Easy Green Bean Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are frozen or canned green beans better for casserole? ›

Green beans from a can have already been cooked to death right in the can and harbor plenty of sodium that could make your casserole too salty. Frozen French-cut green beans are a better option. They hold their texture better than canned, and you can cook them straight from their frozen state.

Green Bean Casserole from Scratch FAQs

Cover and freeze until you are ready to bake. You can bake start from frozen without adding the onions until the casserole has already baked for about 20 minutes. Should green bean casserole be soupy? No, your green bean casserole should not be soupy.

Mistake #5: A Runny Casserole

If you don't, the excess water from the beans can leak out into the casserole and make it thin and runny. If you sense it's a little watery, "add a thickener like roux or starch to absorb the additional liquid or cook a little longer," she says.

A green bean casserole makes the Thanksgiving holiday complete, and this version can be on the table in no time at all thanks to just four ingredients from your pantry or fridge: canned green beans, condensed mushroom soup, French-fried onions, and shredded Cheddar cheese.

Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish. Open your cans of beans using a can opener. There may be sharp edges from opening the can.

The Casserole Is Too Soupy

If you used frozen green beans, but didn't fully defrost and drain them prior to adding them to the casserole, that mistake will surely account for the excess water you're now experiencing.

✿ 4 cups of green beans is about 1½ pounds fresh or 16 ounces frozen or 2 cans (15 ounces each) drained.

Overcooking the beans won't just drain them of their appealing color, but it will also make them too soft and mushy, resulting in a less appetizing casserole.

Add a thickener

The extra thickening should thicken the sauce, and if the mixture is still runny, repeat the process. The site also reports that you should use 1 tbsp of corn starch if thickening a small portion and up to 4 tbsp of corn starch for large batches.

French green beans (also called Haricots Verts) are slightly longer and skinnier than regular green beans and may be a little bit more expensive. They are harvested earlier then regular green beans, so they are thought to be more tender and more flavorful.

What goes well with green bean casserole? ›

Start making a slurry, a tool for thickening sauces, by whisking a small amount of cornstarch or flour with water or broth. Whisk until there aren't visible lumps. It should be thick but drizzly in consistency. As you constantly stir, add small amounts of the slurry to the filling.

Fans love the dish in part because of how simple it is to throw together. It calls for ingredients that could be found in a typical home kitchen pantry: canned or fresh green beans, mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce and black pepper.

Frozen vs. Canned: In general, frozen vegetables are better than canned. Fresh vegetables are blanched before freezing, and they do lose some nutrients but not a lot. Produce frozen right at its peak has more nutrients than produce that is picked too early, held, and shipped for thousands of miles.

As EatingWell explains, frozen green beans hold their shape far better than canned ones do. They don't have any added sodium, and they're also cooked a lot less. As a result, they come out of the oven with the perfect balance of flavor and texture.

In general, frozen produce is better than canned. Vegetables are blanched (put briefly into boiling water) before freezing, and they'll lose some nutrients but not a ton. Really, any way you keep produce means it'll have less nutrients – even just having it sit around for too long.

This one is totally your personal preference. Some folks prefer the taste and texture of canned beans, while others prefer frozen ones. Personally? I prefer frozen green beans as I think they have a fresher taste, and less nutrient loss.