Green Bean Creamy Casserole

Creamy and delicious, this Green Bean Casserole is loaded with green beans, creamy mushroom soup, topped with a crispy, crunchy fried onions. YUM! This easy casserole is crispy, crunchy, and creamy – all in one bite! It is so yummy, your family and friends will be back for more.

Thanksgiving is the one holiday that everyone looks forward to the sides…

So just when we thought we had our menu all set for the holiday: boneless turkey breast, and a spiral glazed ham (for those who don’t eat turkey). Plus, some of our favorite sides like mom’s best-mashed potato pie, our Thanksgiving stuffing Sicilian style, along with honey roasted sweet potatoes with cinnamon, just to name a few.

A friend of mine said to me, have you ever tried a green bean casserole? Well, you have to try our aunt’s recipe for her green bean casserole, because we make it every year for Thanksgiving and it is the best!

I said ok! … I would love to! As always, I love a challenge. So, went out to grab the ingredients and immediately got started “adding my own spin” to her aunt’s recipe…. and here it goes…

To Make This Green Bean Creamy Casserole…

In this recipe, I decided to use fresh green beans, rather than canned ones, simply because the canned green beans are too mushy and I wanted a fresh, crisp texture with this green bean casserole.

In addition, I wanted to add more flavor to the recipe by adding some caramelized onions sauteed with fresh garlic. It not only gave robust flavors to the mushroom sauce but it added texture.

It was worth the extra effort. Trust me.

The green beans are creamy and delicately tender, topped with a delicious crunch on top. So YUMMY!

This casserole turned out so good, that my family enjoyed reheating the leftovers for the next few days! Plus, it’s a great way to get your family to eat more greens.

So let’s get started.

Ingredients For our Green Bean Creamy Casserole… (with affiliate links)

For this recipe, you will need 8 ingredients to make this green bean creamy casserole:

• 1 pound (16 ounces) of fresh French green beans
• extra virgin olive oil
• one medium-size onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• a small carton (11ounces) of condensed cream of portabella mushroom soup
• one (8-ounce) package of a shredded Cheddar & Jack cheeses
• sour cream
• one (8-ounce) can of Trader Joe’s fried onions
• a 2-quart (or 2.5 qt) oval casserole deep baking dish

How to Make Green Bean Creamy Casserole? (*full recipe card below)

1. First Prepare the Green Beans: Rinse the green beans. Blanch them in boiling water with a little salt, so they are tender-crisp. Drain the green beans. Then toss them into a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking. Then grab a handful at a time, put them on a cutting board, and slice them into halves. Set them aside.

2. Make the Mushroom Cream Sauce: Use a deep, non-stick skillet. Saute chopped onion with garlic in olive oil until the onions are golden brown. Pour in the portabella mushroom soup, some water, and heat until it starts to low boil, and stir to combine. Add the green beans and the sour cream and stir.

3. Assemble the Casserole: Transfer the green bean mixture to a 2-quart (or 9 x 12 oval) casserole dish. Sprinkle with a mixture of shredded cheese on top. Transfer to your preheated oven at 400 degrees F (200C).

4. Bake in the Oven: Bake, uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese on top is melted and it bubbles around the edges.

5. Final Step with Fried Onions: Carefully remove the casserole from the oven, and sprinkle with a generous amount of fried onions on top, about 1/2 the can. Return it back to the oven to continue to bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes to crisp the onions. Remove and serve.

Questions & Answers…

• When should we buy the ingredients? It’s a good idea to buy the ingredients one week or earlier before Thanksgiving, to be sure Trader Joe’s will have them and not run out of supply.

• Can we use a different condensed mushroom soup if we cannot find Trader Joe’s brand? Yes, you can. I believe any cream of mushroom soup will suffice, and up to 15-ounces.

• Do we need to trim the green beans? No need to trim the ends of French green beans. These beans are of higher quality in the bean family and work perfectly for this recipe.

• Can we use a different blend of shredded cheeses? Yes, you can. I love the blend of Gruyere and Swiss, but the store ran out, so I chose the cheddar and Monterey Jack blend, and it turned out amazing! All the flavors popped!

• May we use frozen green beans? Although, we prefer fresh green beans, if you wish to try this recipe with frozen, allow the beans to thaw completely, rinse, and drain well before adding them into the skillet with the mushroom sauce. You don’t want a watery casserole.

• Can we make our own homemade mushroom sauce? Yes. You will need to saute the onions, garlic, and sliced mushrooms (about 2 cups), with olive oil until soft. Add some chicken or vegetable broth, season with salt and pepper, and 3 tablespoons of sour cream. Then puree the mixture into a blender until it’s a creamy texture.

• Why is the baking time required less than most casserole recipes? It’s because the mushrooms and green bean mixture has already been simmered and heated in the skillet, leaving less time needed to bake this casserole.

To Prep and Make-Ahead Casserole…

• Follow the directions to prepare this green bean casserole, including sprinkling the mixture of shredded cheese on top. But hold off with the fried onions, they will be added on top when you are ready to bake the casserole.

• Allow the green bean mixture to cool completely inside the casserole dish before covering it. Then cover with foil wrap, transfer to your refrigerator, and chill.

• You can make this green bean casserole up to one day ahead but it’s best to serve it the day you make it.

Reheating and Storing Leftovers…

1. To Reheat Casserole: Always take out the casserole from the refrigerator at least one hour before baking, allowing it to warm up to room temperature. Preheat your oven and bake, covered for 20 to 25 minutes. Then UNCOVER, and continue to bake until the cheeses on top are melted, and the edges are bubbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fried onions on top, return to the oven for an additional 5 to 7 minutes to crisp and heat the fried onions.
2. Storing Leftovers: Transfer any leftovers to a sealed container, and refrigerate. They will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the fridge. You can also, reheat leftovers in the microwave.

This green bean casserole is truly worth adding to your Thanksgiving holiday dinner.

Not only does it taste amazing, but its rich, creamy, and crunchy textures are so flavorful, that everyone will love it!

Try this recipe!

ENJOY!

Additional Recipes for Green Beans…

• Sauteed Green Beans with Onions
• Green Beans and Carrot Salad – Italian Style!
• String Beans Tomato Potato Stew

Any questions? … ask away! If you make this green bean creamy casserole, let us know and leave a comment and a star rating below.  We’d love to hear from you!

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Happy Cooking and Baking! 🙂

Thanks for stopping by…

xo Anna and Liz