Classic Green Bean Casserole
Follow step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions to make this Classic Green Bean Casserole. This super quick and easy dish is a standard for Thanksgiving Dinner, but it’s a perfect side dish for any meal, any time of the year. Thank you Dorcas Reilly for inventing the Green Bean Casserole back in 1955. Millions of us have been enjoying it for years. Printable recipe included.
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Green Bean Casserole Recipe:
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NOTE: We’re including this dish in our Thanksgiving Menu collection of recipes. You’ll find links to our complete step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions for making a Thanksgiving Dinner the whole family will enjoy. Whether it’s your first time in charge, or just looking for some ideas, be sure to check out the entire listing. Coming Soon, we’re starting with this one.
You’re probably wondering why anyone would go to the trouble to photograph and post a recipe, as easy, or as standard, as this classic Green Bean Casserole recipe. Well, I asked myself the same question, so you’re in pretty good company, as far as I’m concerned. Then, I realized that surely someone, somewhere, would need this recipe before they went shopping for all the ingredients. And, someone, somewhere, will likely be making this dish for the very first time as they plan their very first Thanksgiving Dinner for the family. It’s a worthwhile endeavor!
If you’re like me, you have probably had this dish served at family gatherings, cousin reunions and all kinds of other occasions where family and friends gather together for a large meal. Maybe even a smaller one. It’s become one of the standard side dish items on tables everywhere for more than 50 years. That’s right… it’s an “oldie but goodie.”
In preparing to do the recipe here on Taste of Southern, I decided to do a little research into it’s beginnings. Sure enough, the Internets came through. Did you know that the Green Bean Casserole we either love, or hate, whichever the case may be… was created back in 1955? Were you even born then? Ha!
It seems the Campbell Soup Company is responsible for this classic dish. A lady by the name of Dorcas Reilly is credited with creating it while she worked in the Campbell Soup Company home economics department. Now, if you have to look up “home economics,” you’re just a young’un. I understand they don’t even have those classes in schools these days. What’s up with that?
Ms Reilly led the team that created the recipe. Two people worked on staff for the Campbell Soup Company Home Economics Department at the time. She wanted to come up with an easy recipe based on two things Americans always kept handy, Green Beans and Campbell’s Mushroom Soup. As they say… the rest is history. Thank you Dorcas Reilly. (This will make great trivia conversation around the table, don’t you think?)
I first thought about doing this entirely from scratch. Then, I realized that all the years that mama made this, and that I’ve made this, neither one of us had ever made it from scratch. We just used the recipe that is listed on the can of French’s French Fried Onions, like all your family and friends do. Why make it any harder? Right?
I hope you’ll at least enjoy looking at the recipe. If it’s your first time making it, I’d love to know about that and how it turns out for you. Please take the time to share your thoughts, memories, and Comments with us in the section at the end of the recipe below.
Ready to give it a try? Alright then, Let’s Get Cooking!
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The Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe: You’ll need these ingredients.
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Let’s begin by draining off the water from our Green Beans. You don’t want to be adding that into the recipe.
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Now, fill that can back up with water and give it a good shake or two.
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Then, pour that water off. I’d even suggest that you do this another time or two, just to be sure you’ve rinsed away as much of the original water from the can as possible. Drain the beans real good and just set them aside for the moment.
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In a large mixing bowl, add the Mushroom Soup.
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Add the Evaporated Milk.
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Add the Black Pepper.
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Add the rinsed and drained Green Beans.
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Add part of the French Fried Onions.
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Gently toss it all together until the beans are well coated.
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Spread the mixture out in a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Place the dish in your oven.
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Bake the casserole for about 25-30 minutes, or until it’s bubbling hot. Just watch it closely and don’t let it burn.
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After 30 minutes in the oven, pull the dish back out. Careful, it’s HOT!
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Gently stir it all around. Spread it back out evenly in the casserole dish.
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Spread a generous layer of the French Fried Onions around the inner edge of the dish. Place it back in the oven.
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Place the dish back in the oven and let it bake for about five more minutes, or until the onions on top are lightly browned.
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Let it bake for another five minutes, or just until the onions begin to brown slightly. Don’t let them burn.
Serve warm and Enjoy!
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Classic Green Bean Casserole
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Follow step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions to make this Classic Green Bean Casserole. This super quick and easy dish is a standard for Thanksgiving Dinner, but it’s a perfect side dish for any meal, any time of the year. Thank you Dorcas Reilly for inventing the Green Bean Casserole back in 1955. Millions of us have been enjoying it for years. Printable recipe included.
Ingredients
- 1 can Campbells Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (10 ¾ oz)
- 2 cans Green Beans, drained and rinsed (14 ½ oz)
- 1 1/3 cups French’s French Fried Onions
- ¾ cup Milk
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the Mushroom Soup
- Add the milk.
- Add the Black Pepper.
- Add the Green Beans.
- Add 2/3 cup of the Onions.
- Stir mixture well.
- Spoon into a 1 ½ quart casserole dish.
- Bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes, or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.
- Gently stir the bean mixture, sprinkle the remaining onions on top.
- Bake another 5 minutes, or until the onions on top are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and serve warm.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Frozen Green Beans may be used if preferred.
Keywords: Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe, made from scratch, onions, Thanksgiving, Christmas, southern recipes, easy
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Your Comments: Is this one of your family favorites for Thanksgiving dinner? Do you prepare it at various other times throughout the year, or just on holidays? I’d love to hear your comments about our recipe this week. This is a dish I’ve enjoyed for more years than I can remember. It’s about as common on the dinner table as the turkey come Thanksgiving day around my house. How about you?
It will only take a minute or two for you to share your thoughts and comments with us. And, if you try the dish, be sure to come back and let us know how you liked it. Just know that all Comments are moderated. That just means that I personally read each and everyone of them before they are approved for our family friendly home here on the Internet. I also try to respond to as many of your comments as possible, so be sure to check back shortly for my reply. I’d greatly appreciate it and would love to hear from you.
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Be Blessed!!!
Steve
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Category: Side Dishes
I used cream of chicken soup and also chopped up some portabella mushrooms and water chestnut’s for crunch. came out great, thanks for the recipe.
I’ve also made this with coconut milk (canned) rather than cream of mushroom. Just as lovely, I think! I really like adding sour cream also. Thanks for the basic recipe tho!
★★★★
Every Holiday dinner this is my dish to make-we LOVE it!!
In years pass I do remember a few shakes of soy sauce to be added.
The French Fried onions make it BOMB…
No Need to change anything
★★★★★
Hi Dawn, I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the Green Bean Casserole. It was probably the most viewed recipe on Taste of Southern for Thanksgiving this year. But then, it IS good food. Smile. I appreciate your visit today and I hope you’ll stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Thanks for posting!!
I noticed in the pictures you showed evaporated milk being added, but it’s not listed in the ingredients below. Does this recipe call for evaporated milk?
Hi Anna, I do have a photo of the milk being added, and it’s listed in both the ingredients and the instructions. I just listed it as milk and not evaporated milk, but hope that didn’t cause the confusion. Thank you for the question, and do stop by to visit with us again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Milk or evaporated milk though?
Hi Ramona, It’s Evaporated Milk. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi Steve,
Can this casserole be made without onions or will that change the taste?
Hi Kasia, The onions certainly make the dish what it is, but if you dislike them, it should be okay to leave them out. I hope this helps. Thank you for the question and for your visit to Taste of Southern. Please stop by again… real soon. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Crazy timing – literally made this exact recipe tonight, before I found this blog! I found the recipe on All Recipes.com and substituted some of the milk with sour cream per some of the reviews that said it made it less soupy. I was pretty happy with it. Might would add Worcestershire sauce and/or minced onions for extra flavor as a variation
Hi Meghan, The recipe is straight off the can of French’s French Fried Onions. I made it strictly according to the recipe, but your changes and suggestions sound pretty good. Thanks for sharing. Will you be making them for Thanksgiving?
I’m thankful that you found our site, appreciate all of your comments, and I hope you’ll visit with us often. Be Blessed!!! -Steve
Hi, I add a little worchesire and a little soy and dash of apple cider vinegar to the green beans first to sit for a minute and absorb the flavor. The vinegar gives it that fresh garden canned taste 🙂 Little secret. I also use french style green beans because the sauce coats them better. And it’s the sauce we love right. I also buy portabella or good mushrooms and add that to the recipe too when I add the cream of mushroom soup. I then add salt and pepper and mushrooms and sour cream and I don’t add any french fried onions in the mix, only on top with sharp cheddar cheese and my family complains unless they get lot’s of cheese. I wrap the pan tight with aluminum foil and cook on about 300 degrees for 15 to 30 minutes but watch the onions so that they don’t scorch but they absorb the flavor as well and believe you me this is a very rich tasty side dish. Don’t make it to thin. I have had gatherings and always my dish goes first over every other green bean casserole brought. To make a good batch use 4 cans beans, one can cream mushroom and 1 small container of sour cream and a regular can of fried onions to garnish.
Thanks, TjMcGhee, I’m using the Worchshire, soy sauce and a dash of the apple cider vinegar as you suggest using in your greenbean casserole dish when you preparedit. Hey, I figure it only adds to the goodness of the recipe.
Great idea on the vinegar. I also think the milk makes it too thin so I use 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup with 4 cans of green beans, 2 french style & 2 regular with 1 can of French’s onions. And I put the green beans in the bowl first then the soup so you don’t spend all day trying to get the soup off of the bottom of the bowl.