Cream of so-and-so soup, begone!
Happy Tuesday, peeps! Yesterday I introduced my 2026 Thanksgiving Menu & Guide, and in the next few weeks I’ll be filling in the gaps with a few remaining recipes I had yet to put out for the holiday.
Our first contestant? This bubbly, cheesy From-Scratch Green Bean Casserole.
I think we made homemade casserole once for Thanksgiving, based on some recipe that was kind of non-traditional but slam-banged. I don’t recall the exact source, but I do remember that it involved a homemade cream base and a ton of shredded cheddar cheese, both facets appearing in this beauty.
Easy but luxurious sides are imperative for any Thanksgiving menu. My green bean casserole takes little effort and wallops your tastebuds with simple but comforting textures. Fresh green beans, onion and garlic, and a bacon finisher (tofu or regular, as usual!) swim within a pool of silky cheese sauce.
Okay, how many fucking descriptors do I need here? Let’s just get on with it.
Don’t Be A Weeny…
Make a homemade greeny beany casserole-eeny.
Hokay, first, we’re gonna pop some butter in a large oven-safe skillet. Once that salty blob is melted, stir in onion and cook until softened. Next, add in some fresh minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Woohoo, aromatics.
Whisk in flour until incorporated and no longer streaky, then pour in milk and heavy cream. The liquid will thicken quickly! Bring to a simmer and drop in your green beans. Season that shit up with salt and pepper.
Tip: I used fresh green beans that were fucking long when I purchased them. Trim the ends as needed, then slice the beans in half or thirds depending on size. You can also use frozen green beans. I would not use canned since they will become very soggy and mushy with any additional cookage.
Cook the green beans until crisp tender, no more than 7 minutes but likely closer to 5. Drop in some cheddar cheese and toss carefully to combine. Green beans may go a-flying if you’re too eager with your wooden spoon.
Top off your casserole with more cheddar cheese and lots of French fried onions. Pop in a 425 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. In the final 5 minutes, crumble some tofu or regular bacon atop and return to the oven to crisp up those vegetarian or regular lard wafers.
Tip: If you used a non oven-safe dish to cook your casserole, transfer the contents before topping and baking into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or similar.
Cool the cheesy, melty delight for about 10 minutes before scooping and throwing into your mouth!
Make ahead? For sure. The casserole can be prepped up to 3 days ahead of time. Pause before adding the cheese topper, cool the skillet, cover, and refrigerate the dish. If you’ve got this on your Thanksgiving menu (yay!), that means you can prep it on Monday to finish on Thursday.
Leftovers? Casserole keeps great for up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. You may need to reheat with a little broth or water to thin out the sauce.
Easy peasy Tuesday cheesy. Enjoy!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Sides that are on your side:
Loaded Cheddar Ranch Twice Baked Potatoes
Buttery Garlic Parmesan Dinner Rolls
Baked One Pot Broccoli Cheddar Mac & Cheese
Easy Cheddar Chive Mashed Potatoes
from-scratch green bean casserole
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping creeam
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3 cups fresh or frozen green beans, sliced if large
- 1 cup French fried onions
- 1/2 cup cooked tofu or regular bacon, crumbled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large, oven-safe skillet, saute the butter and onion until the onion softens, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning for 1 minute, until fragrant. Whisk in the flour until no visible streaks remain.
- Pour in the milk and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in the green beans and cook 5-7 minutes, until the beans soften to a crisp-tender texture. Fold in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese.
- Top the casserole with the remaining cheese and French-fried onions. Cook in the oven until the cheese melts and bubbles and the onions are crispy and golden, about 12-15 minutes. During the final 5 minutes of baking, pull the dish from the oven, top with the bacon, and return for the remaining time.
- Cool the casserole about 10 minutes, then scoop and serve!
Notes
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Drain and press a block of extra firm tofu to remove excess water for about 5-10 minutes. I make a homemade press by placing paper towels on a large plate, then the tofu, then more towels, another plate, and a skillet.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Slice the tofu very thin (as thin as you can without breaking it) and place onto the baking sheet.OrderFresh Bakes
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In a small bowl, whisk 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp chili powder, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Pour over the tofu and, using a basting brush, coat each slice. Flip, and brush the sauce over the opposite side. Let sit while the oven heats.
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Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking time. Let cool on the baking sheet: the tofu will continue to crisp up.
