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The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe – creamy, rich, comforting green bean casserole like Grandma used to make that is perfect for Thanksgiving! Frozen or fresh green beans, crispy onions, mushroom soup, mushrooms, and plenty of garlic give this classic recipe a homemade flavor everyone loves at Thanksgiving.
To save time and refrigerator space (plus a bit of the Thanksgiving budget), we’re using frozen green beans for this recipe – they are flash-frozen, keeping their crunch and flavor, without being mushy like canned green beans. This recipe is super simple, a take off the classic condensed soup recipe, with some extra spices for more kick to bring to your Thanksgiving dinner table!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
How To Make Green Bean Casserole
First assemble the following ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil (1 tablespoon) – Adds rich, fruity depth and helps sauté the mushrooms and shallots until tender and aromatic.
- Cremini mushrooms (8 oz) – Bring a meaty, earthy flavor and hearty texture that forms the savory backbone of the casserole.
- Shallot (1) – Lends a delicate sweetness and mild onion flavor that enhances the mushroom base.
- Garlic (4) – Infuses the dish with warm, pungent aroma and a layer of savory depth.
- Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (10 1/2 ounces) – Provides creamy richness and ties all the flavors together in a comforting sauce.
- Milk (½ cup) – Lightens the sauce’s texture and helps it coat the green beans smoothly.
- Italian herbs (1 teaspoon) – Add a fragrant blend of oregano, basil, and thyme for a touch of herbal warmth.
- Fish sauce (1 teaspoon) – Deepens the umami flavor subtly, enhancing the savoriness without tasting fishy.
- Frozen green beans (4 cups) – Offer crisp-tender texture and fresh vegetal flavor as the star of the casserole.
- French’s® French Fried Onions (1 ? cups) – Add irresistible crunch and a burst of salty onion flavor on top.
- Cayenne or aleppo pepper (1 teaspoon) – Gives a gentle, spicy kick that balances the creamy, savory richness of the dish.
Prep Ingredients
Preheat oven. Add green beans to baking dish, no need to thaw.
Sauté Veggies
Sautee shallots, garlic, and mushrooms until browned and softened.
Assemble Cream and Veg
Mix milk and cream of mushroom soup with herbs and spices. Add mushrooms and shallots to green beans, toss to mix.
Top and Bake
Pour milk mixture over green beans. Top with crunchy onions. Bake 30 minutes, until bubbling hot.
Tips to Perfect Green Bean Casserole
The following tips will help you make perfect green bean casserole, every time!
Use frozen beans. Using frozen green beans helps you save money (they tend to be less expensive per pound and more reliably in-stock), keeps you from having to snip the tips from green beans, and are easier to work with!
We formulated this recipe to be made with frozen, not thawed green beans – no need to thaw and drain, we’re expecting a bit of liquid to cook off into the casserole when baking.
Use fresh beans. If you’d like to make this dish with fresh green beans, we like to sautee them with the mushrooms before baking to help them cook a bit faster. Frozen green beans tend to cook to soft a bit quicker, and fresh green beans will have more crunch if you cook following the steps below. If you want a softer bite, pre-brown beans. If not, go ahead and toss them in raw – simply trim the ends and be sure to wash them well.
Use Canned Green Beans. You can also use canned green beans for this recipe – make sure to drain completely if using. Canned green beans will have the softest bite.
Make it ahead of time. If you want to prep this dish before you start baking it, you can make it up to a day in advance, and store in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, until ready to bake. For best results, do not top with crunchy onions until casserole is going right into the oven – they will get soggy and soft.
FAQs
Green bean casserole is done when it is bubbly hot and golden brown on top.
Green bean casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Other Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love
If you’re looking for other turkey day favorites, were sharing some of our favorites below!
We hope you love this recipe as much as we do – it’s delicious with our famous Brown Bag Herb Roasted Turkey, Slow Cooker Turkey in Gravy, Garlic Butter Turkey Tenderloin and Sweet Potatoes Recipe, Oven Roasted Turkey Breast, and of course our favorite non traditional Thanksgiving favorite, The Best Ribeye Roast Recipe!
We love The Best Easy Buttery Soft Dinner Rolls, Brown Bag Herb Roasted Turkey, Perfect Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe, Garlic Butter Roasted Potatoes Recipe, The Best Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe, Easy Cranberry Fluff Salad, Cranberry Apricot Baked Brie Recipe, and The Best Easy Homemade Cranberry Sauce Recipe!
You can find more of our favorite easy Thanksgiving recipes below:
You can find our entire Thanksgiving recipe index here!
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Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 shallot, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can, 10 1/2 ounces Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
- ½ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce, you can swap for soy sauce if desired
- 4 cups frozen green beans
- 1 ⅓ cups French’s® French Fried Onions
- 1 teaspoon cayenne or aleppo pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add green beans to baking dish, no need to thaw.
- In large pan, heat olive oil until light and shimmery.
- Add shallots, garlic, and onions. Sautee shallots, garlic, and mushrooms until browned and softened – about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Be careful to keep garlic from burning.
- Mix milk and cream of mushroom soup with herbs and cayenne or aleppo pepper, as well as fish sauce.
- Add mushrooms and shallots to green beans with 1/3 cup fried onions.
- Pour milk mixture over green beans.
- Top with rest of crunchy onions.
- Bake 30 minutes, until bubbling hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks amazing. Will be on my to make list for this winter. Thanks for sharing