Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole

This Green Bean Casserole is made from scratch with fresh green beans, and you can prepare it up to 3 days in advance! 

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Folks, Thanksgiving is just 1 week away! Are you ready? I’m not, I have my massive Thanksgiving grocery shopping trip planned for tomorrow, and over the weekend I plan on busting out my Thanksgiving Printable Planner to help me organize tasks and put together a timeline for the big day. 

Every year I reply on 2 things to help me be less stressed about cooking Thanksgiving dinner:

1. Being organized thanks to my Printable Thanksgiving Planner and Thanksgiving Hosting Tips. 
2. Dishes that can be made ahead of time so on Thanksgiving I only have a few dishes that I’m actually making the same day. And that’s where this Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole from Scratch comes in! 

For me, Thanksgiving is the time to pull out all the stops and make as many appetizers, side dishes, and desserts that I can from scratch. This is something that takes a lot of time, and because I don’t want to pull an all-nighter the day before Thanksgiving, I rely on a few make-ahead dishes to make my life easier. And that’s why I’ve developed this Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole recipe! Also, check out my Make Ahead Stuffed Mushrooms recipe for an easy make-ahead Thanksgiving appetizer! 

This is the BEST Green Bean Casserole recipe because it doesn’t skimp on the delicious crunchy topping! Plus the homemade creamy sauce that binds the dish together is EVERYTHING! 

Common Green Bean Casserole Questions Answered! 

Do you cook green bean casserole covered or uncovered? 

I cook mine for 40 minutes covered, add the topping, and then cook uncovered for the last few minutes baking. 

How to make green bean casserole ahead of time?

Well, just follow my recipe below, but essentially you prepare the entire recipe and store the casserole and topping separate until 1 hour before dinner time. 

Green Bean Casserole variations:

1. Bacon – In step 7 below, add some crispy crumbled bacon to the sauce right before it’s poured over the green beans. 
2. Pearl Onions – add 1 cup of thawed pearl onions in step 4 of the recipe below, just after the mushrooms have been in the pan for 5 minutes. 
3. Pimentos – In step 6 below, add a 4-ounce jar of rinsed and drained pimentos to the sauce while it thickens. 

Cook’s Note – Green Bean Casserole:

• You can prepare this green bean casserole and chill it up to 3 days in advance. Make sure you store the topping in an air-tight container so the topping doesn’t lose any of its crispiness! 

Cook’s Tools – Green Bean Casserole:

ONE YEAR AGO: Skillet Pork Chops

TWO YEARS AGO: Triple Chocolate One Bowl Brownies

THREE YEARS AGO: Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Make-Ahead Fresh Green Bean Casserole from Scratch

This Green Bean Casserole is made from scratch with fresh green beans, and you can prepare it up to 3 days in advance!

5 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: green beans, Thanksgiving

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Cooling Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 12 people

Calories: 324kcal

Author: Jillian - a Food, Folks and Fun original!

Ingredients

TOPPING:

• ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
• 3 cups French’s Crispy Fried Onions
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

GREEN BEANS:

• 2 pounds green beans trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 10 ounces sliced white mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 6 large garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups heavy cream

Instructions

FOR THE TOPPING:

• In a medium bowl stir together the panko and melted butter.
  
• Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute, stir and then microwave again for 1 more minute. The panko should be golden brown. Stir in fried onions, salt, and pepper, and transfer to an air-tight container until you’re ready to use the topping.
  

FOR THE GREEN BEANS:

• In a large bowl toss together the green beans and cornstarch until the beans are evenly coated. Transfer the beans to a 13x9-inch baking dish, and set aside.
  
• In a large skillet over medium heat melt the butter and add in the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté until the mushrooms have released their liquid and the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes while stirring often.
  
• Increase the heat to medium-high and add in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and stir constantly until the mixture is golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.
• Whisk in the chicken broth and cream and bring to a bubble, and then reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring often, until the sauce mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes.
  
• Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the beans. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill until 1 hour before serving. 
  

BAKE THE CHILLED BEANS:

• One hour prior to serving, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Discard the plastic wrap and cover the pan with foil. Bake the beans for 20 minutes, and then remove the foil to stir the beans until the cornstarch from the beans is absorbed. Cover with foil again and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until the beans are fork-tender and the sauce is bubbling.
  
• Remove and discard the foil and evenly distribute the topping over the beans. Bake until the topping is nice and golden brown and heated through, about 8-10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 445mg | Potassium: 300mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1250IU | Vitamin C: 12.9mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1.2mg

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