Easy Green Bean Casserole with Canned Green Beans
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This easy green bean casserole with canned green beans combines a creamy mushroom sauce with a generous layer of crispy French’s fried onions. It’s a simple side for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or a regular family dinner.
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Easy Green Bean Casserole with Cream of Mushroom Soup
I’ve been working my way through my mom’s and granny’s recipes so I can get them written down for my kids and the rest of the family. So many of our favorites were passed along without written instructions or measured amounts. We mostly just eyeball everything until it looks and tastes right!
I’ve already shared Mom’s cornbread dressing, her pea salad, and Granny’s homemade banana pudding. Our sweet potato casserole, black cherry Jell-O salad, and cranberry salad are here, too. Little by little, I’m getting our family favorites in one place.
Green bean casserole is another one we usually make without a written recipe. Everybody seems to make theirs a little differently, and this is our family’s simple version. My daughter says it’s one of her favorite dishes on the holiday table. With all those other sides to choose from, that always makes me laugh!
I keep my casserole simple, with canned green beans and canned mushroom soup, just the way my mom always made it. My biggest recommendation is to use French’s fried onions. I’ve tried other brands, and to me, they just don’t taste as good. I don’t mix any into the filling. I keep them all on top.
Why Make This Green Bean Casserole?
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Simple ingredients: Four main ingredients, plus a little black pepper.
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Easy to scale: Make a smaller dish for dinner or a larger casserole for the holidays.
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Prep-ahead option: Mix the filling the day before and keep the onion topping separate until baking.
Ingredients and Substitutions
(Ingredients at a glance; you will find the full list and amounts in the recipe card below.)
- Canned green beans: I use regular-cut green beans, and my mom likes French-style. Either style works, so use whichever you prefer. Just drain them well before mixing.
- Condensed cream of mushroom soup: Campbell’s is my preference for flavor. I use the Heart Healthy version, but regular or reduced-fat condensed cream of mushroom soup works too. Use it straight from the can without preparing it as soup.
- Milk: A little milk loosens the condensed soup so it coats the beans. Use the amount in the recipe rather than the liquid listed in the soup’s serving directions.
- Black pepper: Add to taste. Check the seasoning before adding salt, since the soup and fried onions already contribute salt.
- French’s crispy fried onions: Use enough to generously cover your casserole. I don’t measure them, and you can use more or less depending on how much topping you like. French’s is the brand I recommend for flavor.
Good to Know: Canned Green Beans Are Already Cooked
You don’t need to boil canned green beans before putting them in the casserole. Drain them and add them directly to your baking dish. Baking heats the filling and crisps the topping.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole with Canned Green Beans
1 Prep the beans: Heat the oven to 350°F. Drain the green beans and place them in a 1½- to 2-quart baking dish.
2 Mix the sauce: In a separate small bowl, stir together the condensed mushroom soup, milk, and black pepper until smooth.
3 Combine: Pour the sauce over the green beans and gently stir everything together until the beans are coated.
4 Add the topping: Spread enough French’s fried onions over the filling to generously cover the top.
5 Bake: Bake uncovered, starting to check at about 20 minutes, until the filling is hot throughout and bubbling and the onions are golden and crisp.
💡 Pro Tip:
If the onions brown before the center is hot, loosely cover the top with foil and continue baking. The topping’s color alone doesn’t tell you whether the filling is ready.
Recipe Tips
- Drain the beans thoroughly so the liquid from the cans doesn’t thin out the sauce.
- Mix the sauce in a separate bowl. Put the drained beans in the casserole dish, mix the soup, milk, and pepper in a small bowl, then pour it over the beans and gently stir.
- Choose a dish with room for the filling and topping. A 1½- to 2-quart baking dish suits this two-can batch. A deeper casserole can take longer to heat through.
- Use the baking time as a guide. My batch takes about 20 minutes at 350°F with room-temperature ingredients. Cold filling and different dish depths can need longer.
- Keep the topping separate when assembling ahead so the onions don’t sit in the sauce overnight.
- Allow extra time for larger batches or refrigerated filling. Check doneness rather than automatically doubling the baking time.
How Much Green Bean Casserole Should I Make?
This recipe makes approximately 8 small servings for a holiday meal with several other sides, or 6 larger servings alongside an everyday dinner.
If you need a bigger batch, the basic ratio is two cans of green beans, one can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, and ¼ cup milk. Double that to four cans of beans, two cans of soup, and ½ cup milk, or keep multiplying for the amount you need. Add pepper to taste and enough fried onions to generously cover the top.
For a doubled batch, a 9-by-13-inch (3-quart) baking dish is a useful option, or divide the mixture between smaller dishes. Allow extra baking time as needed rather than automatically doubling it. Serving counts are estimates, so allow for bigger portions if your family loves green bean casserole or you want leftovers.
Variations
I usually stick with the simple mushroom-soup version, but there are a few ways to change it up.
- Extra onions: Mix some additional fried onions into the filling before baking if that’s how you like it. I keep mine all on top.
- Cheese: Stir shredded cheddar into the filling for a cheesy version.
- Bacon: Add cooked, crumbled bacon.
- Extra mushrooms: Cook sliced mushrooms first to release their moisture before adding them.
Can You Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time?
Yes! Assemble the filling up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate it without the fried onions.
For the last few years, I’ve been making this green bean casserole the night before our holiday meal. I mix the filling, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate it overnight, saving the onions until I’m ready to bake.
When you’re ready to cook, (I always remove my green bean casserole a few hours before cooking to bring it to room temperature- that way it doesn’t take as long to cook) remove the plastic wrap and heat the filling at 350°F until hot throughout and bubbling. Add the onions and return to the oven until golden and crisp, checking after about five minutes. Refrigerated filling takes longer to heat than a freshly assembled batch.
Be careful with a cold baking dish. Sudden temperature changes can crack some glass or ceramic dishes, so check your manufacturer’s instructions before moving a dish straight from the refrigerator into a hot oven. A suitable metal baking pan is another option.
For more dishes you can prep early, see my make-ahead Thanksgiving side dishes.
Storage Suggestions
Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, covered containers within two hours (one hour above 90°F) and use within three to four days. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm the casserole in a 350°F oven until the center reaches 165°F. Loosely cover the top if the onions are browning too much.
The topping softens during storage. Add a few fresh fried onions near the end of reheating if you’d like more crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you drain the green beans for green bean casserole?
Yes. Drain the liquid from the cans before adding the beans to the dish. The condensed soup and measured milk provide the liquid this recipe needs.
Why is my green bean casserole watery?
Undrained beans or too much milk can thin the sauce. Drain thoroughly and follow the milk measurement in the recipe. If the filling needs more baking time, protect the onions from excess browning while it continues to cook.
Can I use French-style green beans?
Yes. Regular-cut or French-style canned green beans both work. I prefer regular-cut, but use the style you like best.
Can I use frozen green beans?
I haven’t made this recipe with frozen green beans. I use canned beans for that familiar, homestyle flavor and texture of my mom’s casserole, so the directions here are for canned beans.
Do the fried onions go inside the casserole or on top?
In my version, all the onions go on top. You can mix extra onions into the filling if you prefer, but you don’t need to.
Can I freeze green bean casserole?
I haven’t tested freezing my version. The beans may soften and the sauce may change texture after thawing. For this simple canned-bean version, assembling it a day ahead in the refrigerator is the more straightforward make-ahead option. Keep the onion topping separate.
More Thanksgiving Recipes You Might Like
Did You Make This Green Bean Casserole?
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Easy Green Bean Casserole with Canned Green Beans
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: Sides
- Method: oven
Description
Canned green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce with a generous French’s fried onion topping. A simple side for holidays or family dinners
Ingredients
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) regular-cut green beans, drained
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/4 cup milk
- Black pepper to taste
- French’s crispy fried onions, enough to generously cover the top
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Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Drain the green beans thoroughly and place them in a 1½- to 2-quart baking dish.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together the condensed soup, milk, and pepper until smooth.
- Pour the sauce over the green beans and gently mix until the beans are coated.
- Spread enough French’s fried onions over the top to generously cover the filling.
- Bake uncovered, starting to check at about 20 minutes, until the filling is hot and bubbling and the onions are golden and crisp. Check that the center reaches 165°F. If the onions brown before the center is hot, loosely cover the top with foil and continue baking.
- Serve warm.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th of recipe
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