From scratch green bean casserole made without canned soup! Fresh green beans in creamy rosemary parmesan sauce topped with crispy baked fried onions. You’ll never go back to the canned version of green bean casserole!
Green bean casserole has always been my favorite Thanksgiving side dish! Stuffing is a close second, probably because my mom makes the BEST stuffing.
Since I can remember, my family has always made green bean casserole the way most people do, from a can. Green beans from a can, cream of chicken from a can, and fried onions from a can. It was time this delicious side dish got an upgrade! From a taste and health standpoint, I’m all about making food from-scratch. Plus, making a cream sauce from scratch is actually easier than you think! Essentially, you create a roux with butter and flour, then add chicken stock and cream. Toss in some cheese and seasonings, and you have yourself a tasty rosemary parmesan sauce.
The last couple of years I’ve brought this green bean casserole to my friendsgiving, and everyone loves it! It’s become a staple on my family’s thanksgiving table and our friendsgiving table. I have no doubt that you’ll love it as well!
Green Bean Casserole with Rosemary Parmesan Gravy Ingredients.
Flour. This recipe uses all-purpose flour to make the friend onions, as well as to create a roux for the rosemary parmesan gravy.
Bread crumbs. The breadcrumbs are used to create crunchy fried onions, so you can really use whatever type of bread crumbs you have on hand. I’ve used both plain and Italian, and both work great.
Olive oil. You will toss your sliced onions in olive oil before tossing in your flour and bread crumbs. This helps the dry ingredients stick to the onions. As well, you will need olive oil cooking spray. This is key. Before you put the breaded onions in the oven, you will generously spray them with olive oil to help the flour cook, resulting in crispy friend onions.
Yellow onions. I prefer to use yellow onions because they have a strong flavor, but are slightly sweet. This makes them perfect for the friend onions and sautéed in the gray.
Green beans. This recipe calls for fresh green beans. I love the slight crunch you get from the fresh green beans. When using frozen or canned green beans, the green beans lack that crunch, and you get a mushy casserole – probably why green bean casserole gets a bad rap.
Butter. A full stick. But, what’s Thanksgiving without lots of butter? The butter is used to sauté the onions, as well as to create the roux.
Chicken stock. I prefer the flavor of chicken stock, but you can also use vegetable stock if you prefer. However, I would avoid using beef stock because the flavor will be too rich.
Half & half. This adds the perfect level of creaminess to the casserole.
Parmesan cheese. You just can’t make a cream sauce without cheese. It helps the sauce thicken slightly and creates a rich, dreamy sauce.
Soy sauce. This may seem odd, but trust me. Soy sauce adds a salty, rich flavor to the sauce. You can’t skip it.
Worcestershire sauce. Again, may seem like a weird addition. But it adds lots of flavor.
Rosemary & thyme. These seasonings are key, and adds the Thanksgiving flavor you crave.
Substitutions.
Can I used canned or frozen green beans? I personally haven’t made this recipe with canned or frozen green beans. I prefer fresh green beans because they stay slightly crisp, giving the casserole much needed texture. But, if for some reason you can’t find fresh green beans, here is what I recommend.
If you’re using canned green beans. Make sure you drain the liquid before mixing with the rosemary parmesan sauce. As well, I suggest cutting the baking time in half.
If you’re using frozen green beans. Frozen vegetables hold a lot of liquid, so I recommend giving the frozen green beans a very quick sauté in a hot frying pan with some olive oil just until the green beans are no longer frozen. Then toss them with the rosemary parmesan sauce, and bake for about half the time.
What if I don’t have olive oil spray for the fried onions? Olive oil cooking spray is the easiest and quickest way to coat the breaded onions in olive oil, but you can also drizzle or brush the onions with olive oil.
Can I use vegetable or beef broth? Vegetable broth would be a great alternative to chicken broth, but I recommend you avoid beef broth because the flavor will be too rich.
To make the casserole ahead of time.
This casserole is the perfect make ahead dish, making it great for Thanksgiving! You can prepare the ENTIRE casserole up to 2 days in advance.
Bake the onions and store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Follow all the steps to prepare the green beans and make the gravy. Mix the green beans and gravy together. Place in the baking dish, cover, and store in the refrigerator. Remove the casserole and fried onions from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to baking to bring to room temperature. Bake as directed until warm and bubbling around the edges.
More great Thanksgiving recipes.
Spiced Apple Cider Moscow Mule.
Spinach Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms.
Apple Streusel Slab Pie.
Drunken Apple Crisp with Rum Caramel.
Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Honey Butter.
Green Bean Casserole with Rosemary Parmesan Gravy
Ingredients
French Onions:
- ¼ cup of flour
- 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Olive oil cooking spray
Green beans:
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 ½ pounds fresh green beans
Parmesan Gravy:
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 7 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground rosemary
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Fried Onions:
- Preheat oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place sliced onions into a large mixing bowl with a lid (or gallon Ziploc bag). Drizzle the onions with olive oil and shake together until onions are coated. Sprinkle the onions with flour, bread crumbs, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper, and shake again until flour mixture has coated the onions.
- Spread the onions evenly onto the prepared baking sheet. Generously spray the onions with olive oil cooking spray. Bake the onions for 10 minutes, then generously spray onions again with more more olive oil. Bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the onions are crispy. Once done, set aside.
Green Beans:
- While the onions are baking, prepare the green beans and parmesan gravy. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While water is heating up, remove the stems from green beans and cut in half.
- When the water comes to a boil, add the salt and the green beans to the pot and cover with a lid. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the beans are tender but still have a slight crunch. Once the beans are done, strain the water and transfer the beans to an ice bath in a large bowl to stop the cooking process.
Rosemary Parmesan Gravy:
- Turn the oven down to 375° F.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes, adding garlic during the last minute. Add 5 more tablespoons of butter to the pot and melt. Add the flour and stir to combine with onions and butter; let cook for one minute. Pour in the chicken stock and whisk to combine. Pour in the half-and-half and whisk again to combine. Stirring frequently, bring to a simmer so the sauce thickens, about 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the pot from stove and stir in the parmesan, soy sauce, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Mix together the gravy and green beans.
- Add the green bean mixture to a 9”x13” or 3-4 quart baking dish. Cover with tinfoil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove tinfoil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the green beans are tender. Add the fried onions over the top and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Enjoy with family and friends!
