Classic Green Bean Casserole (2024)

This Green Bean Casserole recipe is a classic holiday side dish that needs just a few minutes of prep and can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned green beans.

Tender green beans and crispy fried onions are tossed in a shortcut creamy mushroom sauce. Top this casserole with more crispy onions and bake until golden and bubbly.

This is the perfect side dish to serve along with your roast turkey for the perfect meal!

Classic Green Bean Casserole (1)

A Classic Holiday Casserole

I love green bean casserole, it reminds me of holidays from my childhood. This is a version of Campbell’s green bean casserole developed by Dorcas Reilley in the test kitchen (although I do love my from-scratch version too)!

  • This dish needs only 5 minutes of prep time making this the easiest side dish ever.
  • Can be made ahead of time, placed in a baking dish, and baked just before serving.
  • Top with crispy onions or even a Panko mixed with butter and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
  • It’s perfect as a Thanksgiving side dish, for Easter or Christmas dinner but it’s also great alongside Sunday supper too.
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Ingredients in Green Bean Casserole

Green Beans – For this recipe, you can use fresh, frozen, or canned.

Canned green beans are softer but are easy to use because they require no prep. Simply drain and enjoy.

Frozen green beans require no cutting and have a tender-crisp texture. You can skip cooking frozen green beans but I prefer the texture if they’ve been cooked in boiling water for about 5 minutes (and you’ll need a bit more salt).

Like frozen, fresh green beans have a tender-crisp texture and a fresher flavor. Simmer for 8 minutes.

Sauce – Using a can of condensed mushroom soup is what makes this recipe so easy (and is the base of the creamy mushroom sauce). Any “cream of” soup will work just fine in this recipe or you can use homemade condensed mushroom soup or chicken soup!

Crispy Fried Onions – Crispy Fried Onions (or french fried onions) are essential to this recipe (so much that it’s even sometimes called French’s Green Bean Casserole)!

If you’ve never had them, these onions are delish and great on all kinds of casseroles, burgers, and more! They’re added both in and on this casserole!

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Variations

  • I love to add cheddar cheese to this recipe (optional of course!), it melts into the sauce making it extra yummy.
  • Make your own homemade mushroom cream sauce instead of canned and/or swap out the onions for fried shallots.
  • Add minced cloves of garlic cooked in butter, some roasted garlic, or a dash of garlic powder.
  • Simmer the green beans in chicken broth. Reserve the drained chicken broth for making your stuffing!

How To Make Green Bean Casserole

There’s a reason this dish has been around for years, it’s simple. It’s delicious. Perfect in every way.

  1. Cook Beans: Simmer fresh or frozen green beans. (drain them if they’re canned)
  2. Mix Sauce: Combine mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, and pepper (per recipe below).
  3. Toss Together: Add the sauce, green beans, some crispy onions, and cheese to a bowl.
  4. Top & Bake Top the green bean mixture with more crispy onions and bake until golden and bubbly!

Voila!

Set It & Forget It

Green bean casserole can be prepared as above and cooked in a crock pot or slow cooker on low for about 2-3 hours. Once cooked through, turn the slow cooker to warm.

If your slow cooker is larger than 4qt, I would recommend doubling the recipe.

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How To Prep Ahead of Time

You can make green bean casserole ahead of time.

  1. Prepare as directed except keep the crispy onion topping in a separate container. I usually place them in a sealed sandwich bag right in the dish and sprinkle on top before baking.
  2. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
  3. Remove the dish from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking. If it’s really chilled, you may need to add up to 10 minutes of extra cooking time.

Traveling to Dinner?

If you’re heading to someone else’s house for dinner, do everything except the last 10 minutes of baking and bring it along with you covered in tin foil!

Top with crispy onions and bake until hot and bubbly!

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How Long To Cook Green Bean Casserole?

Green bean casserole needs to cook for about 40 minutes at 350°F. If your green bean casserole has been in the fridge, you will likely need to add some extra time!

Can You Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time?

Yes, it can be made up to 48 hours ahead of time. Add about 10 minutes to the baking time.

Can You Freeze Green Bean Casserole?

Yes, this casserole can be frozen. Prepare as directed and freeze before baking. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as directed adding 10 minutes to the baking time.

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Did you enjoy this Classic Green Bean Casserole? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

Classic Green Bean Casserole (12)

5 from 1957 votes↑ Click stars to rate now!
Or to leave a comment, click here!

Classic Green Bean Casserole

Tender green beans, cheese, and crispy onions are tossed in a delicious creamy sauce and then baked with even more crispy onions until hot and bubbly!

ReviewPrint

Classic Green Bean Casserole (13)

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Classic Green Bean Casserole (14)

Servings 8 servings

Classic Green Bean Casserole (15)

Author Holly Nilsson

Ingredients

  • 4 cups frozen cut green bean defrosted (see notes for canned or fresh beans)
  • 10 ½ ounces cream of mushroom soup
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon seasoning salt or to taste
  • 1 ½ cups crispy fried onions divided

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.

  • If using fresh or frozen green beans, boil just until tender crisp. (see note)

  • Combine green beans with soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, salt, 1 cup of crispy onions, and cheese (if using, see note) in a casserole dish.

  • Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or bubbly.

  • Remove from oven and stir. Top with remaining onions and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes or until golden.

Video

Notes

Green Beans: Canned, fresh, or frozen beans work in this recipe. In place of frozen beans, you can use either of the following:

  • drain 2 (14 ½ ounces each) cans of green beans
  • 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and simmered for about 7-8 minutes

Optional Additions:

  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese (favorite!)
  • fried mushrooms, onions, garlic, and/or shallots

Make Ahead: This casserole can be made up to 48 hours ahead of time. Remove the casserole from the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking. You may need to add 10 minutes of extra cooking time.

5 from 1957 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 112 | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 409IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Classic Green Bean Casserole (17) Course Casserole, Side Dish

Classic Green Bean Casserole (18) Cuisine American

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.

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Casseroles, Christmas, Easter, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving

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Classic Green Bean Casserole (2024)

FAQs

How to make green bean casserole not soggy? ›

If you sense it's a little watery, "add a thickener like roux or starch to absorb the additional liquid or cook a little longer," she says. That'll give it that rich, dense consistency you're looking for.

Should green bean casserole be soupy before cooking? ›

Mistake No.

Green bean casserole should have a nice thick sauce that coats the green beans—it should not resemble soup.

Are the ingredients for green bean casserole? ›

A green bean casserole makes the Thanksgiving holiday complete, and this version can be on the table in no time at all thanks to just four ingredients from your pantry or fridge: canned green beans, condensed mushroom soup, French-fried onions, and shredded Cheddar cheese.

Which is better, frozen or canned green beans for green bean casserole? ›

My mother always made green bean casserole with store-bought canned green beans because that's what her mother did. When I make green bean casserole, I skip canned beans all together. Frozen green beans are the best green beans to use for green bean casserole.

What causes green beans to be mushy? ›

Undercooked green beans are rubbery; overcooked are mushy. If you are boiling beans, simply begin tasting them after a few minutes. At first you will have a hard time biting through them. As the texture softens, the green beans are closer to being perfectly cooked.

How long can green bean casserole sit out before baking? ›

How Long Can Green Bean Casserole Sit Out? The casserole can sit out at room temperature for about an hour, then it should be reheated or stored in the fridge.

How many ounces are 4 cups of green beans? ›

Notes: ✿ 4 cups of green beans is about 1½ pounds fresh or 16 ounces frozen or 2 cans (15 ounces each) drained.

Why is green bean casserole so good? ›

Fans love the dish in part because of how simple it is to throw together. It calls for ingredients that could be found in a typical home kitchen pantry: canned or fresh green beans, mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce and black pepper.

Why is my green bean casserole bland? ›

The Casserole Is Bland

Another one of the most common green bean casserole mistakes is to choose a recipe that's a bit too simple, which can result in a bland dish.

Can you overcook green bean casserole? ›

Overcooking the beans won't just drain them of their appealing color, but it will also make them too soft and mushy, resulting in a less appetizing casserole.

Do people still eat green bean casserole? ›

Green Bean Casseroles are served at 20 million Thanksgiving dinners every year.

How many days can you eat green bean casserole? ›

This green bean casserole recipe is best on the day it's made, but leftovers keep well for up to 2 days. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and reheat in the microwave or a 350°F oven.

Is green bean casserole good the next day? ›

Yes! In fact, I highly recommend it if you're hosting a holiday meal. You can put it together up to 48 hours in advance and reheat during the final stretch. Prepare the recipe as directed, but leave off the crispy fried onions.

How long can green bean casserole sit out after cooking? ›

TWO HOURS is the MAXIMUM time perishable foods should be at room temperature (ONE HOUR at temperatures 90 degrees F and higher). This INCLUDES the time they're on the table during your meal. Just ONE bacterium, doubling every 20 minutes, can grow to over 2,097,152 bacteria in 7 hours!

How do you make a casserole not soggy? ›

Just because your casserole is starting to look a bit soupy doesn't mean it's beyond saving. In fact, all you need to do is add some pasta noodles or grains to your base. This trick works for the simple reason that both types of ingredients soak up water as they cook.

How do you keep green beans crisp? ›

How to Store Green Beans. Green beans should be stored unwashed in the crisper drawer of your fridge. If they came in a bag, keep them in the bag when storing. If they came in a small berry box from the market, transfer them to a reusable storage or plastic bag before storing them in the fridge.

How do you make a casserole less watery? ›

10 Tips To Fix Or Prevent Watery Casseroles
  1. Prep Vegetables Ahead Of Time. Vegetables boiling on a stove - Solstock/Getty Images. ...
  2. Add A Starch. ...
  3. Experiment With Pasta Or Grains. ...
  4. Take The Lid Off. ...
  5. Drain Fat From Meat. ...
  6. Choose A Dry Or Low-Fat Cheese. ...
  7. Sprinkle Seeds Into Your Bake. ...
  8. Remove Excess Liquid.
Oct 29, 2023

How do you keep green beans crispy? ›

While the beans are cooking, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. As soon as the beans are done cooking, transfer them immediately to the ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve their bright green color. Leave the beans in the bowl of ice water for a few minutes before removing them with tongs.

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