Is green bean casserole a holiday tradition for you? It sure is for my husband, Dave.
That’s the one thing he requests every year for Thanksgiving, Christmas, his birthday, our anniversary, even Valentine’s Day!
When we began cruising in Mexico, I discovered that I had a problem: I couldn’t find Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup or French-Fried Onions. What was I going to do??
Thinking about it, I realized that the Cream of Mushroom soup is really just a very thick white sauce with mushrooms added in. And while I couldn’t exactly re-create the French Fried Onions, I could carmelize some for flavor and then add some slivered almonds or ramen noodle crumbles for crunch.
Dave was delighted with the result. And now that he’s developed a milk allergy, I use a few alternate ingredients and it still works out. And two years ago, when we were living temporarily in a motel room with a “kitchenette” without an oven, I even did the whole thing on the stovetop.
Was it exactly the same? No. But was it close enough to be comfort food? Absolutely.
Here’s how I did it, with lots of “variations” depending on what you do or don’t have available.

Green Bean Casserole – From Scratch
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter (OR margarine OR canola oil OR vegetable oil)
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon chicken or vegetable bouillon powder (OR 1 bouillon cube OR 1 teaspoon salt)
- 1-1/2 cups milk (OR evaporated milk OR cream OR soymilk OR almond milk)
- 1 large can mushrooms (OR 2 small cans OR 1 to 2 cups fresh mushrooms)
- 3 cans green beans (cut, whole, French-cut — can even be yellow OR 4 to 5 cups fresh green beans)
- 1 can French-friend onions (OR 1 cup sliced and quartered onion plus 2 tablespoons butter or margarine)
- 1/4 cup almonds, slivered or roughly chopped and/or 1/2 cup uncooked Ramen noodles, crushed (plain — no spice packet or mix) (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the onions:
- If you don’t have French-fried onions, begin by carmelizing the onions in the butter over medium heat. To carmelize, heat butter over medium heat, add the onions and let them cook until golden brown, stirring very rarely — they won’t carmelize if you stir too often. The onions can be carmelizing while you’re preparing the rest of the dish — just keep an eye on it every so often to make sure they’re not burning!
Prepare the “mushroom soup:”
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then stir in the flour and bouillon powder. Very slowly add the milk, stirring constantly so that lumps don’t form. Bring to a boil over medium heat, continuing to stir constantly. Let boil for about 3 minutes, until very thick.
- Drain the mushrooms and stir them in (if using fresh mushrooms, you may want to roughly chop them depending on how large they are). NOTE: I like to reserve the liquid for use in other cooking (ditto for the green bean liquid).
Prepare the casserole (if baking in an oven — stovetop directions below):
- Preheat oven to 350.
- If using fresh green beans, steam or cook in a little water so that they are about half done.
- Drain green beans and place in a baking dish — a casserole or bread pan works well, but you can use almost anything. Mix in the “mushroom soup” and half the onions.
- Sprinkle the remaining onions over the top, then add the almonds and/or ramen noodles if using.
- Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30 minutes.
Stovetop directions:
- If using fresh green beans, steam or cook in a little water so that they are about half done.
- Drain the beans and add to the saucepan with the “mushroom soup.” Add the onions and mix together. Cook over medium heat until it just gently boils. Turn heat to low and cook for a few minutes, until beans are thoroughly heated through.
- If serving in a serving bowl, put beans in bowl and top with almonds and/or ramen noodles.
- If serving on individual plates, top each serving with almonds and/or ramen noodles.
Notes
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
Judiann says
Mmmm cant wait to try all these recipes..My Boat Galley cookbook is scheduled to arrive Friday..btw…regarding the French Fried Onions for the green bean casserole…I got a couple 1 1/2 lb bags at Costco..They have a 2 yr shelf life..When we aren’t eating them in a casserole, they are great for just snacking..