Grandma's Green Bean Casserole Recipe

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With crunchy onions, colorful green beans, and gooey cheese topped with breadcrumbs, Grandma’s green bean casserole is a delicious twist on a classic side dish.

scoop of casserole in a white dish with a red napkin

Perfect for a weeknight dinner or a holiday side dish, this is the best green bean casserole to make if you want an original recipe but with extra in the flavor (without adding cream of mushroom soup).

The buttery cracker topping keeps the green beans below it, tender and juicy and a creamy gravy.

Although there are a lot of similar recipes out there, this one is unique in that it’s fast to make and even if it’s the first time, second time, or twentieth time you’re making it, your family will never get sick of it!

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individual ingredients for a casserole in separate bowls

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.

Ingredient Notes

Sweet onion – In this onion version, I chose fresh onion over fried onion rings. I like the flavor it adds to the green beans.
Mushrooms – Most recipes call for the standard mushroom soup, but I prefer the taste of fresh mushrooms. Can substitute canned, sliced mushrooms and drain them first.
Cut green beans – Although the recipe calls for cans of green beans, you can choose fresh green beans (blanch them first) or substitute with frozen.
Ritz crackers – If necessary, melt butter and mix with bread crumbs or panko instead.

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How To Make Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Melt a tablespoon of butter in large skillet over medium heat. Increase to medium-high heat, saute onions and mushrooms until tender.

soup mixture in a skillet with a spatula

Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 2-3 minutes to coat, until raw flour taste is gone. Pour in milk and stir until thickened. Reduce to low heat and simmer, stirring the sour cream, spices, and Worcestershire sauce into the mixture of flour until smooth and cook for 1-2 minutes more.

Add in green beans and stir until coated. Spread the green bean mixture into the prepared baking dish and top with cheddar cheese. Melt remaining butter in a small bowl, and stir in the cracker crumbs until the combined. Cover cheese with buttery crumbs.

green bean casserole in a rectangle dish half covered with crackers and cheese

Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and butter crackers are golden brown. Remove and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Serve warm and have guests add a teaspoon salt or pepper to taste!

For the full recipe and detailed cooking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

baked green bean casserole in a white rectangle dish

Storage

If you happen to have any leftovers, store them in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350 F oven until warmed through. Sprinkle with fresh cracker crumbs if reheating in the oven to get that crunchy topping again.

Prep Ahead

You can make this ahead of time and store in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap.

I suggest keeping the cheese and cracker crumb topping off until you’re ready to bake it. This keeps them from getting soggy.

If it gets a little dry, stir in some chicken broth to add in some moisture before putting it in the oven or microwave.

How To Freeze

Once you bake it, cool it completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and and aluminum foil or a freezer container. You can freeze it for up to 6 months which is great when you want to get ahead with holiday cooking.

When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat when ready. I also recommend leaving off the cracker crumb topping until ready to bake. It’s ok to add the cheese before freezing.

Serving Suggestions

Since this is a Thanksgiving style meal, it goes well with any sides that you’d typically find on the table – from cranberry sauce to mashed potatoes and biscuits!

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without the cranberry somewhere. How about skipping the can poured out into a dish and make this cranberry casserole.

And the other delicious parts of this holiday are the amazing desserts. I love a simple bundt cake slathered with white chocolate cream cheese frosting. You can’t go wrong with this!

How do I keep green bean casserole from getting soggy?

Start with lightly blanched or steamed green beans to avoid too much water being released when they cook in the casserole.
And be sure to drain any green beans as much as possible.

fork of grandma's green bean casserole over a plate

Tips For The Best Casserole

If you’re a cheese lover, the only things that you need to mix are your cracker crumbs with some parmesan cheese for an extra gooey topping!
For more crunch on top of your casserole, you can add french fried onions to the topping.
The french style cut green beans are “fancy” looking but because they are thinner, they will cook quicker. You might need to adjust the baking time a little.
To prep your fresh green beans, boil them for around 6 minutes before transferring them to an ice bath using a slotted spoon. Drain completely.

Green Bean Casserole Recipes

I can eat green bean casserole all the time and even thought I love it so, I do like to add some extras to it to shake things up a bit. Some of my favorite twists is this green bean bundle casserole, this copycat Magnolia Table green bean casserole, and this cracked green bean recipe in casserole form.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, pin this to your favorite casserole Pinterest board and share it on your favorite social media channels!

pinterest pin image for grandma's green bean casserole

This recipe is not your mother’s green bean casserole – it’s your grandmother’s! With savory green beans, crunchy onions, and loaded with cheese, this recipe has a little bit of something for kids of all ages!