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I think every family has its own green bean casserole recipe. Well, this is mine. My family has been making this for 5 decades. Passed down from one generation to the next.
Ours is made with French-cut green beans that are smothered in a rich, easy, homemade creamy sauce with just the right onion and spice mixture. All made from scratch, that’s right…. with no soup! My kids and hubby love this green bean recipe! They would absolutely revolt if I didn’t make this for each and every holiday!!!
If you’re planning a holiday menu, be sure to browse my Easter Side Dishes for more reader-favorite recipes. And if you’d like another green bean option, try my Southern Green Beans for a lighter side, Arkansas Green Beans for a sweet-and-salty favorite, or Roasted Green Beans for a simple veggie dish that goes with just about anything.
Green Bean Casserole Recipe Made From Scratch
Honestly, I never knew people made their green beans with canned soup. When one of my friends served me that, I was kinda shocked. I mean, compared to the all-scratch version I grew up with, it was so lacking.
Listen, I use canned soup in many, many recipes. But I never had it paired with green beans. Try this recipe and you’ll be a convert!
Green Bean Casserole Ingredients
- Frozen French Cut Green Beans: These green beans are thinly sliced and their length is left whole and long. Regular green beans are whole in width and cut into specific lengths. The French cut green beans create a more delicate dish, and the sauce-to-bean ratio is higher. If you are a sauce girl, like me, this is an added bonus!
- Butter: I use sweet butter. If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of salt you add to the season.
- Onion: I use yellow onion because it balances a slightly astringent flavor balanced with sweetness.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is what we use. It binds with the melted butter to create a roux for thickening.
- Paprika: This adds a mildly sweet, chargrilled flavor.
- Dried Mustard: This adds a very aromatic tangy heat.
- Worcestershire Sauce: This condiment adds great depth of flavor to the cream sauce. It adds a bit of sweetness, tangy, salty, and savory.
- Whipping Cream: Don’t substitute this ingredient. Lighter versions just won’t produce the correct results.
- Bread Crumbs: We have always made our own toasted, seasoned, coarse bread crumbs. Now that panko bread crumbs are easy to find, I seem to be using those after I give them a little crush. At many markets they have seasoned Panko which I love even more.
- Sharp Cheddar: This is generally my cheddar of choice. I love the extra flavor the sharp brings.
Tips
- Draining the Beans: After you have cooked the beans for a couple of minutes, it is then very important the beans are well-drained. I put them in a colander set in the sink for a couple of minutes then spread them out on a clean kitchen towel and roll them up for 10-15 minutes.
- Uncovered: Bake this casserole uncovered.
- How To Hotel Wrap: When I make this casserole ahead of time, I always Hotel wrap it for storage. There really is a right and wrong way to cover things with cling wrap. Here’s an article on just how to do it! It’s easy-peasy.
Storing + Freezing + Make Ahead
- How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge? The rule of thumb for storing leftovers in the fridge is only up to 3-4 days. Just transfer this green bean casserole with cheese into an airtight container or wrap the casserole dish well with cling wrap.
- Can You Freeze This? No, not really. The sauce will not be as creamy and will become a bit watery. Also, since the casserole is made with frozen french cut green beans, the texture will be compromised if it’s frozen.
- Make-Ahead Tips: Yes! Since I serve this for the holidays, making this ahead of time is important to me! I follow the recipe below but do not bake it. Once everything is in the baking dish, I hotel wrap the dish with plastic wrap (best kitchen trick ever!) and then store it in the fridge for a day or two.
- When I’m ready to serve, I pull the dish out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for about an hour before baking as directed below.
- Food Safety: If you’d like more info on food safety check out this link for green bean casserole storage tips and this link for leftovers.
Serving Recommendations
This is my “must make,”always on the menu, favorite holiday side dish. It goes wonderfully with turkey, ham, or prime rib.
I like to round out my side dish offerings with Paula Deen corn casserole or my super easy sweet corn casserole, sweet potato casserole, make ahead mashed potatoes, and my roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta and sage.
How To Heat Up Green Bean Casserole
When reheating your green bean casserole, it’s best to allow it to come to room temperature. This helps the leftovers heat evenly and gently so they don’t dry out. If you want to reheat the entire leftover casserole dish, cover it with aluminum foil and heat in a 350ºF (177ºC) oven until heated through.
For individual servings, place on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel and reheat in microwave until heated through.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
- Microwave the green beans just to slightly soften them.
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Drain the green beans well with a kitchen towel. Gently wring.
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Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and cook until very tender.
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Remove the saucepan from heat and add in flour and the next 5 ingredients and blend together until smooth paste forms.
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Add cream and blend until the mixture is smooth.
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Add green beans and mix to evenly coat.
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Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish.
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Sprinkle casserole with cheese then bread crumbs. Bake.
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Serve.
****See full instructions below.
More Side Dish Casserole Recipes You’ll LOVE!
- Pineapple Casserole
- Crack Potatoes
- Scalloped Corn
- Sweet Corn Casserole
- Sausage Stuffing
- Funeral Potatoes
- Cabbage Casserole
- Green Beans With Bacon
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Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 (16-ounce) frozen bags french cut green beans
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon dried mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
- 1-2 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
- Cook green beans (3 bags) by microwaving them in a microwave-safe bowl for 2-3 minutes -- just to slightly soften them. Drain well by placing them in a kitchen towel and gently wringing out excess liquid. Set aside.
- Melt butter (6 tablespoons) in a large skillet (large enough to later accommodate all the green beans). Add onions (1/2 cup) and cook until very tender. Remove saucepan from heat and add in flour (3 tablespoons) and the next 5 ingredients and blend together until smooth paste forms. Add cream (3 cups) and blend until mixture is smooth. Replace skillet on medium heat and bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly. Add green beans and mix to evenly coat.
- Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle casserole with cheese (1-2 cups) then bread crumbs (1 1/2 cups). Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until casserole is heated through to the center.
Fans Also Made:
Notes
- Frozen French Cut Green Beans: These green beans are thinly sliced and their length is left whole and long. Regular green beans are whole in width and cut into specific lengths. The french cut green beans create a more delicate dish and all the sauce to bean ratio t be higher. If you are a sauce girl, like me, this is an added bonus!
- Draining the Beans: After you have cooked the beans for a couple of minutes, it is then very important the beans are well-drained. I put them in a colander set in the sink for a couple of minutes then spread them out in a clean kitchen towel and roll them up for 10-15 minutes.
- Bread Crumbs: We have always made our own toasted, seasoned, coarse bread crumbs. Now that panko bread crumbs are easy to find I find, I seem to be using those after I give them a little crush. At many markets they have seasoned Panko which I love even more.
- Sharp Cheddar: this is generally my type of cheddar of choice. I love the extra flavor the sharp brings.
Nutrition
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What can be substituted for the heavy cream to make it low fat
Hey Carol, I’d try whole milk. The thinner, sauce will be quite a bit thinner.
For the Green Bean Casserole do you use the 3 bags of 16 oz frozen green beans? I saw a comment that you were adjusting the amount. Thanks!
Hey DJ. Yes, 3 bags of 16 oz frozen green beans is the correct amount. I believe the original edit was to the number of servings. There was a typo that said the recipe serve 6, when in actuality, it serve 16+.
I’m wanting to make this for Thanksgiving. 3 bags of 16 oz. beans seems like a lot, when the recipe says it serves 6 people. Each bag of beans says it serves 5 people. Just double checking on how many one recipe will serve. Thank you.
Hi Shirley. You’re absolutely correct. I updated the recipe card. Sorry, I missed that!
Great but I adored French fried onions to mix and top as well….needed that extra touch for my grandson. 😇
That’s perfect, Sandra! Thank you 🙂
Can I exchange the heavy cream for fat free evaporated milk? I don’t mean to commit heresy (😁) but I can’t have that much fat.
Hi, Marjie! Hmmm, I’m not sure. <3
My niece love this and asked for seconds!
Yaaay! That’s awesome, Jam! Thank you so much for letting us know
My kids are picky eaters… they don’t eat veggies that much. I always search veggie recipes that are suitable for picky eaters. My oh my, this was a hit! I think I’ll serve this once a week. Thank you so much!
OMG! That’s great news, Dawn! Thank you 🙂
good recipe
Thank you, Susan!