Are you looking for the classic green bean casserole recipe for your Thanksgiving dinner or a holiday dinner coming up? Look no further because I have the perfect recipe for you! The best part is that I made a few changes to make it a little healthier for you without sacrificing the taste.
As a dietitian, it is important to me to provide nourishing recipes for my family but I also fully believe in eating foods that you ENJOY even if they aren’t “low calorie, high protein”, because where would the joy in that be?!
Read on to find the easy green bean casserole recipe and how to store leftovers properly! You may be wondering “How long does green bean casserole last in the fridge?”. I will have all the info for you on what to do with leftovers and how long they are good for!
If you are looking for additional Thanksgiving meal recipes, I have a bunch listed below as well!
Nutritional Benefits
Let’s talk about how nourishing green beans are!
Rich in Vitamins: Packed with vitamins A, C, and K.
Fiber Boost: They're high in fiber, making them your digestive system's best friend. Fiber also helps keep you full for longer!
Storing
After you put so much effort into your Thanksgiving meal and recipes, the last thing you want to do is waste your leftovers!
How Long Does Green Bean Casserole Last in Fridge?
It is best practice to eat your casseroles within 3-4 days of making them when stored properly. Honestly, I have no issue finishing the leftover green bean casserole by then because it is arguably my favorite out of the Thanksgiving sides!
How to Store Green Bean Casserole:
- Place in the fridge within 2 hours of the casserole being fully cooked and on the counter.
- Transfer your casserole into an airtight container or cover it tightly with foil.
Additional Thanksgiving Recipes
APPETIZERS
SIDES
- Crunchy Kale Salad
- Honey Roasted Carrots
- Loaded Mashed Potatoes
- Parmesan Bacon Sourdough Mushroom Stuffing
MAINS
DESSERTS
DRINKS
What You'll Need
Ingredients:
- Fresh Green Beans - I love using fresh ingredients in my recipes, so instead of a canned version or frozen, I opted for fresh green beans!
- Crispy Fried Onions - to make this classic side dish you NEED crispy onions!
- Olive Oil
- Panko Breadcrumbs - I love the extra crunch panko breadcrumbs give!
- Parmesan Cheese - another essential ingredient!
- Milk - I like to use skim milk or sometimes I will use whole milk because we tend to have that on hand with my boys being so young still!
- Cream of Mushroom - I use reduced sodium to make this dish more heart-healthy.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Large pot of salted water
- Strainer
- Slotted spoon
- 9x13 casserole dish
- Knife
- Cutting board
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
Preheat: Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cook fresh green beans: Heat a large pot of water over high-heat until boiling. Trim and cut the green beans. Add the beans to the boiling water, turn down the medium heat, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Strain green beans and set aside.
Mix ingredients: Combine the green beans, cream of mushroom, panko, parmesan cheese, and milk in the large pot, and stir mixture until evenly combined. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and spread the mixture out in an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with the crispy fried onions.
Bake: Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the onion topping is golden and crispy.
Serve: Remove from the oven and serve warm.
The Best Homemade Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh green beans trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10.5 ounces reduced sodium cream of mushroom
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3-4 ounces crispy fried onions
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Heat a large pot of water over high-heat until boiling. Trim and cut the green beans. Add the beans to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Strain green beans and set aside.
- Combine the green beans, cream of mushroom, panko, parmesan cheese, and milk in the large pot, and stir the mixture until evenly combined. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish, and spread the mixture out in an even layer. Sprinkle evenly with the crispy fried onions.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the onion topping is golden and crispy.
- Remove from the oven and serve warm.
Nutrition
Variations/Substitutes
Make your own creamy mushroom sauce: If I were to make a homemade mushroom sauce vs canned soup I would follow this recipe from Culinary Hill.
Use canned green beans vs fresh beans: For ease, canned green beans come in handy! Cooking a Thanksgiving meal is a lot of work so take the shortcuts where you want! I recommend looking for “no salt added” canned green beans.
Change up the topping: Use sliced almonds or buttered bread crumbs instead of french fried onions.
FAQ
A big reason could be that the green beans were not drained well enough. When you have excess water from the beans, the sauce can thin out too much.
Traditionally, green bean casserole is made with canned green beans. My preference is fresh green beans because I love the extra crisp of the green beans but some people may enjoy their green beans to be more tender!
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