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Best Green Bean Casserole

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  • Prep 5 min
  • Total 30 min
  • Servings 8
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Hot, creamy and out-of-this-world tasty, green bean casserole is a perfect side dish for memorable holiday dinners and weeknight meals alike. It’s one of our favorite Thanksgiving sides, partly because it’s so easy to put together! But what is green bean casserole, anyway? This classic casserole is typically made with green beans, cream of mushroom soup and crispy fried onions. The creamy texture of the soup is offset by the crunchiness of the fried onions for a comforting, flavorful side dish that’s sure to be a hit wherever it’s served.

This recipe is one of those green bean dishes that make you realize just how great this colorful vegetable really is. It calls for just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time. Easy-peasy! We’d say that makes it the best green bean casserole recipe around. One bite, and you’ll be baking up this iconic dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas and every family potluck from now on.

By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Jul 22, 2024
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How to Make Green Bean Casserole

Here’s a quick overview of how to make green bean casserole. It’s deliciously simple, making this a great recipe to pull together for a big holiday dinner or potluck. Keep the shelf-stable ingredients on hand and you can bake this dish at a moment’s notice! Our detailed green bean casserole recipe and ingredients list are below.

Combine Green Beans, Soup and Milk

Since this recipe uses canned beans, be sure to drain them after opening the can. We always recommend checking expiration dates and inspecting cans for any dents to ensure quality. Break out the casserole dish and combine your green beans, cream of mushroom soup and milk while heating your oven to 350°F. There’s no need to grease the dish beforehand, as the ingredients will provide enough moisture and fat to prevent sticking.

Bake and Add Fried Onions

Place your dish in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, topping your green bean casserole with those tasty fried onions for the last 5 minutes. Add as many or as few as you like—but we recommend just under 3 ounces, which you’ll find in the smaller store-bought containers.

How to Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time

Have a big dinner or get-together coming up? Save some time the day of by assembling your green bean casserole the night before! Combine your green beans, soup and milk in a casserole dish, then cover and refrigerate it until you’re ready to bake it the next day. Pull it out, place it in the oven and proceed with the recipe! Just keep in mind that you may have to add a few minutes of baking time to account for the lower temperature of the chilled casserole. Once you add those crispy fried onions and bake until bubbly, you’ll have a warm, comforting green bean casserole ready to serve. It goes great with rich, hearty meats, so we recommend trying one of our beef recipes for the main course.

How to Store Green Bean Casserole Leftovers

Green bean casserole makes excellent leftovers! We especially love reheating it alongside other tasty holiday leftovers from our collection of Thanksgiving recipes. If your guests have gone and you find yourself left with some of this savory side, here’s what to do with it.

Storing Green Bean Casserole: Cover your leftover green bean casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate immediately.

Reheating Cold Green Bean Casserole: When you’re ready to chow down on some leftovers, spoon your green bean casserole into a microwave-safe dish. Cover it loosely with plastic wrap or a microwave-safe cover and reheat your leftovers on medium-high or 70% until thoroughly heated. Your onions won’t be crispy after being stored in the fridge, so feel free to sprinkle a few additional onions over your warmed green bean casserole before enjoying.

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

How Long Should I Bake Green Bean Casserole in the Oven?

Wondering how long to cook green bean casserole? Since you’re not actually “cooking” any of the ingredients, it’s more about how long it takes to heat up the whole dish. Make sure your oven is heated to 350°F before placing your assembled casserole inside and setting your timer. Our green bean casserole recipe calls for a bake time of 20 to 25 minutes. You’re the best judge in the kitchen, so take a peek when you sprinkle those crispy fried onions over the dish. Once your green bean casserole is bubbling, it’s ready!

How Long Does Green Bean Casserole Stay Good to Eat?

Find yourself looking at leftovers wondering how long green bean casserole is good for? This green bean casserole is great reheated the next day, but it won’t keep for too much longer. Green bean casserole should stay good to eat for 3 to 4 days when properly stored and refrigerated. After that, while it may still be safe to eat, its quality will decline. Our advice? Gobble up the dish in a day or two, and keep the basic ingredients needed for this green bean casserole recipe on hand so you can make it whenever you need an easy side dish to go with one of your dinner recipes.

Can I Freeze Green Bean Casserole?

Freezing green bean casserole can leave you with a soggy, unappetizing mess. The beans will become mushy when baked and your casserole will likely be too watery when reheated.

We recommend eating refrigerated leftovers within a few days and baking a new green bean casserole from scratch when you need one. With just a few ingredients and 5 minutes of prep time, it’s an easy side dish to pull together even on the day of a big meal! If you’re in a rush, follow our make-ahead instructions up above to prep a new casserole ahead of a big event.

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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