Classic green bean casserole is creamy and flavorful with crunchy French fried onions mixed in and on top. This favorite holiday side dish is just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to prep!

First, a quick happy birthday to my dad! He's absolutely the best dad out there, and I feel so lucky all the time that he's my dad. We celebrated a couple of nights ago, but since today is the day, I had to mention it!

OK, let's talk food. (This is one of my dad's favorite holiday dishes so it's so appropriate to share today!)

Today, I’m so excited to share with you this classic green bean casserole recipe.

This is the version near and dear to my heart that my mom and grandmother always made when I was growing up.

And it’s the version I keep coming back to as an adult myself.

It’s a Thanksgiving favorite, but it works great for other holidays too. Anytime you need a bit of comfort food from your side dishes, this has you covered.

Plus, this green bean casserole is just 4 ingredients. Talk about making life easy!

Ingredients for green bean casserole:

1. A large can of green beans
2. A can of cream of mushroom soup
3. ¼ cup of milk
4. A large can of French fried onions

Easy peasy all the way.

AND, it takes all of 5 minutes to put together.

Seriously, you just mix the green beans, soup, milk and part of the fried onions and plop it in your casserole dish. Then it’s ready to put in the oven. (The rest of the onions go on top of the casserole towards the end for maximum crunch.)

It can be such a relief to have a super simple side dish when you’ve got a million things to make. Especially when it’s a classic like this that everyone will love!

Oh, and if you're feeling tight on oven space, check out this slow cooker green bean casserole that is just as easy and tastes just like the classic.

OK, let’s get cooking.

(You can also check out my Google web story for this green bean casserole recipe.)

Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make green bean casserole. Just tryin’ to be helpful.

If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.

Notes on making green bean casserole:

• Green beans: Make sure you get the BIG can of green beans - the 28 oz. one. Or  you could use two smaller cans.
• Soup: The recipe calls for a can of cream of mushroom soup. You could also use a can of cream of celery soup. And if you want to skip the can and make the creamy mixture yourself, you definitely can. I have details on that below and in the notes of the recipe card.
• Milk: I use skim milk because that’s what we have on hand. You could also use a 1% or 2% milk or even try an alternative milk. It’s just ¼ cup so it shouldn’t make a huge difference.
• French fried onions: These crunchy babies come in a container and we’re going for the BIG one here - the 6 oz. can. I mean, extra fried onions can only be a good thing, right? This way, you’ve got tons throughout the casserole and a nice crunchy layer on the top as well.
• Servings: This casserole serves 6-8. Feel free to double the recipe and use a larger baking dish if you have a lot of guests to serve. (Or make two separate baking dishes.)

Now, as promised…

Want to skip the cream of soup can?

I totally get it. And I’ve done that several years myself when my mom and I were tag-teaming the Thanksgiving meal together and had the time and energy.

(Last year, in 2020, I was on my own for the entire Thanksgiving dinner and definitely took the shortcut of buying the can. So keep it easy if you need to! Zero judgement.)

Here’s the basics of how to make it homemade to use in this casserole. I’ve included this in the notes of the recipe card below, as well.

How to make homemade cream of mushroom soup:

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it's melted and foaming, add 8 ounces of thinly sliced button mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and have released most of their liquids.
2. Add ¾ cup of low-sodium chicken broth, ¼ teaspoon onion powder and ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder then bring the soup to a simmer.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup milk (skim is fine) and ¼ cup all-purpose flour.
4. Stir the milk mixture into the soup and mix well. Cook for about 1 minute, until the soup has thickened. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Ta-da! That's it. Pretty easy really.

Now, I know it’s Thanksgiving or a holiday or special occasion and so we love to make things ahead.

But honestly, this casserole takes 5 minutes to put together. And you don’t want the French fried onions to get soggy. So it’s best to put it together just before baking instead of the day before.

(If you get anxious about timing like my mom tends to do for holiday meals, feel free to gather the cans and ingredients and place them in the casserole dish on a side counter in the kitchen. You’ll know you’ve got it all ready to go.)

Quick side break…

Since we’re talking Thanksgiving and holiday meals, check out these other holiday favorites to round out your table:

- Classic Thanksgiving dressing will be your favorite side dish at the big meal! It’s made with simple ingredients, can be prepped ahead and comes out so flavorful.

- My mom’s classic deviled eggs are a must-have at any holiday meal. I have all the info you need for success and some fun ideas for toppings.

- This easy cranberry sauce takes just 15 minutes to make and beats the pants off of anything from a can.

- Bourbon sweet potato casserole is topped with buttery pecans and smells oh so amazing when it’s baking!

- Instant Pot mashed potatoes are a great way to have one of your side dishes separate from the oven and stove. They are creamy and dreamy.

- Roasted carrots are simply seasoned and come out buttery and the just right balance of sweet and savory.

- Slow cooker turkey breast is my fool-proof way to ensure a perfectly cooked, perfectly juicy, perfectly flavorful bone-in turkey breast every single time. No guesswork involved.

- And this easy turkey gravy is the ultimate in delicious! It can cover up a multitude of sins with a slightly dry or overcooked turkey if you still make yours in the oven.

OK, back to today's recipe.

Last thing, let’s talk about leftovers of green bean casserole.

How to store leftover green bean casserole

- The leftovers of this casserole, if there are any, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The French fried onions tend to soften, however.

- You can reheat in the microwave, but that’ll soften the fried onions even more.

- If you want to regain some of the crunch, I recommend reheating it in the oven or a toaster oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until heated through.

I think that covers it. But if you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below. I’m happy to help!

I hope you and your family enjoy this classic green bean casserole year after year as much as we do.

Happy cooking, happy holidays and enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn