for other fabulous holiday dishes? Here are a few of my favorites:
- TOASTED PECAN STREUSEL PUMPKIN PIE
- ROASTED SAVORY MASHED SWEET POTATOES
- PUMPKIN PECAN CUSTARD BREAD PUDDING
- ITALIAN HERB GARLIC CHEDDAR BISCUITS FROM SCRATCH
- ROASTED LEMON PARSLEY BUTTER POTATOES
- THE BEST CHERRY PIE RECIPE WITH HOMEMADE FILLING
- BAKED SHRIMP MACARONI AND CHEESE
- OVEN ROASTED ASPARAGUS
If you’ve tried my Fresh Green Bean Casserole from Scratch or any other recipe on this website, please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how it came out in the comments below. I’d LOVE to hear from you!
Share a photo of your creation on my Facebook page, Instagram or save it to Pinterest and tag it @SAVORWITHJENNIFER and hashtag it #SAVORWITHJENNIFER. I can’t wait to see your work!
Pin this now to save for later!
Fresh Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
Ingredients
- 16 ounces green beans, fresh, ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt – for the water
Filling
- 16 ounces mushrooms, fresh and sliced
- 1 teaspoon salt – divided
- 2 tablespoons butter – divided
- 3/4 cup fennel, 1/4" slices
- 3/4 cup shallots, peeled and 1/4" slices
- 3 ounces prosciutto, sliced
Garlic Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, fresh cracked
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg fresh grated preferred
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup half and half
Crispy Topping
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese – fresh shredded or grated
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9×13" baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Bring a large pot salted of water to a heavy, rolling boil and add the trimmed, fresh green beans. Boil for about 5 minutes, or until the beans are tender crisp.
- Drain the beans and immediately submerge them into an ice water bath to stop the cooking process and retain the color.
- In a large sauté pan preheated to a medium heat, add ONE tablespoon of butter, the mushrooms, and 1/2 of a teaspoon of salt. Cook for 6-8 minutes until the mushrooms release their moisture and begin to brown which adds a lot of flavor. Remove the mushrooms to the baking dish after they have browned.
- In the same sauté pan, add the next tablespoon of butter, the fennel, shallots, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Sauce for 6-8 minutes until the fennel and shallots began to brown and then add to the baking dish.
- Next, cook the prosciutto in the empty sauté pan until it begins to crisp and then remove it to the baking dish.
Garlic Cream Sauce
- In the empty sauté pan, melt the butter over a medium heat.
- Sprinkle in the flour, garlic, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg. Cook for 1-2 minutes before whisking in the chicken stock.
- After the stock reaches a simmer, whisk in the half and half and simmer for 3-5 minutes until thickened, bubbly, and fragrant. Taste the sauce to check the salt and pepper levels. Pour over the ingredients in the baking dish and stir to combine.
Crispy Topping
- Stir together the Crispy Topping ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top of the green bean mixture.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the topping is golden and the edges of the casserole are bubbly.
Notes
Can this Fresh Green Bean Casserole be made ahead of time?
Yes. The casserole may be assembled the day before and refrigerated excluding the Panko and Parmesan breading. The topping needs to be assembled and added just before cooking in order to not be soggy. Let the casserole sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. Additional bake time may still be required.Can I use frozen or canned green beans instead of the fresh green beans for this recipe?
I do not recommend either. There is a distinct texture and flavor variance found in both options that differs from fresh green beans, but as long as the excess moisture is removed/drained, they may be substituted.Is there something that can be substituted for the prosciutto?
Another cured meat like bacon or pancetta may be substituted.Nutrition
Mother, Gardener, Book Devourer, and Food Obsessor. I love being inspired with fresh, seasonal ingredients and relish every opportunity to elevate my home cooking. Join me!
Leave a Reply