Irresistible Campbells Green Bean Casserole

Finding the perfect side dish for holiday gatherings and family dinners can feel like an uphill battle. After all, you want something that’s crowd-pleasing yet easy to make, especially when you’re already juggling multiple dishes and trying to keep everyone happy at the dinner table.

Thankfully, Campbell’s green bean casserole hits all the right notes: it’s comforting and familiar, takes just minutes to throw together, and works beautifully with whatever main course you’re serving.

What Kind of Green Beans Should I Use?

You’ve got three great options for green beans in this classic casserole: canned, frozen, or fresh. Canned green beans are the most convenient since they’re already cooked and just need to be drained and rinsed. Frozen green beans work really well too – just thaw them first and pat dry to remove excess moisture. If you want to go the fresh route, you’ll need to trim the ends and blanch them in boiling water for about 4-5 minutes until they’re tender-crisp before adding them to the casserole. All three options will give you a delicious result, so just pick whatever fits your time and preference.

Options for Substitutions

This classic casserole is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps:

• Cream of Mushroom soup: You can use cream of celery or cream of chicken soup instead. For a homemade version, mix 1 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons flour and season with salt and pepper.
• Green beans: Fresh, frozen, or canned all work great. If using fresh, blanch them for 3-4 minutes first. Frozen beans can go straight into the casserole, while canned should be drained and rinsed.
• French fried onions: No store-bought onions? Make your own by thinly slicing an onion, coating in flour, and frying until golden. You can also use crushed crackers or breadcrumbs mixed with butter for the topping.
• Milk: Heavy cream makes it richer, while chicken broth keeps it lighter. Even water works in a pinch, though you’ll lose some creaminess.
• Soy sauce: Worcestershire sauce gives a similar savory boost, or you can skip it altogether if you don’t have either on hand.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with green bean casserole is using mushy, overcooked green beans that turn into a watery mess – if using fresh beans, blanch them for just 3-4 minutes until crisp-tender, and if using canned beans, drain them thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

Another common error is adding all the French fried onions at once, which makes them soggy instead of crispy – save most of them for the final 5 minutes of baking to keep that satisfying crunch.

Don’t skip mixing the soup base thoroughly before combining it with the beans, as lumpy cream of mushroom soup will create uneven pockets of flavor throughout your casserole.

Finally, resist the urge to overbake this dish – once the edges are bubbling and the top onions are golden brown (usually around 25-30 minutes), it’s ready to come out of the oven.

What to Serve With Green Bean Casserole?

Green bean casserole is a total crowd-pleaser that pairs perfectly with classic comfort foods like roasted chicken, turkey, or a juicy ham. Since it’s creamy and rich, I love serving it alongside lighter sides like cranberry sauce or a fresh mixed greens salad to balance things out. This casserole is also amazing with mashed potatoes and stuffing for the full holiday spread, or try it with some warm dinner rolls for soaking up all that creamy mushroom goodness. For a weeknight dinner, it goes great with grilled pork chops or even a simple baked potato.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This green bean casserole keeps really well in the fridge for up to 4 days in a covered dish. I actually think it tastes even better the next day because all those flavors have time to meld together. Just cover it tightly with foil or transfer to an airtight container.

Freeze: You can freeze this casserole for up to 3 months, but I recommend doing it before adding the crispy onions on top. The onions get soggy when frozen, so it’s better to add fresh ones when you reheat it.

Warm Up: To reheat, cover with foil and bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes until heated through. If you’re reheating from frozen, it’ll take closer to 45 minutes. Add some fresh crispy onions on top during the last 5 minutes to get that nice crunch back.

 

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 600-700
• Protein: 12-16 g
• Fat: 30-36 g
• Carbohydrates: 70-85 g

Ingredients

For the casserole:

• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper (freshly ground preferred)
• 1/2 cup milk (whole milk works best for creaminess)
• 1 tsp soy sauce (adds depth without overpowering)
• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I use Campbell’s for the classic flavor)
• 4 cups green beans (fresh, frozen, or canned; thawed if frozen)

For the topping:

• 1 1/3 cups crispy fried onions, divided (French’s brand is traditional; reserve some for garnish on top)

Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients and Preheat Equipment

• 4 cups green beans
• 1 1/3 cups crispy fried onions, divided

If using frozen green beans, thaw them completely and drain any excess liquid; if using fresh beans, trim and cut into 2-inch pieces, then blanch briefly in salted boiling water before draining; canned beans should simply be drained well.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (or prepare your air fryer for the same temperature).

Measure out your fried onions and divide them into two portions: about 2/3 cup for mixing into the casserole and the remaining 1/3 cup reserved for the crispy topping—I always keep the reserved onions in a small bowl nearby so they stay fresh and don’t absorb any moisture from the air.

Step 2: Build the Creamy Soup Base

• 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp soy sauce

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, milk, and soy sauce until smooth and well combined.

The soy sauce adds a subtle umami depth that enhances the mushroom flavor without making the dish taste salty—whisk it in thoroughly so it distributes evenly throughout the cream base.

Step 3: Combine Green Beans with Sauce and Seasonings

• soup and milk mixture from Step 2
• prepared green beans from Step 1
• 2/3 cup fried onions from Step 1
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Add the drained green beans from Step 1, the 2/3 cup portion of fried onions, and freshly ground black pepper to the soup mixture.

Gently fold everything together until the green beans are evenly coated with the creamy sauce and the onions are well distributed throughout.

Don’t overmix—you want to keep the fried onions intact so they stay as crispy as possible before the final baking.

Step 4: Transfer to Baking Dish and Initial Bake

• green bean mixture from Step 3

Pour the green bean mixture into a 9×9-inch baking dish and spread it into an even layer.

Place in your preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25 minutes (or 10 minutes if using an air fryer), until the mixture is bubbling around the edges and heated through.

Step 5: Stir and Top with Crispy Onion Garnish

• reserved 1/3 cup fried onions from Step 1

Remove the casserole from the heat and give it a gentle stir to redistribute the sauce and ensure even cooking.

Top with the reserved 1/3 cup of fried onions, spreading them evenly across the surface.

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes (or 2 minutes in an air fryer) until the onions are golden and the casserole is bubbling gently—this final bake gives you that perfect contrast between the creamy filling and the crispy, warm topping that everyone loves.