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In this small green bean casserole, tender green beans bake under crunchy fried onions in a creamy, cheesy mushroom sauce you make from scratch, with no canned soup. It’s made for one or two.
Featured Comment
“This recipe is the bomb! I especially like that it doesn’t use canned soup. The sauce is awesome!”
– Holly
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Rest Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Equipment: 5-inch square baking dish (or a 4×6-inch dish), 10-inch skillet
- Cook Method: Stovetop, then oven
- Servings: 1 to 2
- Difficulty: Easy
- Flavor Profile: Savory, with mushroom, garlic, nutty cheese, and Italian herbs.
Green bean casserole for two, the onions golden on top and the sauce bubbling at the edges, belongs on your holiday table.
Why You’ll Love This Small Batch Green Bean Casserole
This is my favorite green bean casserole, and it brings back holiday memories every time I make it. The mushroom sauce is rich with melted cheese, and the fried onions on top give every bite a little crunch.
I make that sauce from scratch in one skillet, with no canned soup. Cream cheese makes it thick and creamy, and Gruyère gives it a nutty flavor. If you can’t find Gruyère, Swiss or Fontina are good substitutes.
Fresh, frozen, or canned green beans all work, so you can use whatever you have. One can of green beans fills a 5-inch baking dish, which is just right for one or two. Since the sauce and beans are cooked on the stovetop first, the casserole only needs 25 minutes in the oven to heat through and crisp the onions.
For more single serving vegetable sides, try my sautéed green beans for one or broccoli casserole for one. To round out a small holiday meal, make a small batch corn casserole or mini sweet potato casserole, or browse all of our small holiday side dishes.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
This green bean casserole for one uses ingredients you can find at most grocery stores. For ways to use any leftover ingredients, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
Green beans: Fresh, frozen, or canned green beans all work in this casserole. Measure about 2 cups, which is one 14-ounce can. Canned green beans just need to be rinsed and drained. For fresh green beans, trim the ends and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Boil fresh or frozen green beans for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp-tender, then move them to ice water for 1 minute to stop the cooking, and drain. Extra green beans can be used in vegetable soup for one.
Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil adds flavor to the onion and mushrooms as they cook. Light olive oil works too.
Onion and garlic: Freshly chopped onion and garlic build the flavor of the sauce. If you don’t have fresh, use ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon onion powder and ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder.
Mushrooms: The recipe calls for jarred sliced mushrooms, which go straight into the skillet. For more texture, use the same amount of sliced fresh mushrooms. After the onion cooks, turn the heat up to medium-high, add the mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. The higher heat helps them brown and release their moisture. You can also leave the mushrooms out.
Chicken broth: Low sodium chicken broth adds flavor and richness to the sauce. For a vegetarian casserole, use vegetable broth and check that your cheese is made with vegetarian rennet. Leftover broth is great in tortellini soup for one or single serving beef stew.
Heavy cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 36% milk fat makes the sauce smooth and silky. Extra cream can be used in chicken Alfredo for one or broccoli cheddar soup for one.
Cream cheese: Cream cheese thickens the broth and cream in about a minute of simmering, so the sauce clings to the green beans the way canned cream of mushroom soup would. Let it come to room temperature so it stirs in smoothly. Leftover cream cheese goes into my small batch creamed spinach.
Cheese: Gruyère melts evenly into the sauce, and Swiss, Fontina, Jarlsberg, or Gouda are all good substitutes. Use leftover Gruyère in French onion soup for one.
Seasonings: Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper season the sauce. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, use a mix of basil, oregano, thyme, or rosemary.
Fried onions: French’s crispy fried onions give the top its crunch. For a gluten-free casserole, use Simple Truth or Garden Farms Organic fried onions. They’re optional, and Recipe Variations has other toppings to try.
Recipe Variations
These swaps change the flavor, topping, or size of this small batch green bean casserole.
Green Bean Casserole With Bacon
Cook 2 slices of bacon in the 10-inch skillet, then move the bacon to a plate to cool. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings and use that in place of the olive oil to cook the onion and mushrooms. Crumble the cooled bacon and stir it into the casserole before baking.
Panko Topping
Melt ½ tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add 4 tablespoons panko and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the panko to a bowl, then sprinkle it over the casserole in place of the fried onions for the last 5 minutes of baking.
Ritz Cracker Topping
Toss ½ cup crushed butter crackers, such as Ritz, with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle the crumbs over the casserole in place of the fried onions before baking.
How To Double This Recipe
To make 4 servings, double every ingredient, make the sauce in a 12-inch skillet, and bake the casserole in a 6×8-inch baking dish. The bake time stays the same: 20 minutes covered with foil, then 5 minutes uncovered with the fried onions on top.
How To Make A Small Green Bean Casserole
These photos walk you through making a mini green bean casserole. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full instructions.
Before you begin: If using fresh or frozen green beans, boil them for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp-tender, cool them in ice water for 1 minute, and drain. Canned green beans just need to be rinsed and drained. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Cook the onion and mushrooms: Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute more.
- Make the sauce: Add the broth, cream, and cream cheese, and stir until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add the cheese and seasonings: Stir in the Gruyère, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until the cheese melts.
- Add the green beans: Add the green beans and stir until they’re coated with the sauce.
- Fill the baking dish: Spoon the mixture into a 5×5-inch baking dish. A 4×6-inch or 6×6-inch dish, or a 6.5-inch cast iron skillet, also works.
- Bake covered: Cover the dish with foil, set it on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Add the fried onions: Remove the foil, sprinkle the fried onions over the top, and bake for 5 more minutes, until the onions are golden and the sauce bubbles at the edges.
- Rest: Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce thickens.
Expert Tips
Use the right dish: The best dish to use is a 5×5-inch or 4×6-inch baking dish. A 6×6-inch dish also works, but it makes a thinner casserole that may bake a little faster.
Bake the filling while it’s hot: The sauce and beans are already cooked when they go into the dish, so 20 minutes in the oven is enough to heat them through. Spoon the filling into the dish straight from the skillet and bake right away.
Keep the fried onions off until the last 5 minutes: Under the foil, they’d soften in the steam. Adding them after the foil comes off keeps them crisp.
Let it rest 5 minutes: The sauce thickens as it sits, so the casserole holds together on the spoon.
Troubleshooting
A single serving green bean casserole bakes a little differently than a full-size pan, and these notes show you what to expect.
Why is my green bean casserole runny?
The sauce didn’t simmer long enough before it went into the dish. Cream cheese thickens the sauce in the skillet, so keep it at a simmer until it coats the back of a spoon and a spatula leaves a brief trail across the pan. Drain the green beans well, too, since extra water thins the sauce.
Why is the center of my green bean casserole cold?
The filling went into the dish cold, or the casserole was scaled up in a deeper dish. This recipe is made to bake right after the sauce comes off the stove, so 20 minutes under foil heats it through. If you double it, use a 6×8-inch dish so it stays shallow and bakes in the same time.
Why are my fried onions soggy?
The onions sat on the casserole too long. Steam from the filling softens them, so add them for the last 5 minutes only and serve the casserole soon after it rests. If you make the casserole ahead, leave the onions off until the final bake.
Why are my green beans mushy?
They cooked too long before baking. Canned green beans are already soft and only need to be rinsed and drained. Fresh and frozen green beans need just 2 to 3 minutes in boiling water, then ice water to stop the cooking, since they’ll finish in the oven.
What To Serve With Green Bean Casserole
This green bean casserole for two goes with any of these small holiday mains and single serving sides.
- Roast split turkey breast: A Thanksgiving turkey sized for one or two.
- Glazed ham steak: Pan-fried on the stove in 15 minutes.
- Small batch cornbread dressing: Another delicious side to go right next to it.
- Mashed potatoes for one: Made from scratch in one pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in 2 ways. For unbaked, assemble the casserole without the onion topping, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake as directed. For baked, bake it without the topping, cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat at 350°F for 10 minutes, add the onions, and bake 5 more minutes.
I don’t recommend freezing this casserole. The cream sauce and the green beans both change texture after thawing.
Up to 3 days. Cover the dish or move leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate.
The sauce bubbles at the edges and the fried onions are golden. The filling is already cooked when it goes into the oven, so the bake only heats it through and crisps the top.
This recipe hasn’t been tested with canned soup. The cream cheese, broth, and cream take its place, and a whole can would add too much liquid for a casserole this size.
Reheat it in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or in the microwave until heated through. The oven keeps the onions crisper.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this mini green bean casserole, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this single serve green bean casserole or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Small Green Bean Casserole
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
- 5-inch baking dish or 4×6-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 (14 ounce) can green beans – rinsed and drained, or 2 cups fresh or frozen green beans (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic – minced
- ¼ cup jarred sliced mushrooms
- ⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 ounces cream cheese – room temperature
- ¼ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fried onions (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- If using fresh or frozen green beans, boil them for 2 to 3 minutes until crisp-tender, then transfer them to ice water for 1 minute and drain well. Canned green beans just need to be rinsed and drained.
- In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the chicken broth, cream, and cream cheese, and stir until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the Gruyère, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper until the cheese melts.
- Add the green beans and stir until they're coated with the sauce.
- Spoon the mixture into a 5×5-inch or 4×6-inch baking dish.
- Cover the dish with foil, set it on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes.
- Uncover, sprinkle the fried onions over the top, and bake for 5 more minutes, until the onions are golden and the sauce bubbles at the edges.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
if using fresh green beans, I’m assuming they need to be cooked first?
Yes, boil the fresh green beans for 2 to 3 minutes until tender-crisp, then drop them into ice water for a minute to stop the cooking. Drain them well and they’re ready to go into the casserole.
I followed your recipe for 3 people and cooked it accordingly.
I even cooked it for an additional 10 minutes because the thermometer probe showed 100 degrees.
When we went to eat it it was still running and luke warm in the middle.
Can you explain what I might have done wrong?
A few things could be going on, and one question will help me narrow it down: was the filling hot when you spooned it into the dish? This recipe is built so everything is cooked on the stovetop first. The beans go in pre-cooked or canned, and the sauce is simmered and thickened in the skillet, so the oven step is mainly there to heat it through, melt the cheese, and crisp the onions. If the filling went in cold, or if it was scaled up to more servings in a deeper dish, the center can stay lukewarm even after extra time. The runniness makes me think the sauce may not have simmered quite long enough to thicken before it went in, since it should thicken in the skillet and then again as it rests. Let me know how you assembled it and I can point you to the exact spot to adjust.
I am pretty much an amature cook. Yes it went into the dish hot, tight from the pan. I believe I may not have let it reduce in the pan long enough. It was runny.
I am trying your Tuscan chicken recipe tonight which also calls for simmering the sauce until thicken. I will keep a better eye on it tonight.
You’ve got it exactly right, reducing it a little longer is the fix. A good cue is to let it simmer until it coats the back of a spoon and a spatula leaves a brief trail when you drag it across the pan. Same goes for the Tuscan chicken tonight. Give it those few extra minutes and you’ll be in great shape.
What to use to sub gruyere cheese?
Gruyère can be swapped with Swiss, Fontina, Jarlsberg, or Gouda. I’ve also listed these substitution options in the Ingredient Notes in the recipe, which is where I include cheese swaps and other helpful tips.
My question is can I use an Air Fryer to make the
Green Bean Casserole? Or a facsimile I’f love
to make it but hate using my oven just for myself.
I haven’t tested this recipe in an air fryer, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. Because it’s a creamy casserole, the oven gives the most reliable results. If I do test an air fryer version in the future, I’ll be sure to share it.
I made this for my single Thanksgiving feast! I used fresh green beans from my garden and since I don’t care for the crispy onion things, I used Panko bread crumbs. It was excellent!
Followed recipe except I had a few fresh baby bellas to use up so I sauteed them with the onions. I used 2 cups frozen green beans and parboiled them for a bit before adding to the sauce. The result was the best version of a mini version of Green Bean Casserole I could ever hope for. Thank you so much! ❤
That sounds like a fantastic way to use up those baby bellas! I’m so glad you enjoyed the green bean casserole—thank you for sharing your experience!
Can this be made the day before?
Yes, it can be made the day before!
Unbaked: Assemble the casserole, leaving off the onion topping. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Before baking, remove it from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then bake as directed.
Baked: Assemble and bake the casserole without the onion topping. Once cooled to room temperature, cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat, bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, add the onion topping, and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
This is delicious! I do like a thicker sauce, so I added potato flakes to thicken it, perfect to dip Hawaiian rolls in it. It didn’t change the flavor. Next time I’ll try some of the variations because this recipe offers such a great base. Thank you! 👍👍
I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for your feedback.
I just wanted to let you know how thankful I’m that I found your recipes!! They are really so good. I’m 76 and eating tasteless frozen foods and large casseroles over and over again is really awful! So thank you very much for your recipes
Thank you so much! I’m so happy you are enjoying our recipes.
Great recipe! My husband and I both loved the flavors of the dish. I used fresh mushrooms as we prefer them over jarred. Perfect size for us and leftovers for the next day.
Hello! I just wanted to share with you that the Green Bean Casserole recipe I made for our Thanksgiving dinner turned out wonderfully! I increased the recipe to make 10 servings, hoping it would be enough for around 20 people to have a small portion (as there were lots of kids who wouldn’t eat a full serving), and it was more than enough – we had almost 1/3 of it left over. This was great because we had a second day of Thanksgiving for lunch. The dish was super yummy, creamy, and rich in taste. I was thrilled to have used more homemade options as suggested in the recipe. Overall, it was a great success! Thank you!
Haven’t tried it yet but I have a question. I have a person who doesn’t like mushrooms. Can I leave them out?
Absolutely! Feel free to leave out the mushrooms, the casserole will still be absolutely delicious.
Delicious! I made this for a friend and I on Easter. She loved it as did I! I’ll be making it again, not waiting for a special occasion either! It went together really slick too!
This recipe is the bomb! I especially like that it doesn’t use canned soup. The sauce is awesome!
Thank you so much, Holly!
Great sized recipe for the two of us. I love that this recipe does not use canned soup.
Per the header, “makes the best green bean casserole ever” IS THE TRUTH! Having been invited out for Thanksgiving and crazy me, I assumed there’d be turkey, dressing and the rest of the trimmings. I had a wonderful meal but still missed the Thanksgiving day food. Being a single, I stuffed “a” Cornish Hen, accompanied by the other foods I mentioned this past weekend. The GBC was the best I’ve ever had and smelled wonderful while it was baking! I even doubled the recipe and have been enjoying the leftovers. It is my new favorite which I’ll be making again!
I noticed one comment about adding cream of mushroom soup. Again, having doubled the recipe, I will add some next time as I like my GBC a little more soupy, if you will.
Consider making it. You won’t be disappointed. 🙂
I have never cared for green bean casserole but my son suggested it for Thanksgiving. We used your recipe and HOLY COW was it delicious! It was nothing like the “standard “ recipe. The sauce was so rich and flavorful. We have started to wonder if we could use this recipe with other vegetables like broccoli and if we did would you make any changes to the cheese.
Joni, we have both tried so many of your recipes and have always been delighted with the results. Thank you for doing what you do. Cooking good meals for one or two isn’t easy.
Thank you! I’m so happy you all are enjoying the recipes. I’ve never tried this recipe with broccoli but I don’t see why you couldn’t. I bet the sauce in this casserole would be delicious with so many other vegetables.
excellent! I made a trial batch last week and the Guy who looks forward to those beans more than the turkey, gave it a thumbs up. And is smiling because he knows it will be on the table again this Thursday! Thanks Joanie- you did it again!
Hi. I don’t have heavy cream. I do have cr of mushroom soup. Would I use the whole can and also would I still use the chicken broth & how much, please. Thanks a gazillion.
Barbara, this recipe has not been tested with cream of mushroom soup. I think using the entire can of soup would be too much liquid. You might need to experiment by using half the can and some of the broth. Since I have not used canned soup in this small batch recipe, I have no idea how it will turn out.
I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I love a couple of things already. I have a handful of recipes that call for canned mushroom soup, but cooking for one means I end up with leftover soup that doesn’t freeze well. I appreciate that you’ve found a way around canned mushroom soup. Second, I love your suggestions for what to do with the leftover fried onions. Thanks for this recipe!!!!
How is this recipe made from scratch if you use canned beans?might as well use canned onions too
Hi Pat, It looks like you must have missed the part in the recipe post (and it’s mentioned several times) that you can use fresh, frozen, OR canned beans. It is also mentioned in the post that the use of canned onions is the only part of the green bean casserole recipe that is NOT made from scratch, and using those is optional. This is why I highly recommend that folks read the Ingredient Notes section of our recipes – a lot can be missed if it’s just scrolled over.
TERRIFIC RECIPE!