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Green bean casserole is everyone’s favorite creamy casserole that sits next to the Thanksgiving turkey on the buffet table. But I say we should eat this more often than once a year! Everyone loves this super simple way to serve green beans, even kids!
The Best Green Bean Casserole
My family likes to sit around after the big meal and rank the Thanksgiving side dishes from most favorite to least favorite. Every year, people say this green bean casserole recipe is their absolute most favorite. So, we are committing to making it more than once a year in November. It’s too good to save for only one day each year.
What is green bean casserole?
If you’ve never had this dish, think of it as a creamy vegetable side dish. Green beans are tossed in a creamy mushroom soup-based sauce, and a few extra spices are stirred in. I like to add soy sauce for extra umami flavor to bolster the umami from the mushrooms. I also add garlic powder, because it makes everything taste more savory and rich. Finally, a can of store-bought french fried onions are both stirred into the dish and baked on top for a crisp coating.
In short, it’s a creamy casserole with crisp bits of fried onions on top. It’s hard to not go back for a second scoop! If you’re having trouble finding the crispy oinons, or if your grocery store is low on stock, I really recommend buying them online early in November to be sure you have them for the big day.
Homemade Green Bean Casserole ingredients
- cream of mushroom soup: Campbell’s brand of cream of mushroom soup comes in 10.5 ounce cans, and you’ll need 2 for this recipe, since it’s made in a 9x13-inch casserole dish. I recommend the regular version, not the low sodium or low fat version, for maximum flavor.
- milk: I always cook and bake with whole milk, but anything will work.
- soy sauce
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- garlic powder: This is optional and is not in the original recipe, but I love the flavor it imparts. You’re looking for dried garlic powder. You may substitute 2 cloves of freshly minced garlic on a microplane, if you prefer.
- frozen cut green beans: defrost these overnight before making the recipe. If possible, find the bag that says ‘microwave steamable’ so you can cook them right in the bag to save on clean up.
- can of crispy fried onions: We’ll use the entire 6 ounce can of French’s crispy fried onions for this recipe.
How to make French's Green Bean Casserole
- Prepare: Preheat oven to 350°F, and have ready a 9x13-inch casserole dish that is shallow and wide. An equivalent dish measures 3 quarts. Ensure the oven rack is in the center position.
- Cook the green beans: Boil or steam defrosted beans just until tender but still slightly crisp in the center, about 3-4 minutes. You can also steam them in the microwave, as directed on the package. Drain the green beans very well after cooking.
- Combine: In a bowl, stir together the condensed soup, milk, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, garlic powder green beans, and half of the onions. Pour into the casserole dish (or equivalent 3 quart casserole dish).
- Bake: Slide the dish into the oven and bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or bubbly.
- Half way through: After the 35 minute mark, remove the dish from the oven and stir everything together very well.
- Bake: Top the dish with the remaining onions, and return to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes or until golden. This makes the onions super crispy on top, which is the best part of a casserole, am I right?
How to serve this French's Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Typically, we just place this dish on the buffet table for Thanksgiving and everyone helps themselves! But, if you want to serve this on a day besides Thanksgiving, I think it’s great to serve with any protein and a salad.
How to store this recipe for Green Bean Casserole
Leftover green bean casserole should go in the fridge within 2 hours of being at room temperature. Cover it and store for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or in a low oven. I don’t recommend freezing leftover green bean casserole, as the topping will not stay fresh and the filling could separate upon thaw.
Green Bean Casserole Recipe FAQs
Is green bean casserole gluten free?
Regular canned cream of mushroom soup is not gluten-free, so no, this recipe is not gluten-free. However, you may seek out brands of canned gluten free cream of mushroom soup. Other brands use arrow root powder or cornstarch (also called corn flour) to thicken instead of flour.
Can I make Green Bean Casserole ahead of time?
I would make everything through step 5. Go ahead and cook the green beans, combine the soup and spices with half of the onions, and bake. Let it cool completely after the 35 minute cooking time. Cover the casserole dish tightly and refrigerate overnight. I like this casserole dish because it has a lid for easy storing and transport.
The day you want to serve it, slide the dish back into a 350-degree oven, and heat through for about 20 minutes. You can absolutely slide this casserole next to something else that is already cooking in the oven. It can warm through while other side dishes bake. Finally, add the remaining half of the onions, and bake for another 5-10 minutes until everything is warm, bubbling and crispy on top.
Cooking it this way ensures the entire casserole is warmed through, and also keeps the onion topping super crispy. The balance of creamy casserole and crisp onion topping is where the magic is for this recipe.
If you’re making this to bring to someone’s house, save the 10-minute onion crisping step for their house. Just slide the dish into the oven next to anything else they’re warming up.
How much green bean casserole per person?
I’m happy to report after many years of hosting Thanksgiving dinner, you can count on 1 average-sized scoop per person. This averages out for the people who take a small scoop to leave room for melting sweet potatoes, and the people who take one giant scoop because it’s their favorite side dish.
This recipe is for a 9x13 inch pan of green bean casserole, which has 12 scoops in it. So, in my opinion, and according to my family’s taste, this casserole serves 12 as a side dish. The original recipe is made in a smaller dish, but this one is suited for a crowd.
I have been known to cut the recipe in half and bake it in an 8x8-inch square pan for a simple side dish for my family. My kids love this on the side next to a crispy chicken cutlet. I have to admit, it’s one of my favorite dinners, too!
Why is my green bean casserole runny?
First, when any cream-based casserole comes right out of the oven, the heat makes it runnier than normal. As the casserole sits, the sauce will thicken. Think about macaroni and cheese freshly made versus leftover in the fridge overnight. After some warming up (and maybe a splash of milk), it becomes more runny.
Other ways to prevent runny casseroles:
1. Drain your beans very well. If you’re using canned green beans, drain them in a colander. If you’re following this recipe exactly and you’re using defrosted frozen green beans, be sure to drain them after steaming in the microwave.
2. Green beans release a lot of water while they cook and soften in the oven. Cooking them and draining them before baking helps limit it as much as possible.
If you want your casserole super thick and creamy, reduce the milk to ½ to ¾ cup in this recipe.
3. The heat from the oven is what cooks and therefore condenses (read: thickens) sauces. When you use a deep casserole dish rather than a wide shallow one, less heat from the oven hits the food and less thickening happens. In other words, choose a wide shallow baking dish for this casserole for best results. I’ve seen this recipe baked in round deep souffledishes, and I just don’t recommend that. 4. The more surface area the beans have, the more chances for crispy onions and thick gravy sauce.
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French’s Green Bean Casserole
Yield: 12
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Green bean casserole is everyone’s favorite creamy casserole that sits next to the Thanksgiving turkey on the buffet table.
Ingredients
- 2 10.75-oz cans of cream of mushroom soup
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 16-oz bags of frozen cut green beans, DEFROSTED
- 1 6-oz can ( 2 ⅔ cup) of crispy fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Boil or steam defrosted beans just until tender but still slightly crisp in the center, about 3-4 minutes. You can also steam them in the microwave, as directed on the package.
- Combine soup, milk, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, garlic powder green beans, and half of the onions. Pour in a 9 x 13” casserole dish (or equivalent 3 quart 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 5-10 minutes or until golden.
Notes
cream of mushroom soup: Campbell’s brand of cream of mushroom soup comes in 10.5 ounce cans, and you’ll need 2 for this recipe, since it’s made in a 9x13-inch casserole dish. I recommend the regular version, not the low sodium or low fat version, for maximum flavor.
milk: I always cook and bake with whole milk, but anything will work.
garlic powder: This is optional and is not in the original recipe, but I love the flavor it imparts. You’re looking for dried garlic powder. You may substitute 2 cloves of freshly minced garlic on a microplane, if you prefer.
frozen cut green beans: defrost these overnight before making the recipe. If possible, find the bag that says ‘microwave steamable’ so you can cook them right in the bag to save on clean up.
can of crispy fried onions: We’ll use the entire 6 ounce can of French’s crispy fried onions for this recipe.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 113Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 479mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 3g
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Jaimee
Looks good. Do you have to defrost the green beans before cooking? The package says to cook from frozen.
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