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This is not your grandma’s green bean casserole. Let’s be honest, it needed a major upgrade. This recipe does just that with fresh green beans (or frozen), garlic, white wine and Boursin cheese. It’s a completely new flavor profile that still delivers a creamy casserole with that signature crunchy onion top.
I don’t know where you’re from, but here in the Midwest, green bean casserole is a staple around the holidays. Traditionally, green bean casserole is made with canned green beans and canned cream of mushroom soup and it just falls flat. The homemade garlic cream sauce in this recipe updates the classic dish without losing the best parts. Shallots or onions get cooked down with garlic in salted butter. From there, flour is added to create a rue. White wine and chicken stock make the sauce and everything gets thick and creamy with heavy whipping cream and Boursin garlic and herb cheese. The sauce is the star.
For the green beans you can use fresh or frozen. I have found the frozen Private Selection hericot verts from Kroger work perfectly with this recipe. They’re sold in 12 oz bags. I grab three and it’s the perfect amount. Make sure to thaw them completely, squeeze out excess water and cut them in half. Going this route saves you step one of cooking and blanching the green beans. They are ready right out of the bag once thawed. This can be extremely helpful if you’re cooking several dishes for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Tips for the Best Green Bean Casserole
- Use fresh or frozen green beans. Stop using brown canned green beans that are mushy. For frozen, grab three 12 oz bags of frozen French green beans (hericot verts). Thaw and squeeze them of any extra water before mixing with the garlic sauce.
- If you don’t want to use white wine, substitute with chicken stock.
- Top the casserole with the crunchy fried onions just before serving. I also only top half the casserole at first and then if that gets eaten, I’ll top the second half. The fried onions soften in the fridge and lose all their luster as leftovers. Just use what you need.
- Always taste test the green beans for doneness. Ovens are all different and your casserole may need more cooking time to fully soften those green beans.
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 lb green beans trimmed, cut, blanched
- 4 TB salted butter melted
- 1 medium/large yellow onion or 3 shallots diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 C flour
- 1/4 C dry white wine I use pinot grigio
- 2 1/4 C chicken stock
- 1 C heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 wheel Boursin garlic and herb cheese
- Crispy Onions
Instructions
- Trim, cut green beans in half then boil for 5 minutes then shock in ice water and strain. Set aside.
- Melt butter over medium heat and cook onion for 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
- Add minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes more.
- Pour in white wine, whisk and cook for one minute.
- Add chicken stock and turn heat up and allow to thicken while whisking.
- Whisk in heavy whipping cream, salt, pepper, and boursin cheese. Whisk until fully incorporated and the cheese has melted.
- Add green beans to a baking pan and pour the sauce over the green beans. Mix well then bake covered at 375 for one hour. Remove from the oven, stir and top with fried onions.