100 Days of Real Food

menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Original 100 Day Pledge
    • 100 Day Budget Pledge
    • FAQs
  • My Cookbooks
  • Resources
    • Our Shop
    • Meal Ideas & Resources
    • Mini-Pledge Progam
    • School Lunch Packing Chart
    • Favorite Amazon Buys
  • Blog
    • What Is Real Food?
    • How to Start
      • Real Food Tips
      • Eating Out and Travel
      • Food Shopping
      • How to Cook
      • Kitchen and Home
    • School Lunches
    • Snacks
    • Kids
      • Picky Eaters
      • Fun Stuff
  • Meal Plans
    • Real Food Meal Plans
    • School Lunch Plans
    • Free Weekly Dinner Plans
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Original 100 Day Pledge
    • 100 Day Budget Pledge
    • FAQs
  • My Cookbooks
  • Resources
    • Our Shop
    • Meal Ideas & Resources
    • Mini-Pledge Progam
    • School Lunch Packing Chart
    • Favorite Amazon Buys
  • Blog
    • What Is Real Food?
    • How to Start
      • Real Food Tips
      • Eating Out and Travel
      • Food Shopping
      • How to Cook
      • Kitchen and Home
    • School Lunches
    • Snacks
    • Kids
      • Picky Eaters
      • Fun Stuff
  • Meal Plans
    • Real Food Meal Plans
    • School Lunch Plans
    • Free Weekly Dinner Plans
×
Home » Recipes

Green Bean Casserole (with French Fried Onions!)

Homemade Green Bean Casserole on 100 Days of #RealFood

Want to Save this Recipe?

Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!

Save Recipe

It's totally possible to have a real food Thanksgiving dinner, and this recipe is here to help. I took the standard Green Bean Casserole recipe and "real foodinized" it for you, and the outcome is just delicious! I am not going to promise it will taste exactly like the original recipe you've made in years past, because I think this one will actually be even better than before.

It's really hard to beat wholesome, pure ingredients that are lovingly put together in a homemade dish like this one. And just for the record, this is now one of my 6-year-old's favorite vegetable recipes. She gave it a huge thumbs up and has already asked me to make it again! So holidays aside, this may very well be our new standard way to eat green beans. :)

More Real Food Holiday Recipes

  • Whole-Wheat Garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits
  • Whole-Wheat Biscuits
  • Chestnut and Prosciutto Stuffing
  • Pesto Cream Cheese Bake Appetizer
  • Sweet Potato Casserole
  • Whole-Grain Corn Bread
  • Butternut Squash Soup
  • Brown Rice Risotto
  • Salad Inspiration
  • Shortcut Chocolate Pecan Pie
  • Chicken Casserole
Food Holiday Recipes from 100 Days of #RealFood

Green Bean Casserole with French Fried Onions

It’s totally possible to have a real food Thanksgiving dinner, and this recipe is here to help. I took the standard Green Bean Casserole recipe, "real foodinized" it for you, and the outcome is just delicious! I've even included French Fried Onions on the top.
30 Reviews / 4.8 Average
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
Course: Holiday, Sides
Cuisine: American
Diet: Egg Free, Peanut/Tree Nut-Free, Vegetarian
Print Recipe
Servings: 8 people
Save Recipe Saved!

Ingredients
  

Casserole Ingredients

  • 2 pounds green beans (trimmed, cut in half, and steamed (8 to 10 minutes or until tender and easily pierced with a fork))
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 8 ounces mushrooms (diced (Shiitake is a great choice, but button mushrooms are good as well))
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • pepper (to taste)
  • 2 ½ cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

Onion Topping Ingredients

  • ½ onion (peeled, cut in half, and sliced very thin)
  • ½ cup whole wheat flour
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • Salt (to taste)

Instructions
 

Casserole Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Sprinkle in the flour and stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to let the flour burn. Stir in the salt and pepper.
  • Carefully whisk in the milk and soy sauce while scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a light boil. Whisk and cook until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a really thick soup, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Mix the sauce with the (previously steamed) green beans in a casserole dish and toss to combine. Bake in the oven until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with French Fried Onions (instructions below).

French Fried Onion Topping Instructions

  • While the casserole is baking, spread the flour out on a large plate, carefully separate the onion pieces, and dredge them in the flour until they are evenly coated.
  • Melt the butter for the topping in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Shake the excess flour off the onions and add them to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of the pan you may need to cook them in batches. If cooking more than one batch, be sure to wipe out the pan in-between to prevent the residue from burning.
  • Once the onions are golden brown on the bottom (after about 1 to 2 minutes), carefully flip them over to brown the other side. Add extra butter to the pan if they begin to look dry. The onions do cook quickly, so keep a close watch!
  • Transfer the onions to a paper-towel lined plate and generously season with salt.

Notes

We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Green Bean Casserole with French Fried Onions
Amount Per Serving
Calories 256 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 45mg15%
Sodium 437mg19%
Potassium 453mg13%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 1345IU27%
Vitamin C 15.2mg18%
Calcium 143mg14%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Want weekly REAL FOOD meal plans made for you?→ Check It Out
Green Bean Casserole Recipe (with French Fried Onions!) from 100 Days of #RealFood #Thanksgiving

More Recipes

  • Sausage stir fry.
    Sausage Stir Fry
  • Sausage broccoli pasta.
    Sausage Broccoli Pasta
  • Chicken sausage pasta.
    Chicken Sausage Pasta
  • Steak with veggies.
    Steak with Veggies
22.7K shares

About Lisa Leake

Lisa is a wife, mother, foodie, blogger, and #1 New York Times Best-selling author who is on a mission to cut out processed food.

Comments

  1. Annie says

    November 27, 2020 at 1:12 pm

    5 stars
    I made this with margarine, oat milk, and gluten free flour to make it dairy free and gluten free and it was AWESOME!! Made my Thanksgiving dinner as this is my favorite dish and I didn't know how it was going to turn out dairy free. I did not make the fried onions though, maybe I'll give those a try next time. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • 100 Days Admin says

      November 29, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      Thanks for sharing. So glad to hear it turned out great. - Nicole

      Reply
  2. Terry says

    November 20, 2020 at 7:43 pm

    Seems better now! Thanks.

    Reply
  3. Wendi says

    December 22, 2018 at 10:52 am

    5 stars
    I made this Gluten-free with coconut aminos and Namaste flour blend. So delicious!

    Reply
  4. Sarah Dickison says

    December 05, 2017 at 2:57 pm

    Added 1/2 a fine diced onion to saute mix, doubled garlic. Was amazing 4 times now !!!!

    Reply
  5. Susan Wood says

    January 08, 2017 at 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    I've made this for the past two Thanksgivings and my family loves it! It takes a little extra effort, but I think it tastes better and it's nice knowing all the ingredients are real food. My family members that are not sold on the notion of 'real foods' did not taste a difference. I told them after they had seconds and they were pretty surprised.

    Reply
  6. Wendy Lappenga says

    November 22, 2016 at 9:55 am

    I am so excited to make this but my family does not like mushrooms. Is there anything I can substitute??

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      December 19, 2016 at 7:33 pm

      Hi Wendy. The mushroom really add to the savory taste of this dish. You could add some bacon crumbles for a boost.

      Reply
  7. Emily Thomas says

    November 16, 2016 at 9:56 am

    Can I use plain unsweetened almond milk??

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 21, 2016 at 10:17 am

      Hi. Other readers have.

      Reply
  8. Deborah says

    March 28, 2016 at 6:43 pm

    My family is used to the canned gmo version. They loved this real food recipe! I will make this dish again :)

    Reply
  9. Emily says

    November 24, 2015 at 12:47 pm

    Can you make this and freeze it? What about making it the day before and just put in fridge?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 29, 2015 at 9:43 pm

      Hi Emily. Both will work.

      Reply
  10. Michelle says

    November 23, 2015 at 10:32 am

    In the picture it looks like a 9x9 casserole dish...I'm assuming that one batch would fit one 9x9 casserole dish?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 24, 2015 at 9:59 am

      Yes, that will work. :)

      Reply
  11. Nikki says

    November 22, 2015 at 3:05 pm

    I can't wait to make this for Thanksgiving! Can I make this the night before and keep it in the fridge to warm up on Thursday? What about the topping will it store well at room temperature overnight??
    Thanks! :)

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 24, 2015 at 9:58 am

      Hi there. Sure, that will work. I'd keep the topping in the fridge, too.

      Reply
    • Ann says

      November 17, 2017 at 4:14 pm

      I'd keep the topping separate until the last minute so it stays crunchy.

      Reply
  12. Julie says

    November 17, 2015 at 8:34 pm

    5 stars
    Hi, What could you use for the flour being gluten free? Almond, Coconut, etc.??

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 19, 2015 at 2:23 pm

      Hi. While I really like both coconut and almond flour, I find a whole grain gluten free flour blend, like Bob's Red Mill, to be the easiest sub.

      Reply
  13. Jennifer Moon says

    November 12, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    My family does not like mushrooms, growing up my mom always substituted cream of chicken soup for cream of mushroom. Any suggestions on leaving the mushrooms out?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 16, 2015 at 5:06 pm

      Hi Jennifer. You could try using a little chicken broth, butter, garlic, and flour for the sauce rather than Lisa's mushroom combination.

      Reply
      • Becky says

        November 17, 2015 at 9:41 pm

        Could you please recommend the amounts of these ingredients? We're not mushroom lovers either, but I don't have the culinary prowess to experiment with altering the ingredients on my own!

      • Becky says

        November 17, 2015 at 9:49 pm

        What amounts of these substitutions to make it mushroom-free? We also don't care for mushrooms but I lack the expertise to tackle substitutions on my own!

      • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

        November 20, 2015 at 9:46 am

        Hi Becky. We've not made these subs either. It would be a bit of an experiment. I can say that I use chicken stock to add flavor to my green beans regularly and they are always a hit. You would just be adding a little to make up for the flavor of the mushrooms. You could also just omit the mushroom and not add stock.

      • Jamie C says

        November 25, 2015 at 9:00 am

        I am not a mushroom fan either, but before we switched to real food, I used to make the unhealthy version of canned cream of celery soup. Perhaps you could swap the mushrooms for the same amount of diced celery?

      • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

        November 30, 2015 at 10:04 am

        Hi Jamie. I've not tried subbing with celery but if you like the flavor that celery adds, I don't see why it wouldn't work. The mushrooms do add some depth of flavor. A bit of stock or bacon grease might also add some depth.

  14. Betty Muse says

    May 11, 2015 at 3:49 am

    4 stars
    recipe looks great...Will try soon...

    Reply
    • MCR says

      August 08, 2015 at 3:52 pm

      4 stars
      It's very good! I've made this dish for several thanksgiving dinners and even the members of my family who don't normally like green bean casserole were big fans. :)

      Reply
  15. Betty Muse says

    May 11, 2015 at 3:47 am

    Green beans look good...Will try this soon...

    Reply
  16. Krista H. says

    November 28, 2014 at 12:23 am

    Made this for Thanksgiving today and it was wonderful!! Best green bean casserole I've ever had. I should've made more onions though because they were so good, I wanted to snack on them! I will NEVER make this with gross, canned, processed soup again.

    Reply
  17. Brandy B says

    November 27, 2014 at 3:59 pm

    This was honestly amazing! I've never had anything so good. Even my husband and kiddos loved it. I made extra onions to put inside AND out, but I'll make more next time because everyone wanted to eat them!!
    I tried to give it 5 stars but it wouldn't let me.

    Reply
  18. Kathrine says

    November 27, 2014 at 6:57 am

    5 stars
    So I cheated and used some all natural fried onions but made everything else. This came out amazing and I kind of feel like using the sauce recipe to make a mushroom soup in the future, it was that good. I substituted whole quinoa flour and it gave it a nice nutty flavor.

    Reply
  19. Annette says

    November 26, 2014 at 4:47 pm

    I made this two weeks ago and it was wonderful! It didn't take an excessive amount of time and was so tasty. I don't like mushrooms, but loved the cream of mushroom base. I might make it to eat as soup, add more milk and puree (don't like the texture of 'shrooms) My daughter liked the onions so much she has decided to make them as a snack. I do think this could be made ahead with these adjustments: slightly under cook the beans and bring to room temp before baking. I'm not sure about preparing the onions ahead of time as they may become soggy.

    Reply
    • Annette says

      November 29, 2014 at 2:29 pm

      Oops forgot to rate it with the stars....easily six or seven stars!

      Reply
  20. Verena says

    November 26, 2014 at 11:06 am

    I'm wondering about making this ahead of time (the day before, like today)? Any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Krista H. says

      November 26, 2014 at 3:38 pm

      I was gonna try that too. I'm thinking I'll steam the beans, make the sauce, then refrigerate them separately and put it all together in the morning and pop it in the oven. I'll make the French fried onions in the morning too, so they're fresh. Hopefully this will work, and I hope that helps! Happy Thanksgiving!

      Reply
    • Sheryl says

      November 26, 2014 at 9:20 pm

      I am wondering the same thing, I might just make the soup ahead and prep the beans tonight. Do everything else tomorrow. Made it last year and it was delish!

      Reply
  21. Ali says

    November 25, 2014 at 4:14 am

    I've read the comments and am convinced to give this a try but I really don't want to be frying onions at the last minute before Thanksgiving dinner. I see the advice about possible ways to make it ahead, but I kind of want to hear from someone who has actually tried it. How did it turn out? Best method? Thank you!

    Reply
  22. Beth K says

    November 24, 2014 at 7:42 pm

    Possibly silly question: do you mean to cut the beans in half across or lengthwise (like French cut beans)?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 28, 2014 at 8:40 am

      Hi Beth. Cut them across the middle, not lengthwise.

      Reply
  23. Jayme says

    November 24, 2014 at 4:00 pm

    4 stars
    Has anyone tried baking these onions vs sautéing them? I'm just looking for a way to make them crispier this time around.

    Reply
  24. Anne says

    November 24, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    Sorry if this has been asked before, but what kind of milk? Whole, 2%, etc.? Does it matter?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 28, 2014 at 8:39 am

      Hi Anne. Lisa always uses whole milk. ;)

      Reply
  25. Erin says

    November 24, 2014 at 10:12 am

    Is there a substitute for the soy sauce to make it soy-free?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 26, 2014 at 11:50 am

      Hi Erin. You could use a rich salted broth/stock instead.

      Reply
  26. Charlee says

    November 21, 2014 at 9:14 pm

    5 stars
    This was very good!

    Reply
  27. Ashley says

    November 20, 2014 at 5:02 pm

    It must have just gone away, it was there earlier...trying to make it for dinner right now!

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 20, 2014 at 9:52 pm

      Sorry, but all is working now.

      Reply
  28. Christina says

    November 20, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    Is it just me? I can't see the recipe on this page?

    Reply
    • Cathy says

      November 20, 2014 at 4:26 pm

      No, it's not just you. I can't see it, either! And I need to start making a grocery list....

      Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 20, 2014 at 9:51 pm

      Yep, it was a brief case of the disappearing recipes. All is well now. :)

      Reply
  29. Tara says

    November 19, 2014 at 6:33 am

    I put the turkey in at 12am. Cook all night, morning. Then in the morning you cook the sides.

    Reply
  30. Jessica says

    November 18, 2014 at 9:23 pm

    Hi! What type of onion would work best in this recipe? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 27, 2014 at 8:33 pm

      Hi there. I always use a yellow onion. ;)

      Reply
  31. Beverly says

    November 17, 2014 at 5:34 pm

    I have no room in my oven on Thanksgiving for anything except the turkey (seriously, how do you all do it?). Has anyone tried this in a slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 20, 2014 at 12:31 pm

      Hi Beverly. I am sure you can make it in a slow cooker. You might refer to this for cooking instructions: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-green-bean-casserole/. ~Amy

      Reply
  32. Ann says

    November 08, 2014 at 7:36 am

    Could rice or almond flour be subbed in without changing flavor for us gluten free folks?

    Reply
    • Amy Taylor (comment moderator) says

      November 10, 2014 at 11:36 am

      Hi Ann. We've not tried making this recipe gluten free but I imagine it would work. ~Amy

      Reply
  33. Tiffany K says

    November 08, 2014 at 5:15 am

    This recipe looks good! My lil sister was just asking for greenbean casserole and I told her no specifically because of the yucky canned cream of mushroom soup that's traditionally used! I'm gonna try this!

    Reply
  34. Cassidy Cash says

    November 07, 2014 at 3:02 pm

    What would traditionally be a can of cream of mushroom soup is being replaced by what sounds like a plain gravy with mushrooms/garlic added in. Do you think it would work to make a large batch of that kind of gravy and can it to preserve it? or even a way to freeze it? I know at my house chicken dressing is popular, and it calls for cream of chicken soup which I want to omit, but until right now, didn't really have a good option. Was thinking the gravy with chicken in it might be an option? Would love to make it ahead, though. thoughts?

    Reply
    • Kate says

      November 08, 2014 at 12:24 am

      i can't see why you couldn't freeze it - it's similar to a soup. Maybe try it with a single batch and see? Nothing ventured, nothing gained!

      Reply
    • Tiffany K says

      November 08, 2014 at 5:13 am

      http://addapinch.com/cooking/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup-recipe/

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome!


Meet Lisa! Lisa is a best-selling cookbook author, wife, mother, and passionate home cook. Lisa began blogging in 2010 and has created a community of millions of people who share her love of healthy living, real food ingredients, and family recipes.

Learn More

Popular

  • Sausage and potatoes.
    Sausage and Potatoes
  • Spaghetti squash with meat sauce.
    Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce
  • Spaghetti squash boats.
    Spaghetti Squash Boats
  • How to cook spaghetti squash.
    How to Cook Spaghetti Squash

Seasonal

  • Air fryer popcorn chicken.
    Air Fryer Popcorn Chicken
  • Healthy blueberry pancakes.
    Healthy Blueberry Pancakes
  • BBQ chicken.
    Easy BBQ Chicken Thighs
  • Chicken cacciatore.
    Chicken Cacciatore

Footer

↑ back to top

Browse

  • Cookbooks
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes
  • Favorite Products
  • Free Downloads

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Blog

  • About
  • Comment Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Partner With Us
  • Contact

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 100 Days of Real Food