Want to know my secret for making the absolute best green bean casserole? Trade the canned green beans for fresh! This one simple swap adds a lovely crispness and natural sweetness this side dish often lacks. For all of the traditionalists out there, don’t worry—a luscious mushroom cream sauce and crunchy French fried onion topping are still on proud display.
As anyone who has hosted the holidays before knows, planning ahead is the key to a successful meal. That’s why I love this easy green bean casserole recipe—it’s super fast to prep and it can be assembled in advance! Then, simply pop it in the oven when you’re ready to serve it. Check out some of my other classic Thanksgiving dishes like roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie next!
Ingredients
Cut green beans — feel free to use either fresh or frozen. Short on time? Frozen green beans are already trimmed and cut, and they have a fresh flavor and crispness, making them superior to canned green beans even when you need to speed up prep.
Condensed cream of mushroom soup — canned soup is the easiest way to achieve a perfectly thick and creamy sauce. If you have a bit of extra time, try using my homemade cream of mushroom soup to fully make this green bean casserole from scratch. Instructions on how to make the switch are below!
Whole milk — using whole milk ensures the creamiest results. Only have 2%? Add a splash of cream to your measuring cup before adding the milk for an extra dose of fat.
Soy sauce — for adding salty, umami goodness. If you are gluten-free, use tamari instead.
Crispy fried onions — these buttery, salty, crispy toppers are arguably the most important piece of the recipe! I typically use store-bought French fried onions, though you can make your own if you prefer.
Should I Use Canned, Fresh, or Frozen Green Beans?
I prefer using fresh green beans for the best texture. Cooking your own ensures tender green beans instead of mushy ones, and they will have the best flavor. Frozen works equally well, too! Note that if you use frozen, you don’t need to defrost them first, but they will take a little bit longer to cook in the boiling water.
If you don’t want to fuss with trimming your green beans, thin French green beans (or haricots verts) are the way to go—they can be cut without removing the ends.
You can also use canned green beans if you prefer. Just be sure to drain and rinse them well to remove excess salt, and skip the blanching step since they are already cooked.
How To Make Green Bean Casserole
1. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high. Add the green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Remove the green beans from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place them in the ice bath. Let stand until completely cooled, about 2 minutes, then drain well.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, and salt until well combined.
4. Stir the cooled green beans into the creamy sauce mixture, mixing until the beans are evenly coated.
5. Place the mixture in a 1½-quart casserole dish. Bake until heated through and just starting to bubble on the edges, about 30 minutes.
6. Stir the green beans, then sprinkle the top with the french-fried onions in an even layer. Continue baking until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
How to Make Ahead
Get a jump-start on your holiday menu by prepping this green bean casserole up to 2 days in advance. Here’s how to do it:
- Make the filling and place it in the casserole dish without the topping (Steps 1-5).
- Cover well and chill for up to 48 hours.
- Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off. Remove the cover before baking.
- Bake as directed, adding the onions after stirring.
How to Swap the Canned Soup For Homemade
To make a fully from-scratch green bean casserole, trade the canned condensed soup for homemade.
- Use 2 cups of homemade cream of mushroom soup in place of the canned soup, milk, and seasonings.
- Before adding the blanched green beans, we need to warm and thicken the homemade soup. Add it to a medium saucepan. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour and heat it on the stove over medium heat until bubbling and thickened.
- Combine with the green beans and season to taste, then proceed with the casserole recipe as written!
Double the Recipe to Feed a Crowd
This homemade green bean casserole can easily be scaled up as needed. When doubling the recipe, you have two choices—either divide the mixture into two pans and bake as instructed, or bake it all together in a 9×13 baking dish, large skillet, or 3-quart casserole dish and increase the bake time by about 15 minutes.
Can I Make This in a Crockpot?
Absolutely! Prepare the fresh green bean casserole filling as directed in Steps 1-4, then place it in your slow cooker. Cook on low for about 4 hours, stirring occasionally. When ready to serve, just sprinkle the onions on top! You could also transfer the filling to a baking dish before adding the crispy onions, then bake at 350ºF for 5 minutes if you want a little extra color.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Don’t skip the ice bath. After quickly boiling the green beans, you want to quickly stop them from cooking so they maintain a crisp bite in the oven. Make sure to add plenty of ice to the water, as the latent heat will quickly increase the temperature of your ice bath.
- Add herbs for a pop of freshness. I recommend stirring in about a tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme or chopped fresh rosemary or about a teaspoon of dried rubbed sage to the creamy casserole sauce before adding the green beans. You can also garnish with more herbs before serving.
- Add cheese for extra creaminess. Stir in 1 cup of freshly shredded white cheddar, fontina, or gruyere with the green bean mixture for an indulgent twist. Right before you add the crunchy onions, sprinkle on about ¼ cup of extra shredded cheese for a bubbly topping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Allow any leftovers to cool completely to room temperature, then cover well with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. If possible, use oven-safe containers and try to keep the crunchy onions on top—while they’ll soften in storage, you can get them to crisp back up a bit in the oven. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheat leftovers in a 300ºF oven for about 15 minutes or until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions, though you may want to add some extra onions before serving for a crunchy topping.
Make-ahead dishes are a must during the holidays! Luckily, this recipe for green bean casserole is easy to make a day or two in advance. Make the green bean and creamy mushroom sauce mixture and add it to the casserole dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When you’re ready to bake it, allow the mixture to come to room temperature and then bake. Remember, don’t add the fried onions until the very end as they will become soggy in the fridge.
Yes! Baked green bean casserole can be frozen for up to 3 months. Palace in a freezer-safe baking dish, tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and foil before freezing. Allow it to defrost overnight in the fridge. When ready to bake, remove the wrapping, cover it loosely with foil, then bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes, or until heated through. Remove the foil, add the topping, and bake for another 5 minutes.
Sure! Cream of chicken soup and cream of celery soup are great alternatives if you don’t like mushrooms.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Green Bean Casserole recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound cut green beans (fresh and trimmed, or frozen) (454g)
- 1 (10.5-ounce/298g) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ¼ cup whole milk (60mL)
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup crispy French fried onions (45g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fill a large bowl with ice water, and set aside.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high. Add the green beans, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and bright green, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the green beans from the boiling water, and place them in the ice bath. Let stand until completely cooled, about 2 minutes. Drain well.
- In a large bowl, stir together the mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, and salt until well combined. Stir in the cooled green beans until evenly coated. Place the mixture in a 1½-quart casserole dish.
- Bake until heated through and just starting to bubble on the edges, about 30 minutes. Stir the mixture then sprinkle the top with the fried onions in an even layer. Continue baking until the onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.
Notes
- Don’t skip the ice bath. After quickly boiling the green beans, you want to quickly stop them from cooking so they maintain a crisp bite in the oven. Make sure to add plenty of ice to the water, as the latent heat will quickly increase the temperature of your ice bath.
- Add herbs for a pop of freshness. I recommend stirring in about a tablespoon of chopped fresh thyme or chopped fresh rosemary or about a teaspoon of dried rubbed sage to the creamy casserole sauce before adding the green beans. You can also garnish with more herbs before serving.
- Add cheese for extra creaminess. Stir in 1 cup of freshly shredded white cheddar, fontina, or gruyere with the green bean mixture for an indulgent twist. Right before you add the crunchy onions, sprinkle on about ¼ cup of extra shredded cheese for a bubbly topping.
Nutrition
