This essential Thanksgiving side dish dates back to 1955, when it was created by Campbell’s Soup home economist Dorcas Reilly. The basic iconic green bean casserole consists of cream of mushroom soup, milk, cooked green beans, soy sauce, a dash of pepper, and French fried onions.
Recipe Variations
The casserole is versatile, too. Add sliced sautéed mushrooms for extra flavor, water chestnuts for crunch, or top it with breadcrumbs. It’s also good with cheese, and you could use another kind of soup if you aren’t a fan of mushrooms. Make it with cream of celery or cream of onion soup, or replace the soup and milk with a flavorful seasoned white sauce.
How to Store
Refrigerate leftover green bean casserole in an airtight container within 2 hours and enjoy it within 3 days. To reheat, put leftovers in a baking dish, cover with foil, and bake in a 350 F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until it reaches 165 F in the center. It will take a little less time if you let the casserole come to room temperature before baking.
Make-Ahead: Prepare the green bean casserole through step 4. Cover the baking dish and refrigerate it for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 weeks. If frozen, defrost in the refrigerator overnight. To bake and serve, cover the baking dish with foil and bake until thoroughly heated, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the foil and cover with the French fried onions. Continue to bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the onions are crisp and the casserole is bubbling.
Haricot verts (French green beans) with garlic is another holiday-worthy green bean dish, or you might add our sweet potato casserole to your Thanksgiving menu.
PrintClassic Green Bean Casserole
Get ready for Thanksgiving with the classic green bean casserole. Find tips for making it your own and discover tasty variations.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Casseroles, Thanksgiving
- Method: BAke
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 10.5-ounce can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 4 cups cooked green beans, fresh or frozen
- 1 1/2 cups French fried onions, divided
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a 1 1/2-quart baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the soup, milk, and soy sauce; stir to blend.
- Add the green beans and half of the onions to the bowl and mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper, as needed.
- Transfer the green bean mixture to the baking dish.
- Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining fried onions. Bake for 5 minutes longer, until the onions are crisp and golden.
- Remove the casserole to a rack and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
