Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole

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With crunchy onions, colorful green beans, and gooey cheese topped with breadcrumbs, Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole is a great recipe for first time casserole makers.

If you want to impress at holiday meals without having a ton of ingredients or steps, this casserole is the simple way to make sure that everyone loves your dish.

Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole Recipe

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 that packs in the flavor (without the cream of mushroom soup).

The buttery cracker topping sprinkled over the cheese seals in the rich and savory flavor of the green beans below it.

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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Ingredients Needed

• Sweet onion – In this onion version, I chose fresh onion over fried onion rings. Swap out for white or yellow onion if needed.
• Mushrooms – Most recipes call for the standard mushroom soup, but I prefer the taste of fresh mushrooms. Can substitute canned, sliced mushrooms.
• Sour cream – Substitute for plain Greek yogurt if needed.
• Worcestershire sauce – You can create a replacement sauce with soy sauce, white wine vinegar, and ketchup if you need to. 
• Cut green beans – Although the recipe calls for cans of green beans, you can choose fresh green beans, or substitute with the frozen equivalent.
• Sharp cheddar cheese – Substitute with Swiss cheese if you can’t find cheddar. 
• Ritz crackers – If necessary, melt butter and mix with bread crumbs or panko instead.
• Pantry Staples – Butter, all purpose flour, black pepper, garlic powder, milk.

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How to Make Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole

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

4. Add in green beans and stir until coated.  Move green bean mixture into a prepared baking dish. Top with cheddar cheese.
5. Melt remaining butter in a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs in a small bowl until coated. Cover cheese with buttery crumbs. 
6. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until cheese has melted and butter crackers are golden brown.
7. 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 baking instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Yes, this green bean casserole can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

Leave off the cracker crumbs, and add to the top when you reheat it according to the directions.

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

Can I freeze it?

Store in the freezer for up to 6 months, and thaw in the refrigerator until the next day when ready to eat.

Reheat according to the instructions in the recipe card.

Serving Suggestions

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

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

How do I keep green bean casserole from getting soggy?

It’s best to drain the beans as best you can. And start with just lightly blanched beans that are still crisp tender.

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. 
• Choose green beans that are french cut if possible. If canned, choose cans of french style green beans. 
• To prep your fresh green beans, boil them for around 6 minutes before transferring them to an ice bath using a slotted spoon. 
• Allow guests to add a teaspoon of salt or pepper to taste.
• If you prefer more crunch, swap out the breadcrumb topping for Crunchy French’s onions.

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 beans 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!

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 everyone, and kids of all ages. Grandma’s green bean casserole is easy to make and bound to be a hit!

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