Discover the best traditional green bean casserole recipe, a creamy and comforting side dish perfect for Thanksgiving, Easter, and family gatherings. This easy green bean casserole recipe uses simple ingredients like canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and crispy French fried onions for a classic flavor everyone will love. Made with simple ingredients, this easy green bean casserole will be a crowd-pleaser for your holiday table.

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Why You’ll Want To Make My Traditional Green Bean Casserole
- It’s a classic dish that everyone loves. Green bean casserole has been a holiday staple for decades, and for good reason. It’s creamy, savory, and comforting, and it’s sure to please everyone at your table.
- It’s easy to make. This dish is incredibly simple to put together, even if you’re not a seasoned cook. It only requires a few ingredients and can be made in just a few minutes.
- It’s affordable. Green bean casserole is a very budget-friendly dish. The ingredients are inexpensive, and it can be easily stretched to feed a crowd.
- It’s a great way to sneak in some vegetables. Even picky eaters will enjoy green bean casserole, and it’s a great way to get them to eat their vegetables.
- It’s a crowd-pleaser. No matter who you’re hosting for Thanksgiving, green bean casserole is sure to be a hit. It’s a dish that everyone loves, and it’s sure to make your Thanksgiving dinner a memorable one.
Ingredients – Here’s What You’ll Need to Make Traditional Green Bean Casserole
Steps To Making Traditional Green Bean Casserole
- Drain and rinse your green beans in a colander over a bowl or in your sink. You should also pick through them to remove any stems. I had to remove several from mine.
- In a large bowl, combine the cream of mushroom soup, half and half, and freshly ground black pepper and whisk until combined.
- Divide a six-ounce container of French’s Crispy Onions in half, reserve one half for the topping, and crush up the other half using your hands directly into the soup mixture. Then whisk to combine.
- Add the drained and rinsed green beans to the soup mixture, stirring well to combine everything.
- Spray a large 9×13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour the green bean mixture into it. Then bake in a 375°F oven for 30 minutes until bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and top with the remaining French’s Crispy Fried Onions, carefully spreading them evenly over the top of the casserole. Then return to the 375°F oven and bake for an additional ten minutes.
- Once the casserole has finished baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
This Traditional Green Bean Casserole recipe is a must-have for your holiday menu. It’s an easy, affordable, and a delicious side dish that’s always a crowd-pleaser. With its creamy texture, savory flavor, and crispy topping, this green bean casserole will become a family favorite. Whether you’re making it for holiday meal or a simple weeknight dinner, this is the best green bean casserole recipe you’ll find!
Frequently Asked Questions
Canned green beans are often high in sodium, and rinsing them can help to reduce the sodium content by up to 40%. They are also packed in a liquid that contains starch. This starch can make the beans mushy and can also affect the flavor of your dish. Rinsing the beans will remove most of the starch and will help to keep the beans firm and flavorful.
Fresh green beans can be used, but I don’t recommend it because you will need to blanch them first to cook them partially. Blanching also adds a lot of time and extra steps to an otherwise simple recipe.
Absolutely! I use half and half because it is a combination of whole milk and heavy cream, and it produces a richer, creamier sauce that coats the green beans and other ingredients perfectly. The richness of half and half enhances the overall flavor profile of the casserole and creates a more luxurious mouthfeel. However, feel free to use whole milk instead, though I would not recommend skim milk.
Recipe Tips And Tricks
- Use a good quality cream of mushroom soup. The cream of mushroom soup is one of the main flavor components of green bean casserole, so it’s important to use a good quality soup. Look for a soup that is made with real mushrooms and has a rich, creamy flavor. I would not recommend using a fat-free cream of mushroom soup.
- Make sure to rinse your canned green beans. Canned green beans are often high in sodium, and rinsing them can help to reduce the sodium content by up to 40%. They are also packaged in a liquid that contains starch. This starch can make the beans mushy and can also affect the flavor of your dish. Rinsing the beans will remove most of the starch and will help to keep the beans firm and flavorful.
- Make it ahead of time. Green bean casserole can be made ahead of time and reheated in the oven before serving. This is a great way to save time on Thanksgiving Day. Green bean casserole is best served hot and bubbly. For the best flavor, don’t reheat it more than once.
Other Great Holiday Side Dishes
- Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Make-Ahead Sage and Onion Stuffing Muffins with Sausage
- Easy Make-Ahead Loaded Potato Casserole
- Cheesy Southern Style Scalloped Potato Casserole
- Creamy Spinach Artichoke Casserole
- Green Bean Stuffing Casserole
- Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Baby Carrots
- Oven-Roasted Vegetables with Garlic and Herbs
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Traditional Green Bean Casserole
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- non-stick cooking spray
- colander
- medium size bowl
- whisk
Ingredients
- 4 14-oz cans fresh cut green beans
- 2 10 ¾ oz cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 ½ c half and half
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 6 oz French's Crispy Fried Onions, divided in half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a colander over your sink, drain and rinse the canned green beans, then set aside.
- In a large bowl whisk together the cans of cream of mushroom soup, half and half, and freshly ground pepper.
- Using your hands, crush half of the French's Crispy Fried Onions into small pieces. Then whisk into the soup mixture.
- Stir in the drained and rinsed green beans.
- Grease a large 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then pour the mixture into the dish.
- Bake in a 375°F heated oven for 30 minutes until nice and bubbly.
- Remove from the oven and top with the other half of the French's Crispy Fried Onions, spreading them evenly over the top. Then return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the onions are a nice golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Yield 8 servings.
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