Traditional Green Bean Casserole Recipe for Christmas or Thanksgiving

In so many homes, the classic green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup is a tradition to serve for both Thanksgiving & Christmas. Creamy, crunchy, and full of green bean flavor. So simple to mix together it can be prepared the day ahead.

However, this quick & easy casserole is perfect for any family gathering as it is loved by young & old alike. Make this recipe the night before and keep it refrigerated to be baked on the day of your dinner.

Buonpane Family Holiday Memories

Memories of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays are the strongest memories that I have of my childhood. One of my strongest memories at the dinner table for Thanksgiving is all the wonderful side dishes.

My beloved Aunt Lois made a fabulous Candied Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows. My mom made fluffy mashed potatoes and always the traditional green bean casserole recipe.  I don’t think I remember a Thanksgiving or Christmas when either my Mother or Aunt did not make this traditional dish.

I have discovered over the years that this is one of the recipes you can make the day before, put aluminum foil on the top, and put it in the refrigerator, ready to go on Thanksgiving Day. It is also an easy recipe to put together right after you put the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven, as it is a dump, stir, and go recipe.

Most Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners were at Aunt Lois’s house, my mother’s sister. My maternal grandmother lived with Aunt Lois, so it was a natural choice for all of us to travel to where my Grandmother lived.

Most of my Grandmother’s antiques and serving dishes, along with family knick-knacks and pictures, were there for all of us kids to admire and learn all the stories that go with family memorabilia. This is where I learned so many of our family recipes and my love of cooking for family and friends.

Aunt Lois always told me that if you have a pot of coffee and a box of cake mix, you can make a party and entertain. While we love to try new dishes and have everything fancy, hospitality and entertainment are about people, not how much money you spend on the food. Such great advice she gave me as a young wife, that you do not have to have a lot to have a lot of family and friends over to your home.

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I think for most of our family members, the crunchy French Fried Onion topping is what everybody loves. Thanksgiving dinner just wouldn’t be right without this traditional side dish.  It has been a tradition to make this recipe with Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup and French’s French Fried Onions. You can not have too many French Fried Onions in this recipe. No matter what else you add to this dish, the fried onions make the side dish.

History of Green Bean Casserole using Cream of Mushroom Soup

Campbell’s tells us that this recipe was developed by Campbell’s in the 1950s for a newspaper article by Dorcas Reilly.  Dorcas Reilly, who is credited with this recipe submitted an original yellowed recipe card to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio, in 2002. We all have a great debt of appreciation to Ms. Reilly for a tradition that will live on for years.

No matter where the recipe was created, families have been serving up this side dish for years and will for years to come.

Ingredients for Traditional Green Bean Casserole

• Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup
• Milk 1% or 2%
• Soy Sauce
• Dash of Pepper
• Frozen Green Beans
• French’s French Fried Onions

How to Make Green Bean Casserole with French Fried Onions

I would recommend making this with frozen green beans, as they are freshly picked by the manufacturer before freezing.  You can put it in the refrigerator to thaw the night before.

If I am making this dish for Thanksgiving, on the day before Thanksgiving, I mix all the ingredients together and put them in a casserole. (Leave off the topping until you are ready to bake) This way, I  have the side dish prepared early in the morning to be put in the oven an hour and a half before Thanksgiving dinner needs to be done.

This classic side dish is super easy, and we make it year-round. So yummy with any chicken dish, perfect to take along for a summer picnic or backyard barbecue. For any events, you can also make it the day before and pop it in the oven an hour and a half before you leave. When I make the recipe the day before, I do not put the crispy fried onions on top until I am ready to cook.

The basic time for cooking is about 25 minutes; however, if you have a lot of dishes in the oven and the casserole is cold from the refrigerator, I put it in for one hour.  Watch that the topping does not get too brown.

Start by defrosting the green beans; they can be put in the refrigerator the day before or defrosted in the microwave.  I microwave them just enough to make sure they are not frozen.  I have tried to mix the casserole when the green beans are too cold, and it starts to freeze the cream of mushroom soup. The green beans are very hard to mix and look like a mess, so make sure they are not frozen when you begin to mix.

Remember, this is just 5 ingredients.  The holidays are the perfect time to get the younger generation interested in cooking the family traditions. So get the kids in the kitchen and use this recipe as a good starter for your little ones who want to cook with you.

In a large bowl, mix the cream of mushroom soup, soy sauce, milk, and pepper to make a creamy sauce. Add the defrosted green beans and stir.

Now is the time when you can change up the recipe as your family likes by adding in the French fried onion. Add a little or a lot (our family likes a lot).

Spray your baking dish and add the green bean mixture. Top with as many fried onions as you want. The traditional recipe has you only topping with the one-third cup on top, but as you can see, we cover the casserole with the crunchy goodness.  Pop in a preheated oven and bake.

Can I Freeze Green Bean Casserole?

You definitely can freeze green bean casserole after your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I like to make a big batch, if not two whole casseroles. That way I have a lot of leftover green bean casserole.

You will first want to put the leftover green bean casserole in an airtight container. If you are going to use the casserole dish you baked in, you can cover it tightly with plastic wrap. But I have found that the best way is to transfer to a smaller airtight container. I prefer a glass container that can be reheated in the microwave.

You can freeze green bean casserole for up to 2 to 3 months in the freezer. However, in our family, it would never last that long. If you are having leftover frozen turkey or ham, you have to grab the leftover green bean casserole.

The next day, when microwaving small portions of leftover,s I like to use my reheat setting on the microwave. Check your oven’s complete guide for the best setting.

Can Your Microwave Green Bean Casserole

The traditional recipe for green bean casserole made with cream of mushroom soup calls for it to be baked in the oven. When it is baked in the oven, you get the delicious crispy fried onions on top. Baking in the oven is the better option.

The good news is that if you are in a pinch for time, you can use the convenient way of a microwave. If you can make your recipe in a microwave-safe dish, you most definitely microwave green bean casserole.

Prepare the casserole as you would for baking. Combine the green beans, creamy mushroom sauce, and all the other delicious ingredients in a microwave-safe casserole bowl and transfer to a microwave-safe casserole dish.

Start by microwaving the casserole for 8 to 10 minutes without the French’s French-fried onions. At the end of 8 minutes, check for the proper temperature by using an instant-read thermometer to at least 160 degrees. Add more time if needed.

At this point, add the crispy onion topping or cheese and add one or two more minutes.

Keep in mind that if you choose the microwave over the oven, the texture of the recip,e while still having that creamy sauce, may not have the most crunchy topping.

How long Does Green Bean Casserole Last in the Fridge?

As with most baked foods and side dishes, I recommend only leaving the green bean casserole in the fridge for no more than 3 days. After 3 days, follow the directions for freezing leftovers above.

How to Reheat Green Bean Casserole From Frozen

If you are going to bake the leftover casserole, have a preheated oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove any plastic lid or plastic wrapping. Make sure you have an oven-safe dish. At this point, it may take an hour to 1.5 hours, depending on how big of a casserole you are reheating.

If reheating in the microwave, again, remove any plastic wrapping or covering and make sure the casserole is in a microwave-safe dish. Microwave on medium to medium-high power for about 5 minutes. If using a reheating setting, follow the directions for your microwave. Test for doneness, and you may want to stir to make sure the casserole is heated through.

Christmas & Thanksgiving Traditions

Jim and I both love the Christmas season, the sounds, the smells, and the decorations.  In our family, Christmas preparation starts the week of Thanksgiving. We also tend to overdo it with the decorations and the presents.  But that is the way we like it. It just would not be Christmas if we did not have that wow factor.

We love to share old Christmas movies with our children and discover new movies. Each year, as the kids were young, the Church Christmas Pageant was the main event.  Joey and Katie always enjoyed participating, and Christene enjoyed the crafting fun that the Youth Director would have each year.

In our early married life, we would have Christmas morning in our home with the children, and my dad, Jim Kirchner, would stop at about 9:00 am to enjoy the opening of presents.  We all would then go to my husband’s parents for dinner and more presents, as my dad was always invited.  

As our parents got older, my dad would come to our house for a noon meal and a present, and then go home for a rest.  Then Jim, the kids, and I would stop in on Grace and Guerin at Jim’s family home, where he grew up,  for presents and conversation.  

Now, as our family has expanded to Christene’s in-laws, we have a big three-day event here at our home, and it is more lively and exciting than ever before.  No matter how our family changes and grows, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions.  

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