Few things define the holidays quite like the food traditions we pass down. For me, the scent of a Christmas dinner is 99% rooted in memory, and this Easy Green Beans and Mushroom Recipe is one of those dishes that immediately transports me home. This isn't just a side dish; it's a piece of family history, lovingly handed down from my Auntie Carol, who makes sure it graces our table every year. Built on simple, classic flavors-think buttery, garlicky, and perfectly seasoned-it offers a vibrant burst of color and a satisfying, light crunch amidst all the heavy holiday fare. Whether you are searching for a delicious, healthy alternative to the traditional green bean casserole, or simply need a quick-and-easy weeknight vegetable staple, this recipe is a cherished favorite. Let's keep this delicious tradition alive!
This Christmas vegetable dish is healthy, quick, and adds a burst of color to your holiday table! They are also Weight Watchers friendly. Although this dish is very popular during the holiday season, it's a great side dish for any time of the year and even for busy weeknights! It pairs perfectly with my Ham with Orange Glaze, and my Air Fryer Roast Chicken. In the summer months I like to serve it with BBQ Beer Butt Chicken.
🍒Reader Review
"I made this last night, I've tried making a similar dish before and it was ok, but this time I followed your recipe and it was so good. I got rave reviews from my family. Delicious!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jump to:
- 🍒Reader Review
- Why you'll love this recipe
- 🥘 Ingredient Notes
- 📖Variations & Substitutions
- 🥗What to Serve with Sautéed Green Beans and Mushrooms
- 🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Sautéed Green Beans and Mushrooms
- Expert Recipe Tips
- 🌡️Storage
- 👪 Serving size
- 🔢WW Points
- ❔ Recipe FAQs
- Didn't find the answer you're looking for?
- 🥗More Christmas Dinner Sides
- 📋Easy Green Bean and Mushroom Recipe
Why you'll love this recipe
- It adds a burst of color to your holiday table with fresh ingredients!
- It's an easy side dish with a few pantry ingredients.
- It's healthy and light.
- It can be made in an electric skillet, leaving room on the stove.
Most of my holiday traditions revolve around food-honestly, it's probably closer to 99%-and this Sautéed Green Beans and Mushroom recipe is one that has always meant Christmas to me. My Auntie Carol made it for every holiday dinner, and when I moved away, I had to learn to make it myself to keep that tradition alive.
After spending nearly a decade unable to go home for Christmas, I started collecting all our family favorites so I'd never lose them. Now I'm sharing them here for my kids, future generations, and anyone needing a simple, delicious green bean recipe for Christmas dinner.
🥘 Ingredient Notes
You'll need the following ingredients for these Christmas dinner green beans:
- Fresh green beans. You can buy packages of fresh green beans (string beans) or buy them in bulk. Just make sure you cut off the ends before you cook them.
- Fresh Mushrooms. I used white button mushrooms, but you could cremini as well.
- Unsalted butter. I use unsalted butter because the content of salt in salted butter varies by brand and I like to control the salt in my cooking.
- Garlic powder. Garlic powder is a quick and easy way to get a burst of garlicky flavor in this green bean recipe.
- Onion powder. Onion powder adds a unique and tasty touch to these green beans and mushrooms!
*See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Garlic powder - you can substitute1-2 teaspoons of minced garlic
- Butter- substitute half the butter for olive oil, use light butter substitute or use salted butter (just skip the salt in the recipe)
- Salt - you could use kosher salt or sea salt instead of table salt
🥗What to Serve with Sautéed Green Beans and Mushrooms
Just like our family's Old-fashioned turkey stuffing (shown), Auntie Carol's Sweet & Sour Slow Cooker meatballs, our family's Caesar salad (minus the chicken for holiday dinners), and my Mom's Ukrainian Cabbage Rolls (with meat and rice), this green bean mushroom recipe is a staple on a holiday dinner table. It not only symbolizes Christmas, but even more importantly, it means I'm home for Christmas! And there are few things better than being home for Christmas. I know that very well.
Oh, and I can't forget the desserts and baking: Grandma's Butter Tarts, Whipped Shortbread, and some of my very own that I've added to the holiday baking tradition: Holiday Biscotti and my Gingerbread Lime Bars.
If you want to see all the recipes on my family's Thanksgiving table, they are all here, in one place - this Thanksgiving Menu with Alternative and Lighter Options post as well as my Christmas Brunch Menu and Christmas Baking Collection!
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make Sautéed Green Beans and Mushrooms
- Step 1: Trim fresh beans on both ends. Add green beans to cold water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until just tender (a fork can go through)
- Step 2: Slice mushrooms (if you didn't purchase pre-sliced). I would recommend slicing them as thick as shown in the photo.
- Step 3: Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat (or an electric skillet) and saute the mushrooms in butter for 1-2 minutes. Add garlic powder, onion powder, and salt, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Drain beans and add them to the skillet with the mushroom mixture, and add, if desired, additional garlic powder, onion powder, or salt to taste. Add a little bit of pepper. Continue to saute, stirring frequently (stir fry style) for about 5-8 more minutes (to combine flavors).
Expert Recipe Tips
- Don't skip the boiling step. Boiling the green beans first locks in their bright green color and ensures they stay crisp-tender, even after being sautéed.
- Slice mushrooms evenly for best browning. Uniform slices cook at the same rate, helping the mushrooms caramelize instead of steaming. Spread them out in the pan and avoid stirring too often-this lets them develop deeper flavor.
- Cook off excess moisture from mushrooms. Mushrooms release a lot of liquid. Let the water evaporate fully before adding the blanched beans. This step intensifies the mushroom flavor and prevents your dish from becoming watery.
- Season in layers. Add a pinch of salt when cooking mushrooms, then adjust seasoning after combining with the beans. Layering salt and pepper as you cook gives you better control and more balanced seasoning.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. If your pan is small, sauté the mushrooms in batches. Overcrowding traps steam, which stops browning and can lead to soggy vegetables.
- Add aromatics at the right time. If using the optional fresh garlic/onion substitution, add them toward the end of cooking the mushrooms so they soften and release flavor without burning.
- Adjust the sauté time based on bean size. Thicker or older green beans may need an extra minute or two of blanching and a slightly longer finish in the pan. Taste for doneness-you want tender but still slightly firm.
- Finish with a flavor booster. A squeeze of lemon, a pat of butter, or a sprinkle of fresh herbs right before serving instantly brightens the dish and makes it taste restaurant-quality.
- Serve immediately for best texture. The beans will soften as they sit. For holiday meals, keep the dish covered on very low heat or warm in the oven at 200°F for up to 20 minutes before serving.
- Make ahead strategically. You can blanch the beans earlier in the day and store them in the fridge. Sauté the mushrooms just before serving, then add the beans and reheat together for the freshest taste and texture.
🌡️Storage
Store this green bean mushroom saute in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
These ingredients do not stand up well to freezing.
👪 Serving size
This Green Bean with Mushroom recipe serves 8. One serving size is ⅛ of the whole dish. You can also cut this recipe in ½ by adjusting the serving size on my recipe card. Just click on the serving size, select the number of servings you'd like, and the amounts will adjust accordingly. But you'll probably end up wanting to double the recipe, especially if it's one of your Christmas dinner sides for a larger family gathering!
🔢WW Points
This recipe is 4 WW points. But you can lighten it up even more by using a lighter butter substitute.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes-but note that the texture will change. The recipe calls for fresh green beans that are blanched and then sautéed. Using frozen will likely result in softer beans and a slightly different finish. If you go the frozen route, thaw them first and drain well, then shorten the blanching time accordingly
Very important. Boiling the green beans ensures the green beans are cooked through, still vibrant in color, and slightly crisp-tender before mixing with the mushrooms. Without this step you risk under-cooked beans or uneven texture.
Yes - but with caution. You could blanch the green beans ahead of time (stop the cooking, plunge into an ice bath, drain, and refrigerate), then sauté with mushrooms closer to serving time. This helps preserve the beans' bright green color and crisp-tender texture. Just avoid over-cooking early. Then when you sauté with mushrooms, you'll integrate flavours freshly.
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My Auntie Carol, like most of us, doesn't like to measure stuff. Since she wasn't really sure about how much of everything she actually used in the recipe, it took a little trial and error on my part. But I think I finally got it! However, the amounts can be adjusted to your liking.
This green beans with mushrooms recipe is not complicated. It's a simple recipe, with a few simple ingredients, and that's what I love about it. But it's not only that simplicity that I find so comforting, it's the predictability. And now I understand why. So, if you're looking for the perfect side dish for weeknight dinners or to add to your holiday dinner repertoire, or green bean recipes that are a lighter alternative to the traditional green bean casserole, but still want green beans for Christmas dinner, then give this one a try.
Happy Holiday meal and memory-making!
🥗More Christmas Dinner Sides
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📋Easy Green Bean and Mushroom Recipe
Equipment
- electric skillet recommended, but can use frying pan
Ingredients
- 800 g fresh green beans * I bought 2 (400g) pkgs, about 5- 6 cups
- 454 g container of fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon salt, depending on your liking * or alternatively, you can just use salted butter
Instructions
- Trim beans on both ends.800 g fresh green beans
- Slice mushrooms (if you didn't purchase pre-sliced). I would recommend slicing them as thick as shown in the photo.454 g container of fresh mushrooms, sliced
- Add green beans to cold water in large saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes until just tender (a fork can go through)
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat (or electric skillet) and sautee the mushrooms in butter for 1-2 minutes . Add garlic powder, onion powder and salt and cook stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.3 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 ½ tablespoon garlic powder, 2 teaspoon onion powder
- Drain beans and add them to the skillet with the mushroom mixture and add if desired, additional garlic powder, onion powder or salt to taste. Add a little bit of pepper.black pepper to taste, ¼ teaspoon salt, depending on your liking
- Continue to sautee, stirring frequently (stir fry style) for about 5-8 more minutes (to combine flavors).
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
- Don't skip the boiling step. Boiling the green beans first locks in their bright green color and ensures they stay crisp-tender, even after being sautéed.
- Slice mushrooms evenly for best browning. Uniform slices cook at the same rate, helping the mushrooms caramelize instead of steaming. Spread them out in the pan and avoid stirring too often-this lets them develop deeper flavor.
- Cook off excess moisture from mushrooms. Mushrooms release a lot of liquid. Let the water evaporate fully before adding the blanched beans. This step intensifies the mushroom flavor and prevents your dish from becoming watery.
- Season in layers. Add a pinch of salt when cooking mushrooms, then adjust seasoning after combining with the beans. Layering salt and pepper as you cook gives you better control and more balanced seasoning.
- Don't overcrowd the pan. If your pan is small, sauté the mushrooms in batches. Overcrowding traps steam, which stops browning and can lead to soggy vegetables.
- Add aromatics at the right time. If using the optional fresh garlic/onion substitution, add them toward the end of cooking the mushrooms so they soften and release flavor without burning.
- Adjust the sauté time based on bean size. Thicker or older green beans may need an extra minute or two of blanching and a slightly longer finish in the pan. Taste for doneness-you want tender but still slightly firm.
- Finish with a flavor booster. A squeeze of lemon, a pat of butter, or a sprinkle of fresh herbs right before serving instantly brightens the dish and makes it taste restaurant-quality.
- Serve immediately for best texture. The beans will soften as they sit. For holiday meals, keep the dish covered on very low heat or warm in the oven at 200°F for up to 20 minutes before serving.
- Make ahead strategically. You can blanch the beans earlier in the day and store them in the fridge. Sauté the mushrooms just before serving, then add the beans and reheat together for the freshest taste and texture.
Edith
I made this last night, I've tried making a similar dish before and it was ok, but this time I followed your recipe and it was so good. I got rave reviews from my family. Delicious!
Terri Gilson
I'm so glad to hear you loved it!
Terri Gilson
This Green Beans and Mushrooms recipe is more than just a side dish - it's a cherished part of my family's Christmas tradition. I love how it brings a burst of color and buttery garlic flavors to the holiday table. After missing out on family Christmases for years, recreating Auntie Carol's recipe helps me feel connected to home, no matter where I am.