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If you’re looking for the best green bean casserole recipe, look no further! Unlike other recipes, this green bean casserole is not made with canned soup. Instead, this green bean casserole is made with a homemade briny cream sauce and crispy fried onions for plenty of crunchy topping. The secret ingredients? I use pickled mushrooms and capers! These briny veggies add massive flavor to my mostly-made-from-scratch Green Bean Casserole! Each bite is a pop of bright, briny, and salty flavor – you are going to lick your plate clean!
Green Bean Casserole with Capers and Pickled Mushrooms
Our garden has been producing so many green beans, so I knew I wanted to take a stab at making green bean casserole from scratch. Unfortunately, when I was pulling out the ingredients for the casserole I realized we didn’t have any fresh mushrooms. I didn’t have time to run to the store, so I knew I needed to get a little creative. Little did I know that this mishap would lead to making one of the best side dishes I’ve ever made!
Caleb loves to make homemade Bloody Mary’s on Sunday mornings, and he always tops them with the best garnishes, including pickled mushrooms. So, if you haven’t guessed it already, that is what I used in this casserole instead of fresh mushrooms! And, since I was already going with a briny sauce, I figured I would add capers because why not, right?
This is Green Bean Casserole is Mostly Made Entirely from Scratch!
I love a good batch of green bean casserole. You know, the kind made from condensed soup? Well, I am just going to tell you right now once you’ve had it this way, there will be no turning back! The cream sauce is simply delicious and so satisfying – don’t get me wrong; canned mushroom soup can still have its place in my heart, but nothing beats homemade! This delicious green bean casserole has no condensed soup and no canned or frozen beans.
I know you love a good batch of green bean casserole, but have you ever tried it with pickled mushrooms and capers? It’s amazing!
The creamy sauce is so tasty, and there are just enough veggies in every bite to make this dish healthy yet satisfying. I bet after one taste, your opinion about the OG canned mushroom soup green bean casserole will change forever.
Homemade Green Bean Casserole with Capers and Pickled Mushrooms Ingredients
- Fresh Green Beans (the fresher, the better! I love picking them directly from my garden)
- Butter
- Black Pepper
- Marjoram
- Flour
- Red Onion
- Pickled Mushrooms
- Capers
- Garlic
- Milk and Whipping Cream
- Broth made from chicken bouillon cubes
- Fried Onions
How to Make My Green Bean Casserole
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- Clean, cut, and blanch the green beans
- Make your homemade cream sauce
- Stir it all together
- Top with onions, bake, and enjoy!
How to Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time
Prepare everything as directed, except there is no need to preheat the oven, bake the skillet, and do not top with fried onions. After your cream sauce is finished and you’ve added the green beans, set aside and allow to cool. Cover tightly, then refrigerate overnight. The next day, add the fried onions on top and bake for ~20 minutes at 400°F until bubbly.
What are capers?
Capers are the unopened flower buds of a plant related to the cabbage, picked before they are ripe. Their flavor is tart yet salty with a lemony aftertaste. They are widely used in Mediterranean cooking. The brand I love is: Mezzetta Non-Pareil Capers.
Capers are available in two forms: pickled and brined. Brined capers have a more pronounced flavor; pickled capers can be mildly tangy or mildly acidic, depending on the vinegar used. If you want to get rid of the saltiness of the brine, soak them in cold water for at least 15 minutes.
What are pickled mushrooms?
Pickling is a method of food preparation that uses an acidic liquid, such as vinegar or lemon juice to preserve the original form of the food by fermentation or dehydration. The brand I love is: Cento Marinated Mushrooms.
Is green bean casserole gluten-free?
This recipe is not gluten-free because of the fried onions and the added flour to thicken the cream sauce. But, if you use gluten-free fried onions and gluten-free flour.
Can I freeze this dish for later use?
It’s not advised to freeze cooked green bean casserole because the fried onions will become soggy and lose their texture after the freezing process. So, you can mix or scrape off some of the fried onions and then add more before re-heated it again in the oven.
Let the casserole cool to room temperature. Wrap well with plastic wrap and foil, label and date, then freeze for up to 2 weeks. To serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Discard the plastic wrap and foil from the frozen casserole, add more fried onions on the top and bake for 20-30 minutes or until bubbly.
What if I don’t like fried onions? What else can I use for the crunchy topping?
If you’re not really into the baked “fried” onions, feel free to sprinkle the top of the casserole (before going into the oven) with 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs for crunch or crushed Ritz cracker crumbs.
Green Bean Casserole with Capers and Pickled Mushrooms
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 3 cups Fresh Green Beans washed, trimmed, and cut in half
- 2 tbs Unsalted Butter
- 4 oz Pickled Mushrooms cut into pieces
- 1/4 Red Onion Diced
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tsp Marjoram
- 2 1/2 tbs All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Chicken Bouillon Cube mixed into 1 cup of boiling water
- 1/2 cup 2% Milk
- 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2-3 tbsp Capers
- 1/4 cup Fried Onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF
- Bring water to a boil in an 8-quart saucepan. Add the green beans and blanch for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and immediately plunge the beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, mushrooms, capers, red onion, black pepper, and Marjoram and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle 1 tbs flour over the mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute. Add another tablespoon of flour and stir to dissolve.
- Boil 1 cup of water in a small saucepan and add 1 bouillon cube. Stir until it dissolves. Strain the green beans that you have in the ice bath and set them aside.
- Add the broth and simmer for 1 minute. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the milk and whipping cream and 1/2 tbs of flour. Cook until the mixture thickens, stirring occasionally, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and fold in the green beans. Top with fried onions and place into the oven and bake until bubbly, approximately 10-12 minutes. Remove and serve!