Easy Green Bean Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are frozen or canned green beans better for casserole? ›

When I make green bean casserole, I skip canned beans all together. Frozen green beans are the best green beans to use for green bean casserole.

Green Bean Casserole from Scratch FAQs

Cover and freeze until you are ready to bake. You can bake start from frozen without adding the onions until the casserole has already baked for about 20 minutes. Should green bean casserole be soupy? No, your green bean casserole should not be soupy.

Mistake #5: A Runny Casserole

If you don't, the excess water from the beans can leak out into the casserole and make it thin and runny. If you sense it's a little watery, "add a thickener like roux or starch to absorb the additional liquid or cook a little longer," she says.

Mix cream of mushroom soup, milk and pepper in 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Stir in green beans and 2/3 cup Crispy Fried Onions. Make green bean casserole with canned, frozen (thawed) or fresh green beans.

Even if you are not concerned about sodium, in most cases it's a good idea to rinse canned beans. Rinsing beans can improve the flavor and texture of the final dish and can help cut down on how much gas they produce.

The Casserole Is Too Soupy

If you used frozen green beans, but didn't fully defrost and drain them prior to adding them to the casserole, that mistake will surely account for the excess water you're now experiencing.

✿ 4 cups of green beans is about 1½ pounds fresh or 16 ounces frozen or 2 cans (15 ounces each) drained.

Overcooking the beans won't just drain them of their appealing color, but it will also make them too soft and mushy, resulting in a less appetizing casserole.

Fans love the dish in part because of how simple it is to throw together. It calls for ingredients that could be found in a typical home kitchen pantry: canned or fresh green beans, mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce and black pepper.

Allow the casserole to sit at room temperature for about an hour before it goes in the oven. If you're serving your green bean casserole as part of a traditional turkey dinner, the perfect time to bake it is while the turkey rests.

How to make green bean casserole thicker? ›

Add a thickener

While your green bean casserole is on the stove, incorporate a thickener into the vegetables, such as cornstarch or flour. According to The Kitchn, you can combine cornstarch and a small amount of water or broth in a cup and stir until the lumps are gone, and it becomes a thick yet drizzly consistency.

Stuffing, cornbread, and rice are also great options that will add some variety to your meal. If you're looking for something a little lighter, a shaved Brussels sprouts salad or roasted sweet potatoes might be just what you need. Another great option is to serve a protein alongside your green bean casserole.

Canned green beans are already cooked. You only need to heat them and serve. Since they are very tender you should choose a fast reheating method. Melting a little butter in a saute pan until hot and tossing the drained beans in the butter will work.

Green Beans: Depends

Sure, frozen green beans may be higher in nutrients than canned, but we feel the optimal choice depends on how you're going to utilize them. If you're serving them solo, frozen green beans are the way to go. If they're being added to a cooked dish or casserole, canned green beans are just as handy.

In general, frozen produce is better than canned. Vegetables are blanched (put briefly into boiling water) before freezing, and they'll lose some nutrients but not a ton. Really, any way you keep produce means it'll have less nutrients – even just having it sit around for too long.

They don't have any added sodium, and they're also cooked a lot less. As a result, they come out of the oven with the perfect balance of flavor and texture. If you find your green bean casserole is turning out salty and mushy, those canned green beans might be to blame.

This one is totally your personal preference. Some folks prefer the taste and texture of canned beans, while others prefer frozen ones. Personally? I prefer frozen green beans as I think they have a fresher taste, and less nutrient loss.