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.
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.
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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Best Green Bean Casserole
- Prep Time 5 min
- Total 30 min
- Servings 8
- Ingredients 4
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
Instructions
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Step1Heat oven to 350°F. In 1 1/2-quart casserole or glass baking dish, mix green beans, soup and milk.
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Step2Bake 20 to 25 minutes, topping with onions during last 5 minutes of baking, until bubbly.
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Step3ALTERNATE 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.
Nutrition
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
1/2Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens
- tip 1
- tip 2