Classic Green Bean Casserole

Whether you make a big pan of classic Green Bean Casserole for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, a potluck, or just everyday dinner, this creamy favorite is sure to please. With its layer of tender, creamy green beans topped with that ever-present layer of crispy fried onions, folks just won't be able to wait to dig in!

I must admit, I have fond memories of classic Green Bean Casserole from my childhood.

My husband, on the other hand? He does not.

To me, Green Bean Casserole is creamy comfort food that brings back good memories of potluck dinners and family holiday get-togethers. Inevitably, someone always whipped up a big pan of this tasty classic.

With its layer of tender, creamy green beans topped with that ever-present layer of crispy fried onions, I just couldn't wait to grab a spoon full.

Whether you make a big pan of classic Green Bean Casserole for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, a potluck, or just everyday dinner, this creamy favorite is sure to please.

But to my husband Mark, Green Bean Casserole more-often-than-not was viewed as a gloppy mess of mushy green beans. And a dish at church suppers to be avoided at all costs.

Of course given my love for the stuff, I just couldn't understand his thinking.

So I decided to make him a pan myself to see if I could change his view.

One thing I absolutely did not need to change his view on was the casserole's classic topping of French's Fried Onions. Those things he loves! And will even eat those by the handful as a snack.

I'm happy to report, my attempt at changing his view of Green Bean Casserole was successful! This pan, he actually liked. So much so, that he went back for seconds at dinner and ate up the leftovers the next day.

I do believe the difference in my pan vs. the green bean casseroles he ate as a child is the type of green beans I used. Which leads to the question ...

What kind of beans are best to use in green bean casserole?

That's a question I asked myself on this go-around of making it. I had my own thinking and suspicions, and decided to do a little testing to figure that out for sure.

I tested three different types of green beans:

Frozen French cut green beans
Canned French style green beans, and
Canned cut green beans

Our findings were that frozen French cut green beans produce a far superior finished casserole. The texture and the taste was leaps and bounds better than either of the canned bean varieties.

And it was indeed the version made with frozen French cut green beans that changed my husband Mark's view of classic Green Bean Casserole for the better.

If you prefer to make green bean casserole with canned beans, however, we recommend canned cut green beans. To us, the canned French style green beans produced a casserole that was a mushy mess with an unpleasing texture.

Our findings were that frozen French cut green beans produce a far superior finished casserole.

Now, I also include a teaspoon of soy sauce when mixing up the casserole's cream of mushroom soup mixture.

You might ask, what difference can a single teaspoon of soy sauce make? My short answer - a lot.

My longer answer - The soy sauce does two things. 1. Even though it's just a teaspoon, that little touch of soy sauce adds a bit of richness of flavor that's just not there without it. And 2. It takes away the "canned" taste of the cream of mushroom soup. I don't know how it does it, but it just does.

It's a really simple add to the recipe that brings about a really good boost in flavor.

You may be asking, what can I use instead of French fried onions on top of my green bean casserole?

While those crispy French's Fried Onions are a staple ingredient that give classic green bean casserole its characteristic crunch and taste, if you're just not a fan there are alternatives.

Perhaps give Corn Flakes cereal, crushed potato chips, Ritz or Keebler Club cracker crumbs, cubed stuffing mix, sliced almonds, or croutons a try. For croutons, measure out about a cup and then give them a slight gentle crush so they're not so big. We especially found Caesar-flavored croutons to work pretty well.

Whether you make a big pan of Green Bean Casserole for Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, a potluck, or just everyday dinner, this creamy classic is sure to please. With its layer of tender, creamy green beans topped with that ever-present layer of crispy fried onions, folks just won't be able to wait to dig in!

You might also enjoy these other vegetable casserole favorites:

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green beans, green bean casserole, green bean casserole recipe, Thanksgiving sides

Side Dishes

Yield: 10-12 servings

Author: Tracey |