Creamy, crunchy, and table-ready in 45 minutes, your no-stress turkey side dish.
Bright, tender green beans in a silky mushroom sauce, finished with a shower of crackly fried onions that stay crisp to the last bite.
Why You’ll Love It
- Fresh Green Bean Recipes: Uses fresh beans for snap and color; frozen works too.
- Thanksgiving Food: The reliable crowd-pleaser that bridges turkey, stuffing, and gravy.
- Turkey Side Dishes: Savory umami and crisp texture to balance rich mains.
- Bean Casserole Recipes: Classic technique with smarter flavor (tiny soy splash = depth).
- Thanksgiving Recipes Side Dishes: Make-ahead friendly and oven-space flexible.
- Greenbean Casserole Recipe: Straightforward ingredients; customizable topping.
Ingredients (notes only)
Base: Fresh green beans (trimmed), cream of mushroom soup (or quick homemade), milk.
Flavor: Garlic, black pepper, soy sauce or Worcestershire (umami), pinch of salt.
Crunch: Crispy fried onions (classic). Optional: panko + butter, or sliced almonds.
Cheesy option: A little cheddar for a Broccoli And Cheese Casserole vibe (variation below).
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 2–2.5 qt baking dish.
- Blanch beans: Boil salted water; cook trimmed beans 4–5 min until just tender-crisp. Drain; shock in ice water; pat very dry.
- Mix sauce: Whisk soup, milk, soy, garlic, and pepper in a large bowl.
- Combine: Fold in beans and ½ the fried onions. Taste; salt if needed.
- Bake: Transfer to dish; bake 20–25 min until hot and bubbling.
- Finish: Top with remaining onions; bake 5–7 min until deeply golden.
- Rest 5 min so it sets and the sauce clings to beans. Serve.
Pro Tips
- Don’t skip drying the beans. Residual water thins the sauce and softens the topping.
- Add onions late. Top for the last 5–7 minutes to keep them crunchy, not soggy.
- Umami bump: 1 tsp soy or Worcestershire wakes up canned soup in a good way.
- From-scratch swap: Sauté mushrooms + onions in butter; whisk in flour, then broth + milk for a fast béchamel.
- Oven space hack: Bake covered without topping, hold warm; add onions and crisp just before serving.
- Texture control: Cut beans into 1.5–2 inch “string bean casserole” pieces for easy scooping.
Variations (mapped to interests)
- Broccoli And Cheese Casserole: Swap beans for broccoli florets; add ¾ cup sharp cheddar to the sauce.
- Sweet Potato Casserole Recipes twist: Layer thinly sliced par-roasted sweet potato under the beans for a two-tier holiday bake.
- String Bean Casserole: Keep beans whole; finish with toasted almonds + onions.
- Extra-creamy: Stir 2 oz cream cheese into the sauce.
- Lighter: Use low-sodium soup, low-fat milk, and a half-portion onion topping + panko.
How to Serve
- With roast turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, and stuffing.
- Beside weeknight mains (roast chicken, pork loin) when you want a holiday-level side.
- On buffets: hold warm at 170–180°F (77–82°C); add fresh onions just before serving.
Make Ahead & Storage
- Assemble ahead (24 hrs): Build through step 4 without the top onions. Cover and refrigerate. Bake +10 minutes from cold, then add onions to crisp.
- Freeze (up to 2 months): Assemble without topping in a freezer-safe dish. Thaw overnight, bake until bubbling, then top and crisp.
- Leftovers: Refrigerate 3–4 days. Reheat at 350°F (175°C), 12–15 min; add a few fresh onions.
FAQs
Can I use canned or frozen beans?
Yes. Canned are softest (drain well). Frozen: thaw, pat dry; skip blanching.
No canned soup—what’s the swap?
Make a quick mushroom sauce (butter + mushrooms + onion, flour, broth, milk). Same bake time.
How do I keep the onions crispy?
Bake casserole first, add onions only for the last 5–7 minutes; travel with onions in a separate bag.
Gluten-free option?
Use GF cream soup or homemade GF béchamel and GF fried onions (or almond-panko topping).
Can I double it?
Yes. Use a 9×13 pan; add 5–10 minutes before topping.
Simple Nutrition Table (estimate, per 1 of 8 servings)
Calories 225 | Protein 4g | Carbs 19g | Fat 14g | Sat Fat 4.5g | Fiber 4g | Sugar 4g | Sodium 540mg
Green Bean Casserole
Classic Thanksgiving green beans — fresh, tender beans baked in a creamy mushroom sauce and topped with crackly fried onions. Easy, make-ahead friendly, and adaptable for oven, air fryer, stovetop, or slow cooker.
Ingredients
- 1½ lb (680–700 g) fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1.5–2 in pieces
- 1 can (10.5 oz / 298 g) cream of mushroom soup (or homemade)
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk (whole or 2%)
- 1 tsp soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce
- 1 small clove garlic, minced (or ½ tsp garlic powder)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 can (6 oz / 170 g) crispy fried onions, divided
- ¾ cup (85 g) shredded sharp cheddar (optional)
- ¼ cup (25 g) sliced almonds (optional)
- ½ cup (25 g) panko mixed with 1 Tbsp melted butter (optional)
Equipment
- 2–2.5 qt casserole dish or 9×9 pan
- Large pot
- mixing bowl
- whisk
Method
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C); grease a 2–2.5 qt baking dish.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; blanch green beans 4–5 min until tender-crisp. Drain; plunge into ice water; drain and pat very dry.
- Whisk soup, milk, soy/Worcestershire, garlic, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in beans, cheddar if using, and ½ the fried onions.
- Spread into baking dish; bake 20–25 min until bubbling.
- Top with remaining onions (and almonds/panko if using); bake 5–7 min until golden. Rest 5 min and serve.
Nutrition
Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 4gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 540mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 700IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1.4mg
Notes
From Scratch Option: Sauté 8 oz mushrooms + ½ onion in 2 Tbsp butter. Stir in 2 Tbsp flour (or GF blend), cook 1 min. Whisk in ¾ cup low-sodium broth + ¾ cup milk; simmer to thicken.
Variations:
Frozen beans: Thaw and pat dry; skip blanching.
Gluten-free: Use GF soup or homemade GF sauce; use GF fried onions or almond-panko topping.
Dairy-free: Use DF condensed mushroom soup or DF homemade sauce with unsweetened oat/almond milk. Equipment: 2–2.5 qt casserole dish or 9×9 pan; for air fryer use 6–7″ cake pan or mini gratins.
Frozen beans: Thaw and pat dry; skip blanching.
Gluten-free: Use GF soup or homemade GF sauce; use GF fried onions or almond-panko topping.
Dairy-free: Use DF condensed mushroom soup or DF homemade sauce with unsweetened oat/almond milk. Equipment: 2–2.5 qt casserole dish or 9×9 pan; for air fryer use 6–7″ cake pan or mini gratins.
Tried this recipe?Mention @WPRecipeMaker or tag #wprecipemaker!