· Modified: by Melinda O'Malley Keckler · This post may contain affiliate links · this blog generates income via ads.
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Elegant Green Bean Casserole has all the flavors we love with traditional green bean casserole, but we use fresh green beans that are first sautéd in olive oil infused with garlic, with a splash of white wine and soy sauce. The final result provides a new "elegant" perspective on a family favorite side dish. Serve with Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes for a stellar side dish menu.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love this Green Bean Casserole
- Ingredients to Have on Hand
- How to Prep the Fresh Green Beans
- First Sauté the Fresh Green Beans
- Recipe FAQs
- Variations and Substitutions
- Use One Can of Soup
- More Sides to Enjoy
- Dinner Recipes
- Recipe
- Comments
Why You'll Love this Green Bean Casserole
Elegant Green Bean Casserole is made with fresh green beans, which gives the classic casserole a vibrant, crisp flavor.
Some of my favorite main course recipes to serve with it are Rotisserie Chicken and Stuffing Casserole, No Ketchup Meatloaf or Baked Buttermilk Chicken Tenders.
But of course, green bean casserole is also a delicious side dish like Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole to serve at holiday meals.
Ingredients to Have on Hand
- fresh green beans
- canned water chestnuts
- white wine, or a substitute
- soy sauce
- cream of mushroom soup
- crispy fried onions
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Prep the Fresh Green Beans
There's something impressive and elegant about having full-sized green beans on the plate.
I get it, sometimes the longer beans are a little tricky to work with while we are cooking. So here's what I do, when sautéing the beans in the first step of this recipe, it helps to use tongs to turn and coat the green beans in the olive oil.
Note: Some of the links you find on this page are paid links, Amazon Associates. That means I make a small commission when you click and shop. Your cost is the same and I only link to products or ingredients that I use and enjoy.
First Sauté the Fresh Green Beans
It sounds like a super special way to cook, but to sauté something simply means to cook it quickly in hot oil or fat and that's exactly how this recipe starts. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan.
I love my Le Creuset pan for this recipe. It was a gift from my sister-in-law and it cooks ALL things beautifully! I highly recommend it.
Heat the oil until it starts to shimmer, then add a teaspoon of fresh garlic.
Pro Tip: Cook and stir the garlic for about a minute, then add the green beans and use tongs to turn them while they cook.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use canned or frozen green beans instead of fresh ones?
I don't recommend making the switch to canned green beans. The distinctive tenderness we find with canned green beans will give this recipe a much different presentation and the cooking time on the stove will be lessened.
Frozen green beans are likely a better substitute, but I haven't made this recipe using frozen green beans so can't vouch for that option. I prefer the freshness of the green beans we buy from the produce section of the grocery store or from our favorite farmers' market.
Can this be prepped a day ahead?
Yes, this can be assembled a day in advance and refrigerated until baking. Saute the green beans and combine the ingredients in the same order as listed in the recipe, then cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. Hold off on adding the top layer of crispy fried onions until you bake the casserole and increase the baking time by 10 additional minutes.
Variations and Substitutions
I usually have plenty of white wine in the house so the two tablespoons needed for this recipe, basically a splash of wine, are easy to come by.
But I totally understand that you may not want to buy an entire bottle of wine, just to use two tablespoons.
If that's the case, I like the substitutions mapped about by Kraft Heinz - as a general rule, chicken or vegetable broth makes a nice substitute for white wine in cooking.
Use One Can of Soup
All you need is a 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. Open it up and pour the contents over the sautéd green beans. No water or milk is needed.
The white wine and soy sauce both provide plenty of liquid and amazing flavor to this recipe.
More Sides to Enjoy
Elegant Green Bean Casserole is made from scratch and is a family favorite. It's perfect for holidays, or any time you want an impressive side dish. Here are some of my other favorite sides.
- Blue Cheese and Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Zucchini Stuffing
- Creamed Corn
- Cheesy Grits
Dinner Recipes
- Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes
- No Ketchup Meatloaf
- Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel and Velveeta
- Chicken Curry Salad with Grapes
If you tried thisElegant Green Bean Casserole or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟star ratingand let me know how it goes in the 📝commentsbelow.
Recipe
Elegant Green Bean Casserole
All the flavors we love with traditional green bean casserole, but these green beans are sautéd in olive oil infused with garlic, white wine and soy sauce. Serve with Crusted Chicken Romano and Country Potatoes for a delicious meal.
4.99 from 175 votes
Print Rate Pin Recipe
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 as a side dish
Calories: 404kcal
Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 4 - 5 cups green beans fresh, about a pound and a half
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
- 1 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cups crispy fried onions divided
Instructions
Sauté Green Beans
Preheat oven to 350° F
Add olive oil to a skillet or oven-safe Dutch oven and heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Add minced garlic and cook until the garlic becomes fragrant, about 1 minute.
Rinse and trim the green beans and add to the skillet or Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper and add the white wine and soy sauce. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until the green beans begin to soften a little.
Combine Ingredients
Remove from the heat and add water chestnuts, cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup of the crispy fried onions. Stir to combine.
Bake and Serve
If using a skillet to cook the beans, pour the ingredients into a greased, glass 13" x 9" baking dish.
If using an oven-proof Dutch oven, the green bean mixture can stay in the same pan.
Top with the remaining 1 cup of crispy fried onions and bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until bubbling around the edges.
Notes
All you need is a 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. Open it up and pour the contents over the sautéd green beans. No water or milk is needed. The white wine and soy sauce both provide plenty of liquid and amazing flavor to this recipe. For a great side dish combination, serve this with Homemade Creamed Corn or Sweet Corn Pasta Salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 404kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 3gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 528mgPotassium: 355mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1139IUVitamin C: 20mgCalcium: 61mgIron: 2mg
Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database and are offered here only as a guideline for informational purposes.
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to see it! Follow @crinkledcookbook on Instagram, snap a photo and tag it #crinkledcookbook
More Savory & Delicious Sides
- Mixed Bean Salad
- Easy Mexican Fried Rice (Restaurant Style)
- Easy Edamame Salad
- Sweet Corn Pasta Salad
Looking for something?
Reader Interactions
Comments
Jennifer Wicker says
Can this be made ahead?
Reply
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Hi Jennifer, Yes this can be assembled a day in advance. Saute the green beans and combine the ingredients in the same order as listed in the recipe, then cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake. The only adjustments, I recommend holding off on adding the top layer of crispy fried onions until you bake the casserole and increasing the baking time by 10 *additional* minutes.
Reply
Deborah Mason says
Would like to.bring to a Thanksgiving hosted by a relative. Could I sauté at home then finish in the oven when I arrive at my destination? Also, can this be made vegan or vegetarian?
Reply
Melinda O'Malley Keckler says
Hi Deborah, I LOVE your question... so I prepared this again with that step in mind. I sautéd the green beans with the garlic, soy sauce and white wine, then refrigerated and waited about 2 hours until assembling everything in a baking dish. Bottom line, if you assemble this after sautéing, please increase the baking time about 10 additional minutes in the oven to give the green beans enough time to soften. I think the dish is vegetarian as-is. 🙂 Let me know how this turns out for you!!
Reply
Julie Jeftich says
Definitely going to try this love the fact that fresh green beans are used.The wine and soy sauce also caught my eye.
Reply
Julie Rosenthal says
OOOOH! This looks amazing!Reply
Natalie says
I love added wine and soy sauce. Yum! Sounds so delicious. I will make this for my family for sure. Such a perfect easy dinner recipe.Reply
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
