Why is my green bean casserole watery?

The beans were probably wet, the mushrooms were not browned dry or the sauce was undercooked. Dry blanched or thawed beans carefully and simmer the sauce until it coats a spoon. If the baked casserole is already loose, let it stand uncovered for 15 minutes rather than adding more flour.

Can I use frozen or canned green beans in green bean casserole?

Use 900 g frozen beans after thawing and drying them; they need no blanching. Canned beans are softer and saltier, so drain 800 g well, rinse briefly and reduce the added salt by half. Neither substitute should carry liquid into the baking dish.

How do I keep the fried onions crispy on green bean casserole?

Add only a small portion inside the casserole and reserve most for the last 7 minutes of baking. Bake uncovered and do not place foil over the hot dish. If reheating, add a fresh handful of onions and use a 190°C oven instead of a microwave.

How long can leftover green bean casserole be stored and reheated?

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and keep them for up to 3 days. Reheat uncovered at 190°C for 18 minutes until the center is steaming. Freezing is possible for one month, but the beans and cream sauce become softer after thawing.

USA · Vegetable and Mushroom Dishes · Vegetarian

Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

Name: Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 900 g green beans; 250 g cremini mushrooms; 1 yellow onion; 3 cloves garlic; 45 g unsalted butter; 35 g all-purpose flour; 500 ml whole milk; 120 ml heavy cream; 15 ml soy sauce; 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves; 1.5 tsp fine salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 120 g crispy fried onions; 20 ml olive oil

Fresh green beans keep a gentle snap under a savory mushroom cream sauce, while crisp onions provide the salty crunch people expect from this American holiday casserole. The sauce is made in the pan rather than poured from a can, but the dish still tastes familiar. Most of the work can be done a day ahead, which matters when the oven is busy.

70 min 285 kcal 8 serves Advanced🌿Vegetarian🇺🇸USA Jump to recipe★★★★★5.0· 1 reviews

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Ingredients

ServingsMetric

900 ggreen beans
250 gcremini mushrooms
1 yellow onion
3 clovesgarlic
45 gunsalted butter
35 gall-purpose flour
500 mlwhole milk
120 mlheavy cream
15 mlsoy sauce
1 tspfresh thyme leaves
1.5 tspfine salt
0.5 tspblack pepper
120 gcrispy fried onions
20 mlolive oil

Method

Blanch the beans. Bring 3 litres of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a full boil, add the trimmed beans and cook for 4 minutes. Transfer them straight into ice water for 3 minutes, then drain and dry thoroughly; this fixes the color and prevents carryover cooking.
Brown the mushrooms. Heat olive oil in a wide 30 cm skillet over medium-high heat and add mushrooms in one layer. Cook untouched for 4 minutes, then stir and cook 4 minutes more until their moisture is gone and the edges are brown. Move them to a plate so they do not steam in the sauce.
Cook the aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium, melt butter in the same skillet and add the onion. Cook for 6 minutes until soft and pale gold, then add garlic and thyme for 1 minute. Scrape up the browned mushroom residue because it supplies much of the savory flavor.
Make the cream sauce. Sprinkle flour over the onion and stir for 2 minutes so it loses its raw smell. Add milk in four additions, whisking smooth each time, then add cream, soy sauce, remaining salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce coats a spoon but still pours slowly.
Assemble the casserole. Fold the mushrooms and the dried-off beans through the sauce, then transfer everything to a buttered 23×33 cm baking dish. The sauce should cling rather than pool; if the beans released water, leave that water behind. Scatter only 40 g of the fried onions through the surface and reserve the rest.
Bake until bubbling. Heat the oven to 190°C and bake the casserole uncovered for 20 minutes. It is ready for its topping when the sauce bubbles around the edges and the center is hot. Stirring during baking would break the beans and make the sauce look greasy.
Crisp the top and rest. Spread the remaining 80 g fried onions evenly over the casserole and bake for 7 minutes more until deep gold. Rest for 8 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens around the beans. Do not cover during the rest or the trapped steam will soften the topping.

FAQ

Blanch and dry the beans, prepare the mushroom sauce and assemble the dish without any fried onions. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake it cold for 30 minutes, then add all the onions and bake another 7 minutes.