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Green Bean Casserole

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  • Prep 5 min
  • Total 30 min
  • Servings 8
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Bubbling hot, creamy and out-of-this world tasty with the crunchy fried onion topping, no wonder our fans adore this recipe for memory-making holidays and weeknight dinners alike. With just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes prep, what’s not to love?
Some estimates say that 40 percent of the Cream of Mushroom soup sold in the United States goes into making green bean casserole. The popularity of green bean casserole just keeps growing, as a new generation discovers how easy it is to make and how delicious it can be.
Once you serve our best green bean casserole at one holiday meal, don’t be surprised if it’s requested to be on every holiday table! It adapts to almost any menu, making it the ultimate way to enjoy veggies! Just keep a can or two of the fried onions on hand, so when the mood strikes, you’ll be ready. Or swap in coarsely crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips for the onions, for a delicious flavor twist.
Updated Mar 1, 2024
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What Are the Best Green Beans to Use in Green Bean Casserole?

For this easy green bean casserole, we call for canned French-style green beans because they require the least amount of attention, making this recipe super simple to make, no matter what your kitchen skills are.
If you’d rather use frozen green beans, you can use frozen French-style, cut or whole green beans, but for the best green bean casserole, be sure check out the recipe variation, which gives complete instructions on how to prep them before adding them to the other ingredients, so they will be tender when the casserole is baked.
We don’t recommend fresh green beans for this recipe, because you’d have to cook them first (requiring 8 to 20 minutes of additional cooking and after all that effort, they still may come out stringy and tough after baking.

What Should I Eat with Green Bean Casserole?

This classic green bean casserole is so versatile, It's the perfect partner at just about any meal!
Holiday Feasts: it can go with any holiday meal, whether you’re serving turkey, ham, beef or even lasagna! Try it with our company-worthy ham for Easter or turkey recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas and wait for the oohs and ahhs.
Weeknight Dinners: Don’t just think of string bean casserole as a holiday dish—it’s so quick and easy, it’s perfect for weeknight dinners, too! Serve it with your favorite baked or grilled chicken, pan-fried pork chops or alongside your favorite spaghetti dinner.
Make It the Main Event: You can even turn it into a main dish with this delicious ham and cheese green bean casserole recipe! Or try adding pepperoni, chopped cooked chicken or leftover chopped roast beef. Delicious!

How Can I Store and Reheat Green Bean Casserole?

If you’re lucky enough to have any leftovers, Green Bean Casserole is delicious when reheated! Just know that the fried onions won’t be crisp after being stored. But that’s ok--simply sprinkle the casserole with a few more after heating. It will be a comforting addition to any lunch or leftovers dinner night.
Fridge: Follow the make-ahead directions in our FAQ below. Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate any leftovers immediately after the meal.
Reheat: To reheat green bean casserole, spoon the casserole into a microwavable dish. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Reheat on medium-high (70%) until thoroughly heated. The onions will no longer be crispy. You can sprinkle additional crispy fried onions before enjoying.
Freeze: We do not recommend freezing green bean casserole, as the beans will become mushy when baked and the casserole can become watery.

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (14.5 oz each) French-style green beans, drained
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 container (2.8 oz) crispy fried onions

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 350°F. In 1 1/2-quart casserole or glass baking dish, mix green beans, soup and milk.
  • 2
    Bake 20 to 25 minutes, topping with onions during last 5 minutes of baking, until bubbly.
  • 3
    ALTERNATE METHOD: Heat oven to 325°F. In 1 1/2-quart casserole or glass baking dish, mix green beans, soup and milk. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, topping with onions during last 5 minutes of baking, until bubbly.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    To make sure your baking dish holds 1.5 quarts (6 cups), use a liquid measuring cup to pour water into the dish until it's full. There should be enough room for the green beans to not completely fill the dish.
  • tip 2
    Green Bean Casserole with Frozen Green Beans: Frozen French-style green beans can be substituted for the canned beans. Give frozen beans a quick rinse under cool water in a colander and shake off excess water before mixing with the soup and milk. Alternatively, 2 bags (1 lb each) frozen cut or whole green beans can be substituted. Cook as directed on bag for minimum time. Drain; stir into soup mixture. If prepping ahead of time, cover tightly and store overnight in refrigerator before baking. In Step 2, bake about 30 minutes or until beans are tender.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make green bean casserole ahead of time?

Have an event or gathering coming up tomorrow? Your easy Green Bean Casserole can be assembled early to save time! Once you’ve assembled your Green Bean Casserole (be sure to leave off the onions), cover and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake it the next day. Make sure to add a few extra minutes of baking time to account for the coldness of the chilled casserole before adding the onions in Step 2.
This is a crowd-pleasing best green bean casserole without any of the fuss! Craving other great side dishes? Try one of our favorites--scalloped potatoes or bread stuffing. Looking for other ideas for your holiday spread? We’ve got yummy recipes you can mix or match with your holiday main dish and green bean casserole. Pull together an outstanding menu with these Thanksgiving side dishes or Easter side dishes.

What are other variations of this recipe?

While the basic recipe is always devoured, you can mix it up with a flavor twist or two, so that no one ever tires of enjoying this popular side dish throughout the year. Try one of these scrumptious ways to hack green bean casserole, depending on your tastes or what you have in your cupboard.
Substitute Other Condensed Soups: You can substitute your favorite cream-style condensed canned soup for the cream of mushroom soup, such as celery or cream of chicken.
Additional Seasoning: For additional flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon garlic or celery powder or ground pepper.
Chopped Vegetables: Stir in 2 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil (drained) or diced pimientos (drained) with the green beans.
Other Additions: Instead of the crispy fried onions, try some crumbled crisply cooked bacon, crushed seasoned croutons, nacho-flavored tortilla chips, buttery crackers, or sliced or slivered almonds over your Green Bean Casserole right before serving.

How Do You Keep Green Bean Casserole from Getting Soggy?

Use these simple tips to have green bean casserole that has the perfect creamy sauce and crunchy fried onion topping: Start with canned green beans that have been drained or frozen green beans that have been cooked and drained (see the variation above). Any liquid from the beans will make your casserole watery. Only add 1/4 cup milk with the condensed soup—do not add the water as directed on the can. Add the crispy fried onions during the last 5 minutes of baking or they will absorb some of the sauce and become soggy. The onions will absorb sauce as they sit or if there are leftovers, when stored in the refrigerator.
Bake the casserole just before serving it. When reheating leftovers, the onions will still add their flavor to the dish, but if you like the crisp texture on top, simply top the reheated casserole with additional onions right before serving.

Nutrition

110 Calories, 7g Total Fat, 1g Protein, 10g Total Carbohydrate, 2g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
110
Calories from Fat
60
Total Fat
7g
11%
Saturated Fat
2 1/2g
14%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
0mg
0%
Sodium
520mg
21%
Potassium
115mg
3%
Total Carbohydrate
10g
3%
Dietary Fiber
1g
6%
Sugars
2g
Protein
1g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
4%
4%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
4%
4%
Iron
4%
4%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 1 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 1 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • What is it about green bean casserole that makes it special every meal it shows up on the table? It is a Thanksgiving or Easter tradition for many families…one of those memory-making recipes that gets passed down, so the tradition continues! Our green bean casserole is so easy to make, you can have it at every holiday. It’s not likely you will have leftovers of this recipe, but if you do, follow the storage and reheating guidance above. Wondering how to creatively use up your holiday leftovers? These amazing recipes use up those foods in new dishes your family will love.
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