Everyone loves a classic green bean casserole recipe with tender green beans and crispy fried onions in a shortcut creamy mushroom sauce. This is a perfect Thanksgiving side topped with crispy french-fried onions and baked until golden brown and bubbly.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
I love green bean casserole, it reminds me of holidays from my childhood. This version is great because…
- Fast prep: It needs just 5 minutes of prep—it’s the easiest side dish ever.
- Versatile: It can be made with fresh, frozen, or canned green beans.
- Make ahead: Make this casserole a few days in advance and bake before serving (see notes).
- Serve anytime: Perfect for a holiday meal or alongside a Sunday supper like meatloaf.
Ingredient Notes
- Use fresh, frozen, or canned green beans:
- Canned green beans have a softer texture and require no prep—drain and stir (my personal favorite).
- Frozen green beans require no cutting and have a tender-crisp texture. They should be boiled for about 3-5 minutes, and you’ll need to add extra salt.
- Fresh green beans have a tender-crisp texture and a fresh flavor. Simmer for 8 minutes.
- Sauce: Condensed cream of mushroom soup is the base of this casserole and makes it easy to prep. Use any flavor of “cream of” soup, such as cream of celery.
- Crispy Fried Onions: French’s Crispy Fried Onions adds both flavor and crunch.
Variations
- Cheese: I love to add cheddar cheese to the green bean casserole sauce. Try other favorite cheeses.
- From Scratch: Swap out the soup for mushroom cream sauce and replace the onions with fried shallots.
- Garlic: Add minced garlic cloves cooked in butter or ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Topping: Swap the crispy onions with ¼ cup of Panko breadcrumbs mixed with 1 tablespoon each of melted butter and Parmesan cheese.
How To Make Green Bean Casserole
There’s a reason this dish has been around for years, it’s simple. It’s delicious. Perfect in every way.
- Cook Beans: Simmer fresh or frozen green beans. (drain them if they’re canned)
- Mix Sauce: Combine mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, and salt & pepper (full recipe below).
- Toss Together: Add the sauce, green beans, some crispy onions, and cheese to a bowl.
- Top & Bake Top the green bean mixture with more crispy onions and bake until golden and bubbly!
Prep Ahead Tips For Green Bean Casserole
- Prepare as directed, except store the crispy onion topping in a separate container or sandwich bag. Refrigerate for up to 48 hours.
- Remove the casserole from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Sprinkle the onions on top, bake as directed, adding up to 10 minutes of extra cooking time if needed.
Green bean casserole needs to cook for about 40 minutes at 350°F. If your green bean casserole has been in the fridge, you will likely need to add some extra time!
Yes, it can be prepared up to 48 hours ahead of time. Add about 10 minutes to the cook time when reading to bake.
Yes, this casserole can be frozen. Prepare as directed and freeze before baking. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as directed adding 10 minutes to the baking time.
More Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Did you enjoy this Green Bean Casserole? Be sure to leave a rating and comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups frozen cut green beans see notes for canned or fresh beans
- 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt more to taste
- 1½ cups crispy fried onions divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the frozen green beans and boil until tender crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine green beans with soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, salt, 1 cup of crispy onions, and cheese if using (see notes). Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish.
- Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes or bubbly.
- Remove from oven and stir. Top with remaining onions and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes or until golden.
Video
Notes
- drain 2 (14.5 ounce each) cans of cut green beans
- 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and simmered for about 7-8 minutes
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese mixed into the sauce (favorite!)
- fried mushrooms, onions, garlic, and/or shallots
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Side Dish
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I can’t wait to try this recipe for my Friendsgiving! How much sharp cheddar do you use? I can’t seem to find it in the recipe. Thank you in advanced and have a blessed holiday season!
Hi Katie, it’s in the notes section of the recipe card, you can add 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese. Let us know how it turns out for you!
If I want to add in the optional cheddar cheese, do I just top the casserole with it? Or melt it in with the soup? thanks!
Hi Dev! If you’re adding cheese, add it in step 3 with the soup :) Let us know how it turns out for you!
Could I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce?
I have not personally tried but others readers have with great results, Amanda!
We use that in place of Soy in all our recipes. Its Healthier for you.
Made with Campbell’s Cream of onion soup instead of mushroom.
Added finely diced green onions on top with the final layer of crispy onions.
Turned out delicious.
Quick question, do you use 8×8 or 9×13 casserole dish? just wondering if this is enough ingredients for 9×13 or if I should double the recipe. Thanks!
A 9×13 is a great size for this casserole dish. I hope you enjoyed it as much as we did, Rebecca!
This is absolutely delicious! Even the people who don’t really like green beans loved it!
One question: Can it be frozen? If so, should I bake it and then freeze it or freeze it without baking it first?
I have not tried freezing this recipe, I would be concerned that the sauce may change consistency once thawed. If you do freeze it, I would bake after it thaws. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and bake covered at 350°F for about 35 minutes, uncovered and bake an additional 10-15 minutes or until hot.
I like the extra comment for a change from standard reciepe
Easy casserole to make and delicious.
I wish these companies and recipes would stop having us jumping through hoops to find the recipe I don’t wanna have the history of the meal I just want the recipe do you think these guys can do that
Hey Greg! Some newer cooks need tips and substitution suggestions. If you want to get right to the recipe, just click the “JUMP TO RECIPE” button right at the top of the post.
Just click on “Jump to the Recipe”. Personally I LOVE all the tips on options to the ingredients etc. Not sure WHY you feel the need to jump through hoops when just one click brings you to the recipe. Happy cooking!!
Greg, this recipe isn’t provided by a ‘company’ but rather a talented cook providing FREE content. Good grief.
Some of us enjoy reading about the recipe but if you don’t there is a tab at the top that says “jump to recipe.” You can then bypass the story, hints, etc. and go straight to the instructions.
For some weird reason, I have never been able to make a good green bean casserole. I’ve tried homemade sausage, using all fresh ingredients, nothing seemed to turn out the way I like it. Well, finally found one I love – yours! Have used this recipe for thanksgiving and Christmas now, and it’s delicious and fresh tasting every time. I dislike using canned soups, and my daughter keeps wanting to “add one more can, it doesn’t look like enough” – I just told her “trust the recipe”! It surprises her that it comes out so good – and me, too! Thank you so much for your recipe, love it!
I meant “sauces”, not sausages, lol.
You’re so welcome PJ, glad to hear you loved the casserole so much!
I don’t have soy sauce. Would Worcestershire sauce or something else work in it’s place?
You could add a dash of Worcestershire and a bit of salt.
Made this tonight for the family Christmas Eve dinner. It was fabulous! I got so many compliments from picky eaters! I made this for a serving size of 10. Baked it for 40 minutes and again for 10 minutes more after adding the fried onions. Used fresh beans. Used 1 container and a smidge of the second of fried onions. Did the option of adding shredded cheddar cheese. Yum.
When would I add the cheese?
The cheese can be added in step 3.
I made this for Thanksgiving and WOW, this side dish was yummy. The only ingredient I changed was the soup. Reading through others comments I took someone’s advice a used Cream of Asparagus, a shallot, and garlic. It was a big hit, not the usual Cream of Mushroom after taste. Making again for Christmas Dinner.
I plan to make this for Christmas, so unable to rate at the moment. Can you tell me what size casserole dish you use? Thanks so much.
I use a 2qt dish. Enjoy the recipe!
Awesome! Thanks so much for replying. Happy Holidays!!
Added the cheddar cheese and one small shallot. Amazing! Will definitely put this in my Holiday rotation.
This was a delicious holiday staple, that was easy to prepare. I definitely recommend giving it a try, you and your family’s taste buds won’t regret it.
This was my first attempt at making the annually loved green bean casserole, I’m so glad I found yours for my first try … it turned out fabulous, just like your picture and every bit as tasty. Creamy, green beanie, fried onion deliciousness.
The only thing I could have added was some garlic which I will do next time.
I got a 10.5 oz can of condensed campbell a soup. Do I actually make the soup (adding the water) or do I use the condensed content?
Use the condensed soup without adding water. Enjoy the recipe.
You leave it condensed. I use always use fresh beans, steamed in the microwave (easier) or blanched. I lightly cover the casserole with foil for the first half to keep the moisture in.
This was the best green bean casserole I’ve ever had. I used frozen cut green beans because I’m not a fan of mushy green beans in the casserole. The sharp cheddar I think is what really elevated the recipe from your standard casserole. I will definitely make this every year.
I was wanting to make this in the Crock-Pot as we will be traveling with it. Will I put the onions on top before starting, so they cook for the whole 2-3 hours as well? I just don’t want them to be mushy when it’s time to eat them
Hi Allie, I would add the onions right before serving!