French's Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Soy sauce and black pepper deepen the mushroom soup's flavor so it doesn't taste flat straight from the can, and a two-stage onion topping (some stirred in, some added at the end) keeps every bite crunchy instead of soggy.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
- 4 cups green beans, cooked and drained (fresh, frozen, or canned)
- 10 1/2 oz (1 can) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/3 cups French's crispy fried onions
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 119
- Protein
- 3g
- Carbs
- 13g
- Fat
- 7g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
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Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 2In a 1.5-quart casserole dish, stir together the cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, and black pepper until smooth.
- 3Add the cooked green beans and two-thirds of the fried onions, stirring to coat the beans evenly in the soup mixture.
- 4Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes, until the mixture is bubbling around the edges.
- 5Remove from the oven, sprinkle the remaining fried onions evenly over the top, and bake for another 5 minutes, until the onions are golden and crisp.
- 6Let stand for 5 minutes before serving; the sauce thickens slightly as it cools.
Tips & variations
- Fresh green beans give the best texture: trim and steam or blanch them until just crisp-tender (about 5 minutes) before mixing them in, since they'll continue softening in the oven.
- For a from-scratch mushroom flavor, saute 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms in butter and stir them in along with 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of chicken broth thickened with a tablespoon of flour, in place of the canned soup.
- A dash of garlic powder or a small clove of grated fresh garlic in the soup mixture adds depth without changing the classic flavor.
- Double the recipe for a crowd and bake it in a 9x13-inch dish, adding about 10 minutes to the initial bake time since the dish is deeper in the center.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven for 10-15 minutes, uncovered, so the topping re-crisps rather than steaming soft; microwaving works but leaves the onions soft. This casserole doesn't freeze well, since the sauce can separate and the green beans turn mushy once thawed.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Draining canned green beans thoroughly and patting them dry with a paper towel keeps the casserole from turning watery.
- Letting the casserole rest for a few minutes after baking makes it easier to serve neat scoops instead of a runny sauce.
FAQ
Do I need to cook the green beans before adding them to the casserole?
Canned green beans are already cooked and just need draining. Fresh or frozen green beans should be blanched or steamed until crisp-tender first, since the 30-minute bake alone won't fully cook raw beans.
Can I make French's green bean casserole ahead of time?
Yes. Assemble the soup, milk, and beans (without the onions) up to a day ahead and refrigerate covered. Stir in the onions and bake just before serving, adding a few extra minutes to the bake time since the mixture will start cold.
What can I use instead of canned cream of mushroom soup?
A homemade white sauce with sauteed mushrooms, or a can of cream of chicken or cream of celery soup, both work as substitutes with a slightly different but still savory flavor.
Why did my casserole turn out watery?
This usually happens when green beans (especially canned or frozen) aren't drained well enough before mixing, or when fresh beans are undercooked and release liquid as they finish baking.