Best Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole is the ultimate comfort food, loaded with fresh green beans, cream of mushroom soup, Cheddar cheese and French fried onions. This is the perfect holiday dish, easily made at home, and ready in about one hour.

We love making easy and delicious Casseroles, because they are tasty, can feed a larger crowd, and usually make enough leftovers. Occasionally,  I like to prepare a few ahead of time and freeze them, to have dinner readily available for busy weeknights. We often make this Cheesy Crack Chicken Casserole, White Pizza Casserole and Chicken Hash-brown Casserole.

Green Bean Casserole

This Green Bean Casserole is such a classic dish and is always a hit with my family. Also, it is the perfect holiday dish for the whole family to enjoy. Similarly, this dish is very easy to adapt to your own taste preference, since you can swap the green beans with other veggies, such as broccoli or cauliflower. In addition, for bacon lovers, add a few slices of cooked and crumbled bacon, to the bean mixture. Whichever version you prefer, we guarantee this dish will be a hit in your family.

Casseroles are a great option when you don’t want to cook every single night, or have a large family. They are usually easy to make, and large enough to serve to a crowd or have leftovers. Casseroles also freeze well, which means you can make a few ahead of time and freeze for busy times. When you are ready to serve, just pop it in the oven and a stress free homemade dinner is ready.

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Green Bean Casserole Recipe Tips

• Firstly, I try to use fresh green beans for this casserole recipe.  It just tastes better, and gives the perfect flavor to this dish.
• Also, if you prefer broccoli instead of green beans, feel free to swap. For Broccoli Casserole, substitute 4-6 cups cooked broccoli florets for the green beans.
• For cheese lovers, use extra shredded Cheddar cheese. Also, sprinkle with an additional 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions.
• For bacon lovers, add few cooked and crumbled bacon slices to the bean mixture. Similarly, if you prefer to use meat in this casserole, feel free to add ham, or even cooked ground chicken or ground turkey.
• To add some crunch to the dish, add some sliced almonds or croutons to the onion topping.

Can I use canned green beans instead of fresh green beans?

While I prefer to use fresh green beans for this casserole, canned beans are certainly an option and an easy one. For the cooked green beans use 1 bag (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, thawed, or 2 – 3 cans (14.5 ounces each) green beans, drained.

WHAT IS CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP?

Condensed soup is a canned variety of soup that is prepared with a reduced proportion of water. A liquid, like water or milk is added to the soup when heated up. Condensed soup is used often to add more flavor and creaminess in many recipes.

CONDENSED CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP SUBSTITUTE:

Don’t worry, if you are not from US and can’t get your hands on Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, or simply want a homemade, more wholesome version. You can use the below recipe to make a quick homemade version, which will make roughly about 3 cups of soup, enough to replace 2 (10 1/2 oz each) cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup.

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces baby Bella mushrooms, finely diced
• 6 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2/3 cup whole or skim milk
• 2/3 cup chicken broth or veggie broth
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. First, place a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the butter and melt it.
2. Then, add diced mushrooms and cook stirring for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add flour to the mushroom and butter mix, and stir well to combine and form a paste.
4. Whisk in milk slowly until fully combined with no lumps.
5. Next, whisk in broth, slowly again, until fully combined.
6. Then, stir in garlic, onion powder, thyme and adjust for salt and pepper.
7. Lastly, whisk the mixture until it starts to simmer. Let it simmer on low heat for about 2 minutes. The soup should be smooth and creamy. If its too dense, whisk in a little more milk or broth.
8. When replacing the Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup use a 1:1 ratio, so if you are using a 10 1/2 ounces can of condensed soup, you will need 1 1/3 cup of the homemade version to replace in recipes.
9. The homemade soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

HOW TO FREEZE THIS GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

To freeze, transfer the mixture to a buttered 9-by-13-inch freezer-to-oven baking dish. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 6 months. Bake, frozen and covered with foil, at 350°F, for 1 hour. Uncover, and bake for another 10-15 minutes.

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5 from 6 votes

Servings: 8 servings

Best Green Bean Casserole

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

50 mins

Green Bean Casserole is the ultimate comfort food, loaded with fresh green beans, cream of mushroom soup, Cheddar cheese and french fried onions.

Ingredients

Casserole:

• 16-20 oz fresh green beans or 2-3 14. 5 oz cans canned green beans
• 1 10.75 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup see homemade version as well
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or veggie broth
• 1 small onion finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup French fried onions see below homemade version

Topping:

• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups French fried onions see below homemade version

Homemade French Fried Onions:

• 3 large onions sliced into thin rings
• 2 cups milk or buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Vegetable or canola oil for frying

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray a 9x3 oven safe baking dish and set aside.

Casserole:

1. In this category we will be using ingredients from the "Casserole" list.
2. If you are using canned green beans, just drain them and set aside.
3. If using fresh green beans, wash them and trim the ends.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season with just a sprinkle of salt and cook fresh green beans in the boiling water for 5-6 minutes, until green beans start to change color to a deep green and become slightly tender. Stir occasionally.
5. Drain green beans and immediately place under cold water. Drain cold water and set green beans aside.
6. Add cream of mushroom soup to a large bowl. Add milk and chicken broth, stir to combine.
7. Add finely diced onion, garlic, thyme, paprika and ground black pepper. Stir to combine.
8. Add the green beans to the bowl, cheddar cheese and 1 cup of French fried onions.
9. Stir well to combine and add the mixture to the prepared baking dish.
10. Level the top with a spatula.

Topping:

1. In this category we will be using ingredients from the "Topping" list.
2. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheddar cheese on top of the casserole.
3. Distribute 1 cup of French fried onions (reserve the other cup for later) evenly on top of the casserole.

Bake:

1. Bake the casserole in the preheated oven until the cheese melts and the onions start to brown, for about 20 minutes.
2. Add the remaining cup of French fried onions and bake for another 10 minutes.
3. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Homemade French Fried Onions:

1. In this category we will be using ingredients from the "Homemade French Fried Onions" list. If you decide to make your own French fried onions use this recipe.
2. After slicing the onion rings, separate them into individual rings and add them to a large bowl.
3. Add 2 cups of milk to the onion rings and let soak for 20 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl combine: flour, salt, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Whisk to combine.
5. When ready to cook, add oil to a large, deep skillet over high heat (or deep fryer). If using a skillet, it should be 1/2 full with oil.
6. Once the oil is hot, working in batches, add a handful of onion rings to the flour mixture, cover well and shake any excess. Add the onion rings to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, stirring often.
7. Remove the French fried onions and place on a baking sheet that has been covered with paper towels to drain excess oil.
8. Repeat with the remaining onion rings.

Recipe Notes

Best Green Bean Casserole Recipe Video:

Calories: 377, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 13g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 854mg, Potassium: 423mg, Carbohydrates: 42g, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Protein: 17g, Vitamin A: 19.8%, Vitamin C: 11.3%, Calcium: 40.7%, Iron: 19%

Author: Catalina Castravet

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Green Bean Casserole

All images and text © for Peas and Peonies, LLC.

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