The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe (2024)

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By Courtney ODell

Nov 08, 2021, Updated Nov 14, 2022

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The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe – creamy, rich, comforting green bean casserole like Grandma used to make that is perfect for Thanksgiving!

Frozen or fresh green beans, crispy onions, mushroom soup, mushrooms, and plenty of garlic give this classic recipe a homemade flavor everyone loves at Thanksgiving.

The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe (2)

Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.

Table of contents

  • Frozen Green Bean Casserole
  • Other Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love
  • Green Bean Casserole Recipe
The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe (3)

Frozen Green Bean Casserole

To save time and refrigerator space (plus a bit of the Thanksgiving budget), we’re using frozen green beans for this recipe – they are flash-frozen, keeping their crunch and flavor, without being mushy like canned green beans.

This recipe is super simple, a take off the classic condensed soup recipe, with some extra spices for more kick to bring to your Thanksgiving dinner table!

If you love the classic crunchy green bean casserole, you’re going to love our version!

We hope you love this recipe as much as we do – it’s delicious with our famous Brown Bag Herb Roasted Turkey, Slow Cooker Turkey in Gravy, Garlic Butter Turkey Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, and of course our favorite non traditional Thanksgiving favorite, The Best Ribeye Roast Recipe!

You don’t even need to thaw the green beans – making this a great easy side you can make as the turkey rests, without throwing off the rest of your baking. This side dish is super easy and flexible.

How To Make Green Bean Casserole

This side dish is really easy to make alongside Thanksgiving favorites – we like to pre-brown the shallots and mushrooms and have them set aside, so we can throw this together last minute and into the oven!

  • Prep dish. Preheat oven. Add green beans to baking dish, no need to thaw.
  • Brown vegetables & make sauce. Sautee shallots, garlic, and mushrooms until browned and softened. Mix milk and cream of mushroom soup with herbs and spices. Add mushrooms and shallots to green beans, toss to mix.
  • Assemble & bake. Pour milk mixture over green beans. Top with crunchy onions. Bake 30 minutes, until bubbling hot.
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Tips to Perfect Green Bean Casserole

The following tips will help you make perfect green bean casserole, every time!

Use frozen beans. Using frozen green beans helps you save money (they tend to be less expensive per pound and more reliably in-stock), keeps you from having to snip the tips from green beans, and are easier to work with!

We formulated this recipe to be made with frozen, not thawed green beans – no need to thaw and drain, we’re expecting a bit of liquid to cook off into the casserole when baking.

Use fresh beans. If you’d like to make this dish with fresh green beans, we like to sautee them with the mushrooms before baking to help them cook a bit faster. Frozen green beans tend to cook to soft a bit quicker, and fresh green beans will have more crunch if you cook following the steps below. If you want a softer bite, pre-brown beans. If not, go ahead and toss them in raw – simply trim the ends and be sure to wash them well.

Use Canned Green Beans. You can also use canned green beans for this recipe – make sure to drain completely if using. Canned green beans will have the softest bite.

Make it ahead of time. If you want to prep this dish before you start baking it, you can make it up to a day in advance, and store in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, until ready to bake. For best results, do not top with crunchy onions until casserole is going right into the oven – they will get soggy and soft.

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FAQs

When is green bean casserole done?

Green bean casserole is done when it is bubbly hot and golden brown on top.

How long can green bean casserole be stored?

Green bean casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.

The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe (10)

Other Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love

If you’re looking for other turkey day favorites, were sharing some of our favorites below!

We love The Best Easy Buttery Soft Dinner Rolls, Brown Bag Herb Roasted Turkey, Perfect Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Garlic Butter Roasted Potatoes Recipe, The Best Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe, Easy Cranberry Fluff Salad, Cranberry Apricot Baked Brie Recipe, and The Best Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe!

You can find more of our favorite easy Thanksgiving recipes below:

You can find our entire Thanksgiving recipe index here!

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Green Bean Casserole Recipe

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The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe (13)

Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe - creamy, rich, comforting green bean casserole like Grandma used to make that is perfect for Thanksgiving!

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce (you can swap for soy sauce if desired)
  • 4 cups frozen green beans
  • 1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne or aleppo pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add green beans to baking dish, no need to thaw.
  3. In large pan, heat olive oil until light and shimmery.
  4. Add shallots, garlic, and onions. Sautee shallots, garlic, and mushrooms until browned and softened - about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Be careful to keep garlic from burning.
  5. Mix milk and cream of mushroom soup with herbs and cayenne or aleppo pepper, as well as fish sauce.
  6. Add mushrooms and shallots to green beans with 1/3 cup fried onions.
  7. Pour milk mixture over green beans.
  8. Top with rest of crunchy onions.
  9. Bake 30 minutes, until bubbling hot.
Nutrition Information

Yield 6Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 226Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 6mgSodium 622mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 4gSugar 9gProtein 7g

Nutrition is automatically calculated by Nutritionix - please verify all nutrition information independently and consult with a doctor or nutritionist for any and all medical and diet advice.

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Categorized as:
Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Side Dishes, Vegetables

About Courtney

Courtney loves to share great wine, good food, and loves to explore far flung places- all while masting an everyday elegant and easy style at lifestyle blog Sweet C’s Designs. Sweet C's devoted to finding the best food and drinks you'll want to make or find, around the world!

Read More About Me

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The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep green bean casserole from being soupy? ›

Mistake #5: A Runny Casserole

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.

Which is better in green bean casserole canned or frozen? ›

Frozen French-cut green beans are a better option. They hold their texture better than canned, and you can cook them straight from their frozen state. And if you're using fresh green beans? You'll need to cook them first by roasting, steaming or boiling them.

Why is green bean casserole the best? ›

Green bean casserole was considered a perfect dish for holiday entertaining because it was simple, inexpensive, and could easily be made ahead of time. It became known as a "jiffy casserole" because it went from one bowl to one pan.

How many cans is 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.

How do I thicken my green bean casserole? ›

The Casserole Is Too Soupy

Don't worry, there's a relatively easy and quick fix that will help soak up the excess liquid: Make a slurry of flour or cornstarch in liquid (broth or water) to help thicken it up and then cook it for a bit longer.

How do you make a casserole less liquidy? ›

Thicken a meat casserole the most popular way with flour.

Add some flour to your pan after you've browned the meat and before adding any liquid. This way, the flour will soak up the juices and fat in the pan. Add about one teaspoon of flour at a time until you get the right thickness.

What tastes better canned or frozen green beans? ›

"Frozen beans hold their texture and flavor better when cooked, while canned beans can become mushy," says Lauren Allen, the owner and creator of recipe website Tastes Better From Scratch and an Amazon best-selling cookbook by the same name.

What to eat with green bean casserole? ›

The best side dishes to serve with a green bean casserole are collard greens, corn on the cob, kielbasa, fried shrimp, spaghetti and meatballs, London broil, broccoli, caramelized onions, zucchini carrot bread, lentil loaf, Cajun turkey, roasted chicken, grilled steak, baked salmon, pork chops, Apple slaw and Christmas ...

What makes green beans taste better? ›

I added some sliced onion sautéed along with the green beans, added some garlic paste from the tube (Gourmet Garden®), some freshly-ground black pepper, and a healthy sprinkle of lemon pepper. Wow, so simple and yet soooo delicious.

Why am I craving green bean casserole? ›

Stress, anxiety, and sadness are known to trigger cravings for comfort foods. Green beans, being a wholesome vegetable, may provide a sense of comfort and satisfaction to those experiencing emotional distress. Moreover, the act of eating itself can be soothing and provide a temporary distraction from negative emotions.

Can you leave green bean casserole out overnight? ›

“But you also need to remember cream pies and those creamy green bean and sweet potato casseroles can become dangerous if they sit out for too long without refrigeration, which needs to be below 41° F.”

How many cans of beans is 2 cups? ›

1 2/3 – 2 cups of cooked beans = 1 can of canned (14 - 16 oz.) beans.

How many cups are in a 14.5 oz can of green beans? ›

A 14.5-ounce can is approximately equal to 1.81 cups. To convert ounces to cups, you can use the fact that 1 cup is approximately equal to 8 fluid ounces. So, a 14.5-ounce can is approximately equal to 1.81 cups.

How many cans of beans per person? ›

To get started, store five pounds of dry beans per person. For convenience you may also want to store canned beans—begin with six to eight cans per person. Label beans with the date purchased. As you use beans, note how quickly you are using them.

How do you make beans less liquidy? ›

Add more cornstarch or flour as needed until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Alternative thickening agents include gelatin, potato starch, and tapioca starch. 3. Purée the beans.

How do you reduce the liquid in baked beans? ›

Use starches to thicken beans

Simply add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to 1 cup of water or to the liquid from the baked beans (scoop it out into a separate bowl and let it cool first) and mix. Once the starch is thoroughly incorporated, pour the slurry into the baked beans dish and stir.

How to thicken green beans? ›

How do you thicken beans with flour? Get a measuring cup (or regular cup) and place about 1 tablespoon of flour inside and add 1 tablespoon of bean juice; stir. Slowly keep adding more juice - then add to the the beans; stir.

How do you keep green beans from getting soggy? ›

Store beans in a veggie crisper or an air-tight plastic container. You can keep them in the plastic bag they came in from the store, but condensation may develop and speed up spoilage. To prevent this, place a paper towel in the bag or container to absorb extra moisture, and replace it as it gets damp.

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