Classic Green Bean Casserole (The Original Recipe)

Green bean casserole has been on Thanksgiving tables since the 1950s, and it's still one of the easiest side dishes you can make. You stir everything together right in the baking dish, bake it, and add a crispy onion topping at the end.

It takes six ingredients and about 10 minutes of work. The oven does the rest.

What you need

• Condensed cream of mushroom soup. One regular 10 1/2-ounce can, straight from the can. Don't add water.
• French fried onions. The crispy onions sold in a can or a bag. Half goes inside, half goes on top.
• A 1 1/2-quart baking dish. A medium casserole dish. Glass or ceramic both work.

Fresh, frozen or canned green beans

You need 4 cups of cooked cut green beans. Any kind works:

• Canned: 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each), drained well. The easiest choice.
• Frozen: 16 to 20 ounces of cut green beans, thawed and drained.
• Fresh: about 1 1/2 pounds. Trim the ends, cut them into pieces, and boil them for 2 to 4 minutes until just tender. Put them straight into a bowl of ice water, then drain well.

Substitutions

• Cream of celery or cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom. The method doesn't change.
• More crunch: add 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds to the onion topping.
• A little color: stir 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper into the soup mixture.

Make it ahead

• Up to 1 day ahead: mix everything in the dish except the onion topping, cover and refrigerate. Bake as usual, adding the topping for the last 5 minutes. It may need a few extra minutes because it starts cold.
• Leftovers: keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the oven or microwave. The onions will be softer the second day.

Planning the rest of the table? Our sweet potato casserole can also be made a day or two ahead.

Step by step

1. 
   Step 2: Mix it in the dish

   Soup, milk, soy sauce, green beans and half of the onions, stirred right in the baking dish.

2. 
   Step 4: Add the rest of the onions

   After 25 minutes, stir, then sprinkle the remaining onions on top.

3. 
   Step 5: Bake 5 more minutes

   Until the onions are golden brown. Let it rest a few minutes, then serve.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

Green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce with a crispy fried onion topping, baked in a 1 1/2-quart dish.

Prep10 min

Bake30 min

Total40 min

Makes1 casserole (6 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 4 cups cooked cut green beans (see the bean options above the recipe)
• 1 1/3 cups French fried onions, divided
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a 1 1/2-quart baking dish, stir together the soup, milk, soy sauce, green beans and 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Season with a little salt and pepper.
3. Bake 25 minutes, until hot and bubbling.
4. Take the dish out and stir. Sprinkle the remaining 2/3 cup fried onions on top.
5. Bake 5 more minutes, until the onions are golden brown. Let it rest a few minutes before serving.

Tips:

• Drain canned or thawed frozen beans very well. Extra water makes the sauce thin.
• Add the second half of the onions only at the end, so they stay crispy.

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Nutrition per serving (1/6 of the casserole)

Calories

151

Fat

10 g

Saturated fat

3 g

Carbs

14 g

Fiber

2 g

Sugar

4 g

Protein

3 g

Sodium

513 mg

Cholesterol

2 mg

Nutrition published by Campbell's for this same recipe, made with 2% milk.

Food safety: refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days.

Questions people ask

Sources

Recipe checked on November 9, 2026, against these published recipes and food-safety guidance:

1. Campbell's, "Green Bean Casserole," the original recipe (amounts, oven, bake times, dish size, bean options, variations, make-ahead, nutrition). campbells.com
2. The Wholesome Dish, "The Best Classic Green Bean Casserole" (method, make-ahead, soup swaps). thewholesomedish.com
3. FoodSafety.gov, storage times for leftovers (3 to 4 days in the refrigerator).