Make this from the pantry Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Onion Ring Topping this holiday season! Green beans tossed with a creamy kitchen-made mushroom sauce is topped with crispy air-fried onion rings and baked until bubbling and savory. Serves 6 to 8.

As if you couldn’t guess, my regular Thanksgiving side dish is and always will be, green bean casserole.

A few years ago I did make a kitchen-made version. While it’s especially savory, I still wanted that crispy fried onion topping.

Let’s be real, it’s the reason why people love this casserole so much, amiright? SO after owning my air-fryer for a year now, it has easily become my regular appliance. And it makes the reliable onion topping for my kitchen-made green bean casserole.

No can of cream of mushroom soup needed.

Simply simple, fresh ingredients for the go-to green bean casserole deserving enough to grace your Thanksgiving table.

For this kitchen-made Fresh Green Bean Casserole Set out:

fresh green beans
unsalted butter
shallot
sliced fresh mushrooms
cloves fresh garlic
all-purpose flour
half and half
freshly grated nutmeg
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
beer battered onion rings

If you don’t have an air-fryer you can still make this dish. Either slice up a bunch of shallots and fry them in 1 tablespoon each butter and olive oil until crispy or buy the store-bought crispy fried onion topping. No judgement here.

First prep the green beans by bringing a large pot of salted water to boil. Also, fill a large bowl with ice and set a mesh strainer or colander in the center and fill with water.

Trim and cut 1-1/2 pounds green beans in half. Once the water is boiling, add all of the green beans and simmer for 6 minutes or until bright green and only starting to become tender.

Transfer the green beans to the waiting colander in the ice bath. When they are cool to touch, remove the strainer holding the green beans and drain well. Set these off to the side for a moment.

Preheat your oven to 350℉ (or 180℃) and spray a 9 x 9 baking dish with olive oil spray.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large, deep-sided skillet over medium-low heat.

To the butter, add 1 diced shallot with a pinch of kosher salt and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

What is better than the smell of butter and shallots sautéing?

To that, add in 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms. Stir and cook until simply tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, before adding in the 2 small cloves of garlic that have been minced. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

As far as what mushrooms to use, I’m using cremini mushrooms, but white button would work too.

Once the mushrooms are tender, add in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter.

Measure and stir in 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, until absorbed. Cook the flour for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pour in the 2 cups of half & half and stir, over medium-high heat, until thickened.

Stir in 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt (more or less to taste), 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/8 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg.

Lastly, toss the blanched green beans in the creamy mushroom sauce before pouring the green bean mixture into 9×9 (or 8×8 would suffice) baking dish that has been sprayed with olive oil spray.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake on the middle rack of your preheated 350° for 20 minutes.

This casserole will smell memorable!

Remove the foil and scatter the lightly battered onion rings over top. Continue baking for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the casserole is bubbling and the onion rings are crispy and a deeper golden color.

I’m not kidding you when I say this is the go-to green bean casserole.

It’s the reliable combination of creamy meets crispy and it’s so flavor-packed! But most importantly it’s unfussy. Instructions for making it in advance included 🙂