Classic Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole is the classic holiday side dish everyone wants to see on the table! Comforting, and SO easy to make… plus it’s great to make ahead of time, making your holiday less stressful!

Hosting a holiday dinner, or need some other great make-ahead side dishes?  Check out my Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese, Ultimate Sweet Potato Casserole, Funeral Potatoes, and Crockpot Mashed Potatoes!

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE RECIPE

I know I’m not exactly blowing anyone away with my creativity here.  There are literally hundreds of green bean casserole recipes out there.

BUT, this is the way I always make mine, and it’s ALWAYS a hit for Thanksgiving and other holiday dinners.  So I knew I had to share it with you all!

If you’ve never had a classic green bean casserole before, it’s green beans mixed with a creamy, seasoned mushroom sauce, baked, and topped with crispy fried onions.  Simply put, it’s simple, but ohhhhhh so amazing and delicious.

HOW TO MAKE GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

There’s really nothing to this ultra-easy side dish, and you’ll love the only 5 minutes of prep time!

• Pat green beans dry.
• Mix together soup, dairy and seasonings.
• Stir in green beans and some of the onions.
• Transfer to baking dish, bake until bubbly.
• Top with more onions and bake another few minutes.

COOKING TIPS FOR THIS GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE RECIPE

• Green Beans – I’ll go over the types of green beans you can use in the next section, but here I want to talk about drying your green beans.  If you don’t pat them dry, the sauce will sort of slide right off the beans, instead of coating them.  Trust me, it only takes a second, and it’s worth it!
• When in doubt, make more – this casserole is always a crowd pleaser, so if you’re on the fence about if you’ll have enough, I would make more!  For our Thanksgiving, I end up quadrupling this recipe.  Helpful hint: in the recipe card below, if you hover over the servings number, a toggle bar will show up.  Slide the bar to adjust for how many servings you’ll need, and it will automatically calculate the ingredient amounts you’ll need!

VARIATIONS OF GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

• Cheesy – add in 2/3 cup of shredded cheddar to the casserole mixture and top with another 1/3 cup of cheddar before baking.  We love this version, and find sharp cheddar tastes amazing!
• Bacon – adding some crumbled bacon to the casserole and/or topping adds crunch and great savory flavor.
• Mushrooms – add a small can of sliced mushrooms to the casserole, or saute some sliced fresh mushrooms and add those.
• Onions (fresh) – sauteing some diced onions and adding them to the casserole mixture adds great flavor!
• Fried Onions – French’s brand are the traditional onions used, but there are bags in my grocery’s produce department (the brand is Fresh Gourmet) that have various flavors that are fabulous to use as well!  Garlic Pepper is our favorite.

USING FRESH GREEN BEANS

I love the taste of fresh green beans, and they’re surprisingly easy to use in this recipe.

Trim the ends and cut green beans in half across.  Place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 5-6 minutes to soften.  Pay dry and use as directed.

USING FROZEN GREEN BEANS

This is the option listed in the recipe, as it’s what I normally use to make this recipe.

Thaw or microwave for a few minutes to defrost.  Pat dry and use as directed.

USING CANNED GREEN BEANS

Canned green beans are traditionally used in a green bean casserole, and will result in a softer texture than the fresh or frozen variety.

Drain and rinse the green beans, then pat dry and use as directed.

MAKING THIS CASSEROLE AHEAD OF TIME

If you’re making this recipe for Thanksgiving, you know that the most difficult part about good ol’ Turkey Day is finding time to make all the dishes and how to bake them so they’ll be ready at the same time!

Thankfully, green bean casserole is perfect for making ahead of time.

ASSEMBLE AHEAD OF TIME (UNCOOKED)

This is the method I use for my own holiday dinner plans, and it works perfectly.

1. Assemble casserole, making sure to leave off the onion topping.  Cover dish tightly with foil and refrigerate up to 3 days.
2. Remove casserole from refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  I usually let mine rest on the counter.
3. Bake casserole as directed.  If your dish is really cold, add another 5-10 minutes of bake time.

BAKED AHEAD OF TIME

Alternatively, you could bake the casserole ahead of time, and just reheat it when you’re ready to serve.  This method results in a softer texture to the dish, as it’s basically baked twice.

1. Assemble and bake casserole, omitting the onion topping part of the baking process.
2. Let dish cool to room temperature, then cover tightly with foil.  Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
3. Remove casserole from refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  I usually let mine rest on the counter.
4. Bake at 350 until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes.  Add onion topping and bake another 5 minutes.

FROZEN

Of the make ahead options, this is my least favorite, since dairy can be tricky to freeze successfully, but if you need to make your green bean casserole more than a few days before, it’s an option.

1. Use either the assembled or the baked make ahead option from above, but instead of refrigerating, freeze for up to 2 months.
2. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  Remove casserole from refrigerator for about 30 minutes.  I usually let mine rest on the counter.
3. Bake casserole as directed.  If your dish is really cold, add another 5-10 minutes of bake time.

STORING

Leftovers (if you have any!), should be transferred to an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.

SLOW COOKER GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

No oven space? No worries!  This recipe can be adapted for a slow cooker.  It won’t have quite the same texture, but will still taste amazing.

To make this recipe fit in a standard crockpot, double the recipe (double all ingredients), and mix everything in the crockpot, cover and cook on LOW for around 6 hours.  I like to NOT add any onions to the casserole mixture for this version, as they get reallllly mushy.  Just add all the onions to the top once it’s done cooking and give it a good stir.

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