Gordon Ramsay Green Bean Casserole Recipe

The Thanksgiving classic, without the can of soup. Fresh green beans are blanched so they stay bright and snappy, folded into a creamy sauce built on properly browned mushrooms, baked until bubbling and topped with crispy fried onions. About 55 minutes in total.

Green bean casserole is American through and through, not a Ramsay dish. What I’ve borrowed from him is the method: blanch and shock the vegetables, and brown the mushrooms hard before they go anywhere near a sauce. Those two steps are what canned-soup versions skip.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs (680 g) fresh green beans, trimmed
• 8 oz (225 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp (25 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the blanching water
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 can (6 oz / 170 g) crispy fried onions, divided

Method

1. Blanch and shock the beans. Boil the beans in well-salted water for 4–5 minutes, until bright green and just tender, then lift them straight into a bowl of ice water. The ice bath stops the cooking and locks in the color, so they don’t turn grey and soft in the oven. Drain them well and pat them dry; wet beans make a watery casserole.
   
2. Brown the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread the mushrooms in one layer and leave them mostly alone for 6–8 minutes, until deep golden. Crowding or stirring too much makes them steam instead of brown, and the browning is where the flavor comes from. Add the garlic for the last 30 seconds.
   
3. Make the sauce. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir for a minute. Whisk in the milk and broth a splash at a time to keep it smooth, then simmer for 3–4 minutes, whisking, until it coats a spoon. Add the soy sauce, salt and pepper and taste. The soy sauce adds savory depth without tasting of soy.
   
4. Combine. Fold the beans and 1 cup of the fried onions into the sauce and spread everything in a greased 9×13-inch dish. Onions inside give crunch in every bite, not just on top.
   
5. Bake. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 minutes, until bubbling at the edges.
   
6. Top with onions. Scatter over the rest of the onions and bake for 5–10 minutes more. Check at 5 minutes; fried onions go from golden to burnt very quickly. Rest for 5 minutes so the sauce settles before serving.
   

Shortcuts and swaps

• Frozen beans: use two 12-oz bags of frozen cut beans, thawed and patted dry. Skip the blanching.
• Canned beans: drain two 14.5-oz cans very well. They’ll be softer and less green.
• Homemade topping: thinly slice 3–4 shallots and fry them in 350°F (175°C) oil until golden. Buttered panko or crushed crackers also work.
• Cheesy: stir 1 cup grated sharp cheddar or Gruyère into the hot sauce.
• Bacon: fold in 6 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon.
• Gluten-free: use a 1:1 gluten-free flour and gluten-free fried onions.

For the holiday schedule

Assemble it through step 4, cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake it straight from the fridge at 350°F (175°C), adding 5–10 minutes, and add the top layer of onions for the last 10 minutes so they stay crisp. Leftovers keep for 4 days; reheat covered in a 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes. It doesn’t freeze well because the sauce can separate.

Side Dish

Gordon Ramsay Green Bean Casserole Recipe

The classic green bean casserole with crisp-tender beans in a from-scratch creamy mushroom sauce, baked bubbling and finished with golden crispy fried onions.

Chef Gordon Ramsay Recipes

Prep
15 minutes

Cook
40 minutes

Total
55 minutes

Serves
8 servings

🖨 Print Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs (680 g) fresh green beans, trimmed8 oz (225 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced2 cloves garlic, minced3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter3 tbsp (25 g) all-purpose flour1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk1/2 cup (120 ml) chicken or vegetable broth1 tbsp soy sauce1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the blanching water1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper1 can (6 oz / 170 g) crispy fried onions, divided

Instructions

01

Blanch the green beans

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the trimmed green beans and cook 4-5 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Transfer immediately to ice water to stop the cooking, then drain thoroughly.

02

Brown the mushrooms

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer and cook 6-8 minutes without moving them too much, until deeply golden. Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds more.

03

Build the mushroom sauce

Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk and broth until smooth. Simmer 3-4 minutes, whisking, until thick enough to coat a spoon. Stir in the soy sauce, salt and pepper.

04

Combine and fill the dish

Fold the drained green beans and 1 cup of the crispy fried onions into the mushroom sauce until coated. Transfer to a greased 9x13-inch baking dish and spread evenly.

05

Bake

Bake in a preheated 350°F (175°C) oven for 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling around the edges.

06

Top and finish

Scatter the remaining crispy fried onions over the top and bake 5-10 minutes more, until golden and crisp. Rest 5 minutes before serving.

Chef Tips

• Shock the blanched beans in ice water to lock in bright green colour and prevent mushiness.
• Give the mushrooms space in the pan and resist stirring early for proper caramelisation and depth.
• Whisk the milk in a splash at a time for a silky, lump-free sauce.
• Watch the onion topping closely - it goes from golden to burnt fast, so check at 5 minutes.

For more Thanksgiving sides, try my Gordon Ramsay Cornbread Dressing Recipe and Boursin Mashed Potatoes. For dessert, the Gordon Ramsay Pumpkin Spice Latte Tiramisu can be made ahead. More on Pinterest.