This homemade green bean casserole recipe deserves its place among other classic Thanksgiving dishes like roast turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. And for good reason! It feels like a holiday meal just isn’t complete without those tender green beans coated in a creamy sauce and topped with crispy, salty fried onions.
This green bean casserole with fresh green beans is one of my favorite recipes. It’s a delicious crowd-pleaser, it is an absolute cinch to whip up (seriously, it’s ready in about 40 minutes), and it is versatile enough to serve with a variety of different dishes.
If you’ve ever struggled through soggy, runny green bean casserole, you need to try this recipe. I use fresh green beans instead of canned for superior texture, and the thick cream of mushroom soup guarantees a creamy, never runny, casserole.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Green beans — you can use fresh green beans or thawed-out frozen green beans. Avoid canned green beans as they are mushy.
Cream of mushroom soup — store-bought canned soup works just fine, but if you have some time, whip up a batch of my homemade cream of mushroom soup.
Soy sauce — adds umami and some depth to this casserole recipe.
French fried onions — do not skip this salty, crunchy topping. It makes the casserole extra special!
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
1. Add green beans to a pot of salted boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until tender and bright green.
2. Remove the beans with a slotted spoon and immediately drop them into a bowl of ice and water. This stops the cooking process. Leave them in the ice water for a couple of minutes before draining in a colander.
3. Make the creamy mushroom sauce by mixing together cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, salt, and black pepper.
4. Stir the green beans into the sauce and mix until the beans are well coated.
5. Spoon the mixture into a casserole dish. Bake in a 350°F heated oven for about 30 minutes, until the green bean mixture is just starting to bubble around the edges. Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir.
6. Sprinkle the crispy fried onions evenly over the top. Return the casserole dish to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, until the onions are golden brown.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Blanch the green beans. For vibrant, crisp-tender green beans, blanch them by boiling them for just a few minutes (2 or 3 minutes will do) and immediately dropping them into a bowl of ice water. The beans will be cooked but will have a nice bite to them instead of being too soft.
- Switch out the soup for a twist. While this easy recipe is for a classic green bean casserole, you can easily add your own spin by changing up the sauce. You can use cream of chicken soup or cream of celery instead. Or, make a simple white sauce with milk and chicken broth and add some cheddar cheese. There are so many ways to make this recipe your own!
- Don’t skip the crunchy fried onion topping! Crispy onions add texture, saltiness, and delightful crunch to the dish. It is arguably the signature ingredient of this classic casserole, and definitely a favorite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Without a doubt, fresh green beans are what you need for the best green bean casserole. Canned green beans, while a convenient time-saver, become mushy and tasteless, which can lead to a soggy casserole. Blanched fresh green beans are tender but crisp, the perfect texture! If you are short on time and don’t want to trim and cut fresh green beans, simply buy a bag of frozen green beans. Thaw them out and blanch them as instructed in the recipe.
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.
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can easily reheat it in the microwave.
You can freeze green bean casserole. Prepare the casserole (minus the crispy onion topping) and either freeze it in a freezer-safe container or in the baking dish, wrapped well with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking. You may need to add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time to account for the fact that the mixture will be cold going into the oven, versus room temperature.
If you’ve tried this recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Green Bean Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 1 pound cut green beans (fresh and trimmed, or frozen and defrosted) (454g)
- 1 (10.5-ounce/298g) can 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
- Blanch the green beans. For vibrant, crisp-tender green beans, blanch them by boiling them for just a few minutes (2 or 3 minutes will do) and immediately dropping them into a bowl of ice water. The beans will be cooked but will have a nice bite to them instead of being too soft.
- Switch out the soup for a twist. While this easy recipe is for a classic green bean casserole, you can easily add your own spin by changing up the sauce. You can use cream of chicken soup or cream of celery instead. Or, make a simple white sauce with milk and chicken broth and add some cheddar cheese. There are so many ways to make this recipe your own!
- Don’t skip the crunchy fried onion topping! Crispy onions add texture, saltiness, and delightful crunch to the dish. It is arguably the signature ingredient of this classic casserole, and definitely a favorite.
Nutrition
Holly Czapski says
I’m confused about the total amount of the fried onions. The onions that you put on top at the end, do they come out of the two cups the recipe calls for, or are they on top of the two cups? And if they are not part of the two cups, how much more onions do I put on top? Thank you, I just want to be sure to do it right since it looks like a great recipe.
jodie says
I hate cream of mushroom soup! For this recipe, I substitute mushrooms sautéed in fresh garlic mixed into sour cream and whipping cream. It is wonderful!
Brandie Johnsen says
Every Thanksgiving I try a new Classic Green Bean Casserole and I’ve yet to find one that’s a keeper until this one. Hands down the best we’ve had and my entire family agreed! 🙂 Thank you!!!
John K. says
Hey Brandie,
That is so nice to hear, thank you!! I LOVE this green bean casserole. I will thank my mother forever for this recipe!
Best,
John
Kenneth N.H. Augustson says
Question about the onions: do they have to be fried? Will it affect the taste much if I just brown them?
We are a norwegian couple and our daughter is American (born in the US), so we try to make a tradition of celebrating thanksgiving to honor her lineage. This must be the best blog I’ve found so far to pick up American cooking! Great work!
jkanell says
Thank you so much!! SO I love the adea of adding caramelized onions. The fried onions are crispy so if you don’t use them maybe top with fried breadcrumbs for some texture?
Karen Gaudette says
Are the green beans fresh or canned? If fresh, do you cut them up?
John K. says
Karen,
You can do either in this recipe! I used canned green beans that were chopped.
John
Ava says
Love the simplicity in this dish!
Wilkins says
Simple and easy to follow recipe. I know this casserole would be a hit at our house!