Green Bean Casserole {A Holiday Favorite!} +VIDEO

Green Bean Casserole {A Holiday Favorite!} +VIDEO

Green Bean Casserole is a classic side dish, especially at holiday meals! It’s simple, delicious, and requires only 4 ingredients!

There are a few side dishes we ALWAYS have at holiday dinners, and this Green Bean Casserole recipe is one of them. Mashed Potatoes, Homemade Dinner Rolls, and Glazed Carrots are other favorites musts for holidays and family gatherings.

Green Bean Casserole in a glass casserole dish.

Easiest + best green bean casserole

Today’s dish happens to be a Thanksgiving classic!

I’m sure most of you have tried it before, but if you haven’t, I highly suggest giving this easy Green Bean casserole recipe a try.

It’s probably the best way to serve green beans, and is a great recipe to make as a simple side to the rest of the Thanksgiving feast.

We even stock up on fried onions so we can make this year round!

Although meat, rolls, and pie sound pretty heavenly, it’s always nice to mix in some veggies (even when they’re covered in cream of chicken and mushroom soup!!) 😉

Container of French's Crispy Fried Onions next to two cans of green beans for green bean casserole.

How to Make Green Bean Casserole:

This homemade Green Bean Casserole is literally the easiest casserole you’ll ever make. Only 5 minutes of active prep time, and FOUR ingredients!

  • Green beans
  • Cream of Chicken & Mushroom Soup (you can also use just cream of mushroom soup, but we like the combo better)
  • Milk
  • French’s Fried Onions

PREP. Preheat oven to 350°F.

COMBINE. Mix green beans, soup, milk, salt and black pepper in a large bowl. Pour the green bean mixture into a 9×13 baking dish.

BAKE + ENJOY! Bake for 18-20 minutes. Top with crispy onions, bake for an additional 5 minutes. ENJOY!

Make it In the crockpot:

  1. Lightly spray the slow cooker with cooking spray.
  2. Combine green beans, milk and soup.
  3. Cook on low for 2-3 hours, or 1 hour on high. Cooking time may be longer if you are using fresh green beans.
  4. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with fried onions that have been prebaked for 5 min in a 350° oven.

green bean and soup mixture in a white bowl

tips + variations

As with any recipe, it’s easy to change it up based on the ingredients and tastes you prefer the most. I have a few variations and tips, to make sure your casserole turns out perfectly!

Bacon. Add some cooked, chopped bacon to the recipe to make it a Green Bean Casserole with bacon. SO good!

Fresh green beans. Use 3-4 cups of fresh, cut green beans instead of the canned version for more freshness. You just need to trim the ends first, and if they are large, cut them in half. Fresh green beans are more crispy, but if you like the tender texture found in canned green beans, you can pre-boil them first for about 7-8 minutes.

Cheese. Stir in 1 – 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, or other favorite cheese to add more flavor.

Cream of chicken. Use this instead of cream of chicken and mushroom if you know there are no mushroom fans in the house.

Too runny. It is very important to thoroughly drain the green beans so that the dish doesn’t end up runny. 

what to serve with green bean casserole?

The options are endless, but here are some of our holiday favorites:

Homemade Green Bean Casserole in a glass casserole dish.

Great for Large Gatherings

With all of the holiday menu items that are so time consuming, it’s nice to have at least one dish that doesn’t take much time or effort. This Green Bean Casserole is definitely one of those dishes!

MAKE AHEAD. To save yourself even more time, assemble your casserole 24-48 hours in advance, and keep it covered in the fridge. Be sure to add the fried onions right before baking, otherwise they’ll get soggy.

How much to make per person:

  • Double the recipe for 20-25 people.
  • Triple the recipe for 30-35 people.

Remember when serving at a holiday dinner there are so many other delicious side dishes, people tend to take smaller portions of each dish.

storing info

STORE. If you end up with leftovers after your holiday dinner, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover with foil and bake for about 15 minutes per pound. Remove the foil and bake for additional 10 minutes. If the french fried onions need to be a little more crispy, broil on low for 2-3 minutes.

Easy Green Bean Casserole baked in a casserole pan.

For more green bean recipes:

COLLECTIONS: Sides, Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 10

Calories 5 kcal

Author Lil’ Luna

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  • In a large bowl, mix green beans, soups, milk, salt and pepper and pour into a lightly greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish.

  • Bake for 18–20 minutes. Top with onions and bake for 5 minutes more.

Make Ahead: Assemble your green bean casserole through Step 2 up to 48 hours in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Be sure to wait to add the fried onions until the last 5 minutes of baking, otherwise they will get soggy.
Slow Cooker Directions: Lightly spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine green beans, soups, milk, salt and pepper in the slow cooker. Cook on low for 2–3 hours, or on high for 1 hour. Meanwhile, bake fried onions in a 350-degree-F oven for 5 minutes. Transfer green beans to a serving dish and sprinkle with fried onions.
To Use Fresh Green Beans: Use 3–4 cups trimmed, halved green beans instead of the canned beans. Fresh green beans are more crispy, but if you like the softer texture found in canned green beans, you can pre-boil them first for 7–8 minutes. If using a slow cooker, cooking time may be longer with fresh green beans.

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