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.

Easy Green Bean Casserole with Canned Green Beans

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

Units Scale

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