Thanksgiving hosting
The short answer: Here's how to make green bean casserole the classic way: stir two drained cans of green beans into one can of cream of mushroom soup, 3/4 cup milk, a teaspoon of soy sauce and half the fried onions. Bake it at 350°F for 25 minutes, stir, add the rest of the onions and bake 5 minutes more. That fills a 1 1/2-quart dish and serves about 6.
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Prep time: 10 minCook time: 35 minTotal time: 50 minServings: 6 servingsTotal includes 5 min of resting, chilling or rising.
Below you'll find a from-scratch version, amounts for a crowd and a make-ahead plan.
I love cooking, and I'll watch just about any cooking show, but on Thanksgiving the sides compete for one oven. The Meal Planner & Grocery List: Thanksgiving Edition ($4.99) keeps the menu, grocery list and day-of timeline on paper, so the casserole has a slot before the turkey comes out.
Green bean casserole ingredients and amounts
| Ingredient | Classic batch (serves 6) | Double batch (serves 10 to 12) |
|---|---|---|
| Green beans | Two 14.5-oz cans, 16 oz frozen or 1 1/2 lb fresh | Four cans, 32 oz frozen or 3 lb fresh |
| Condensed cream of mushroom soup | One 10.5-oz can | Two cans |
| Milk | 3/4 cup | 1 1/2 cups |
| Soy sauce | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Black pepper | 1/8 tsp | 1/4 tsp |
| French fried onions | 1 1/3 cups, divided | 2 2/3 cups, divided |
| Dish | 1 1/2-quart casserole | 9x13 baking dish |
Plan about 1/2 cup of casserole per guest. If your family treats it as the favorite side, make the double batch even for 8.
How to make green bean casserole step by step
- Heat the oven. Set it to 350°F.
- Prep the beans. Drain canned beans well. Thaw and pat dry frozen beans. Boil fresh beans for 4 to 5 minutes, then rinse them in cold water.
- Mix the sauce. In the baking dish, stir the soup, milk, soy sauce and pepper until smooth.
- Fold it together. Add the beans and two-thirds of a cup of the onions. Stir until every bean is coated.
- Bake. Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, until the sauce bubbles at the edges.
- Top and finish. Stir, then scatter the rest of the onions over the top. Bake 5 minutes more, until the onions are golden.
- Rest. Let it stand 5 minutes. The sauce thickens as it cools slightly.
Green bean casserole from scratch
A from-scratch version swaps the canned soup for a quick mushroom sauce. It adds about 20 minutes and tastes fresher. For a lighter green bean side on the same table, make sauteed green beans with garlic.
| Step | What to do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Blanch | Boil 1 1/2 lb trimmed fresh beans, then chill in ice water | 5 minutes |
| Mushrooms | Cook 8 oz sliced mushrooms and 2 minced garlic cloves in 3 tbsp butter | 8 minutes |
| Thicken | Stir in 3 tbsp flour and cook 1 minute | 1 minute |
| Sauce | Whisk in 1 cup broth and 1 cup milk; simmer until it coats a spoon | 5 minutes |
| Season | Add salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg | 1 minute |
| Bake | Fold in beans, bake at 375°F, add onions at the end | 20 to 25 minutes |
For homemade crispy onions, slice one onion very thin, toss the rings in flour and salt, and pan-fry them in a shallow layer of oil until golden. Stay at the stove the whole time. The NFPA cooking safety guide says Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires. It advises staying in the kitchen while frying and keeping a lid beside the pan.
Easy twists on the classic
- Cheesy: Stir 1/2 cup shredded cheddar into the sauce and sprinkle more on top with the onions.
- Bacon: Fold in 4 slices of cooked, crumbled bacon.
- No mushrooms: Use cream of chicken or cream of celery soup.
- Crunchy: Mix the onion topping with 1/2 cup panko and a tablespoon of melted butter.
- Lighter: Use a reduced-fat soup and low-fat milk, and halve the onion topping.
- Slow cooker: Cook the beans and sauce on low for 3 to 4 hours, then add the onions right before serving to keep them crisp.
Make-ahead plan for Thanksgiving
Green bean casserole is one of the easiest Thanksgiving sides to prep early. Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26.
| When | Task |
|---|---|
| Weekend before | Buy canned beans, soup and fried onions |
| Tuesday | Blanch fresh beans, or make the from-scratch sauce |
| Wednesday | Assemble the casserole without the topping; cover and refrigerate |
| Thursday | Bake 35 to 40 minutes from cold, stir, add onions, bake 5 more |
Keep the onion topping in its container until baking day. It turns soggy in the fridge. If stuffing is also on the menu, review how to make stuffing before deciding which dishes will share the oven.
Leftovers and food safety
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in a shallow covered container. The FoodSafety.gov cold food storage chart gives 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator for most cooked leftovers. Reheat casseroles and leftovers to 165°F, the target on the FoodSafety.gov safe minimum internal temperature chart. Add a fresh handful of onions when you reheat.
Plan the sides and keep the recipe
- Meal Planner & Grocery List: Thanksgiving Edition ($4.99): the Thanksgiving menu, grocery list and day-of timeline in one printable.
- Family Recipe Binder ($6.99): a printable binder with section dividers and 4x6 and 3x5 recipe cards, so your family's version gets written down.
- Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99): the everyday weekly planner for the weeks after the holiday.
Browse every holiday printable or all our Printables. Our free Holiday Budget Starter Kit is three US Letter pages we email you after you join our list.
See also
Plan the feast on paper
Your Thanksgiving timeline, guest list and grocery list in one place
The Thanksgiving Edition of our Meal Planner & Grocery List, in a warm harvest design: map the day on the Thanksgiving Day timeline, track who brings what on the guest & dish sign-up, and shop once with the aisle-sorted grocery list. Print it at home tonight.
- Thanksgiving Day timeline that works backwards from dinner
- Guest & dish sign-up
- Grocery list sorted by aisle, plus pantry and freezer pages
Thanksgiving and Christmas planners together: the Holiday Quick-Start Pack, $7
Frequently asked questions
How do you make green bean casserole? To make green bean casserole, stir drained green beans into a mix of cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce and pepper with half the fried onions. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, stir, top with the rest of the onions and bake 5 minutes more until golden.
Can you make green bean casserole ahead of time? Yes, green bean casserole can be assembled up to 1 day ahead without the onion topping. Cover and refrigerate it, then bake it at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes, stir, add the onions and bake 5 minutes more.
Can I use fresh green beans in green bean casserole? Yes, you can use fresh green beans in green bean casserole. Trim about 1 1/2 pounds of fresh green beans, cut them into 2-inch pieces and boil them for 4 to 5 minutes, then drain and rinse with cold water. Raw beans stay squeaky and tough in the short bake time.
Can I use frozen green beans? Yes, frozen cut green beans work well. Use about 16 ounces, thaw them and pat them dry so the sauce doesn't turn watery. They need no blanching because they were blanched before freezing.
How many people does one green bean casserole serve? One classic batch in a 1 1/2-quart dish serves about 6 people as a side. For 10 to 12 guests, double the recipe and bake it in a 9x13 dish for 30 to 35 minutes before adding the topping.
Why is my green bean casserole watery? Green bean casserole turns watery when the beans aren't drained well or frozen beans go in wet. Drain canned beans in a colander, pat thawed beans dry, and let the baked casserole stand 5 minutes so the sauce thickens.
What can I use instead of cream of mushroom soup? Make a quick white sauce: cook sliced mushrooms in butter, stir in flour, then whisk in broth and milk and simmer until thick. Cream of chicken or cream of celery soup also works if someone at the table doesn't like mushrooms.
How long does leftover green bean casserole last? Leftover green bean casserole keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. Reheat it to 165°F, the FoodSafety.gov target for casseroles and leftovers. The onions soften, so add a fresh handful when you reheat.
How do I fit green bean casserole into my Thanksgiving oven plan? Bake green bean casserole while the turkey rests, since both need about 30 minutes. The Meal Planner & Grocery List: Thanksgiving Edition ($4.99) has a Thanksgiving Day timeline page, so each side gets its own oven slot on paper first.
Sources
- FoodSafety.gov: Safe minimum internal temperatures foodsafety.gov
- FoodSafety.gov: Cold food storage chart foodsafety.gov
- NFPA: Cooking safety nfpa.org
