This easy healthy green bean casserole is full of tender, yet crisp green beans, a delicious lightened up mushroom cream sauce, and perfectly crunchy “fried” onions. If you love green bean casserole then I can guarantee you will love this healthy homemade version even more!

What Makes This a Healthier Version of Green Bean Casserole?

Traditional green bean casserole is made with canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and crispy fried onions. And, while I have fond memories of enjoying the casserole as a child, it has nothing on my homemade version.

Not only is this healthier version made with simple whole food ingredients it honestly just tastes SO. MUCH. BETTER. There are a couple of key elements that take his homemade version of everyone’s favorite casserole to the next level.

Fresh Green Beans – we’re skipping the pre-cooked canned green beans for the fresh stuff. The green beans blanched so they stay a beautiful bright, fresh green color while still being tender yet crisp.
Homemade Mushroom cream Sauce – If you have never made homemade green bean casserole before it may be because you were intimidated by making a cream sauce from scratch. Trust me, it could not be easier! The green beans are coated in a simple yet flavorful mushroom sauce that’s finished with touch of cream and grated parmesan cheese.
Crispy Homemade “Fried” Onions – Alright, let’s be honest, everyone’s favorite part of the green bean casserole is the crispy fried onions. They give the casserole the perfect crunch and really just pull everything together. I tested making the crispy onions a few different ways including shallow frying, coating them in egg wash, and toasting the breadcrumbs before adding to the onions. In the end, this lightened up version of the casserole skips the “fried” element of the crispy onions altogether and let’s the oven do all of the work!

Watch How to Make This Recipe

Healthy Green Bean Casserole Ingredients

Unsalted Butter: this may be a healthier version of the classic but we’re still using a little butter to get that delicious rich flavor that we all know and love. I like to use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the dish.

Onion: the best part of green bean casserole is the crispy fried onions on top! we’re making a homemade version with sliced yellow onion.

Panko Breadcrumbs: to give the homemade onions that delicious crunch this recipe us panko breadcrumbs. Panko breadcrumbs are light and crispy and give the onion topping the best texture.

Parmesan Cheese: a little parmesan cheese goes into both the filling and the topping for extra flavor.

Spices, Herbs, and Aromatics: a combination of dried spices, garlic, and fresh herbs take this casserole to the next level.

Fresh Green Beans: the big difference between this homemade healthier casserole and traditional green bean casserole is green beans! this recipe uses fresh, blanched green beans instead of canned.

Mushrooms: plenty of fresh sliced baby Bella mushrooms form the base of the creamy homemade mushroom sauce.

All Purpose Flour: this helps to thicken the homemade mushroom sauce. If you need a gluten free option I’ve included one for you, below.

Chicken Broth: try to grab low-sodium chicken broth so that you can control the amount of salt in the sauce.

Half and Half: a splash of half and half helps to make this sauce perfectly creamy.

Ingredient Substitutions and FAQs

Butter – if you need to keep this recipe completely dairy free you can swap the butter for ghee, olive oil, or even coconut oil.
Breadcrumbs – if you need a gluten free swap for the breadcrumbs use gluten free panko breadcrumbs instead!
Parmesan – if you like, you can swap the grated parmesan for pecorino Romano. If you are making a dairy-free version of this casserole you can leave out the cheese altogether or use your favorite vegan parmesan alternative.
Half and Half – you can easily swap the half and half in this recipe for whole milk if you prefer. You can also use full fat canned coconut milk if you need a dairy free option.
Broth – swap the chicken broth for veggie broth to make an vegetarian version of this casserole.
Flour – swap the regular flour for your favorite gluten-free all purpose flour to keep things gluten free.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

How to Make This Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Make the Crispy “Fried” Onions: The first step is to make the crispy “fried” onion for the green bean casserole. The onions are sautéed in a little butter and then combined with panko breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and spices. You’ll set them aside while you prep the rest of the casserole.

Blanch the Green Beans: Next, you’ll need to blanch your green beans! since this recipe uses fresh green beans, instead of canned, you’ll want to cook them in boiling water for just a few minutes before transferring them to an ice water bath. This ensures that the green beans are tender but still crisp after the casserole finishes baking.

Make the Mushroom Sauce: Once you have made the crispy green bean topping and blanched your green beans, it’s time to make the creamy homemade mushroom sauce. You’ll start by sautéing mushrooms in a bit of butter until tender and browned and then adding a bit of flour to ensure the sauce thickens. Then, you’ll pour in chicken broth, a bit of half and half, and finish things off with grated Parm!

Assemble the Casserole: Once all of the elements of the casserole are prepped and ready all you have to do is assemble it! Add the green beans to the casserole dish, then pour over the mushroom cream sauce, and finish the casserole off with the crispy onions.

Bake: Place the casserole dish in your preheated oven and bake for twenty-five minutes until gold brown and bubbly and that’s it!

Top and Serve: I like to let the casserole cool for around 10 minutes before serving. Waiting a few minutes before serving gives the casserole time to “set up” and ensures that it’s not too hot to eat. You can top the casserole with a bit of extra grated parmesan cheese before serving.

Can You Prep Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time?

Yes! If you are making this dish for Thanksgiving you may want to save some time and do some prep in advance. Thankfully, this green bean casserole can easily be made up to 24 hours ahead of time.

To make in advance, just prep the casserole all the way up until the last step of baking. Then, cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and place in the fridge until you are ready to bake. When you are ready to bake the casserole, remove the casserole dish from the fridge and let it come to room temperature on the counter for 15-20 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake as instructed!

How to Store and Reheat

How to Refrigerate: You can store any leftover casserole, tightly wrapped, in the fridge for up to 3-4 days after baking.

How to Reheat: You could easily reheat any leftovers in the microwave but I think this casserole tastes better reheated in the oven! If you want to reheat the entire casserole, remove the casserole dish from the fridge 15-20 minutes before reheating and allow it to come to room temperature.

Then, place the casserole dish in a 350 degree oven, covered with foil, and reheat for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the foil and let the casserole finishing heating and allow the topping to crisp up a bit before removing from the oven, roughly another 5-10 minutes.