We Tested 4 Famous Green Bean Casserole Recipes and Found a Clear Winner (2024)

We Tested 4 Famous Green Bean Casserole Recipes and Found a Clear Winner (1)

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Jesse Szewczyk

Jesse SzewczykContributor

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updated Jun 21, 2021

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Thanksgiving Food Fest is a virtual food festival full of turkey, pie, games, and fun, starring many of our favorite cooks, ready to share the secrets of a most delicious Thanksgiving. Watch the event live at@thekitchnon Instagram from November 14-15 (or check backhereafter if you miss it).

For me, it’s not Thanksgiving without a green bean casserole on the table. The comforting combination of cream of mushroom soup, snappy green beans, and crunchy fried onions is pure nostalgia —and I’m not alone. It was estimated that 20 million families would make green bean casserole for Thanksgiving last year!

The last thing I want (for those families and myself!) is a bland casserole that gets overshadowed by the stuffing, so I was determined to find the very best recipe — one that could really steal the show. I grew up with the classic made from cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup (and I honestly think it’s delicious), but other “homemade” versions claim to be even better. Some make every component (including the crispy onions) from scratch, while others use a combination of store-bought ingredients and homemade ones. Some are even filled with cheese! I was excited to see just how different they would taste, and which one would ultimately reign supreme.

After a very rich but very fun taste test, I found a green bean casserole that I can confidently say is the best. It was creamy and flavorful and definitely a showstopper — and it’s the one I plan to make every year from now on.

Meet Our 4 Green Bean Casserole Contenders

To keep things fair, I only tested green bean casserole recipes that didn’t stray too far from what I considered “classic.” (Yes, recipes layered with mashed potatoes, cornbread, and other add-ins looked delicious, but would be too difficult to accurately compare). From there, I searched the internet to find the most popular recipes, looking for casseroles with plenty of positive comments and reviews. This led me to four recipes that each had a devoted following and took a unique approach: from Smitten Kitchen, Serious Eats, Chrissy Teigen, and (of course) the French’s recipe I grew up eating.

Smitten Kitchen’s recipe is completely homemade and is topped with a generous amount of crispy fried onions that are breaded in both flour and breadcrumbs. It’s prepared entirely in a skillet and looks beautifully rustic. Serious Eats’ recipe is a bit of a project, made with a homemade mushroom filling and topped with homemade crispy shallots. Chrissy Teigen’s recipe uses canned cream of mushroom soup and jazzes it up with diced ham and shredded cheese. French’s classic recipe is made with condensed cream of mushroom soup, store-bought crispy onions, and canned green beans. I loved this recipe growing up, so I treated it as the standard to judge the rest of the recipes off of.

Le Creuset Heritage Stoneware Rectangular Covered Casserole$135 at Williams Sonoma

How I Tested the Green Bean Casserole Recipes

Each green bean casserole recipe was baked on the same day, in the same oven, and tasted at the same time. I prepared each recipe exactly as written and kept all outside factors to a minimum. I wanted this to be a fair test, so I didn’t take any creative liberties with the casseroles. I also had two colleagues taste them as well, and at the end of the day all three of us picked the same recipe as the winner.

1. The Most Underwhelming: Serious Eats’ Green Bean Casserole

This recipe was a delicious homemade version of the classic, but the texture of the sauce was way too liquidy. It was more of a cream soup consistency compared to the thick and luscious mushroom base I was looking for. If I were to make this again I would definitely cut back on the amount of liquid used —had the casserole been a tad thicker, it could have been a winner. The crispy shallots were delicious, though, and they gave the casserole a nice pop of texture and flavor.

2. The Most Creative: Chrissy Teigen’s Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

This recipe is made with ham and cheese — so there was nothing to dislike about it. It was flavorful and well-seasoned, and the fresh green beans gave the casserole a nice texture. It was made with canned cream of mushroom soup, so whipping it up was a breeze. But while I do think this recipe tastes delicious, it’s not exactly what I think of when I imagine green bean casserole. The cheese gave it a different texture and flavor that I don’t necessarily associate with the classic. If you’re looking for a new take that pushes green bean casserole to new places, this recipe is perfect for you. But if you’re searching for a nostalgic side dish that’s familiar, this isn’t it.

3. The Beloved Classic: French’s Green Bean Casserole

This recipe was just as delicious as I remember. It was hearty, rich, and comforting. The mushroom soup gave it a luscious texture and bold savory flavor that helped tie the whole thing together. The fried onions were also nice, and provided a crunchy texture that was a welcomed contrast to the creamy base.

The only thing I didn’t like was the green beans themselves. I wanted to mimic what I ate growing up, so I used canned green beans. This resulted in a casserole that was a bit soggy, lacking the crunchy snap that fresh green beans would have given it. But overall this was a winner. If you’re looking for a classic side dish, this is it. I would happily eat it any night.

4. The Clear Winner: Smitten Kitchen’s Green Bean Casserole

This recipe was a perfect homemade version of the classic. It had everything I love about the old-school French’s recipe presented in an entirely homemade package. The homemade crispy onions were delicious and reminded me of something you would get at a diner served alongside a burger. I could barely stop myself from snacking on them!

The casserole itself was also delicious, and I appreciated how many mushrooms were in the homemade base. It was creamy, well-seasoned, and intensely savory. The casserole also looked beautiful. It’s cooked entirely in one skillet, making cleanup a breeze. I would happily make this again without changing a thing.

Do you have a favorite green bean casserole recipe? Let us know in the comments!

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We Tested 4 Famous Green Bean Casserole Recipes and Found a Clear Winner (2024)

FAQs

Who makes the best green beans? ›

The brands we sampled were Green Giant, Del Monte, Libby's, and Krasdale. Krasdale was the cheapest, but also tasted the most canned, so it came in last place. Libby's came in first place because its beans tasted the most fresh.

What is in the original green bean casserole at Dorcas Reilly? ›

Reilly's green bean casserole recipe doesn't call for any fancy techniques or hard-to-source ingredients. It consists of one can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, half a cup of milk, four cups of green beans, a teaspoon of soy sauce, a dash of black pepper, and one and one-third cups of French fried onions.

What foodborne illness can you get from green bean casserole? ›

Green bean casserole

These are all potential signs of Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that produces the dangerous botulism toxin. While relatively rare, this neurotoxin is among the most dangerous in the world and can be deadly.

Which is better in green bean casserole canned or frozen? ›

When I make green bean casserole, I skip canned beans all together. Frozen green beans are the best green beans to use for green bean casserole.

What is the tastiest green bean? ›

French green beans, also called Haricots Verts, tend to be smaller, more tender, and quicker to cook. Their seeds are so small that they're almost unnoticeable. For these reasons, French green beans are generally considered the best green beans to buy, and they're priced accordingly.

Who sells the best green beans? ›

Why is Pero America's #1 Green Bean? Family's Love Our Sweet Taste and Farm Freshness! For Five generations, Pero Family Farms has been dedicated to sustainable farming for the freshest and best tasting vegetables your family can trust.

Who made the first green bean casserole? ›

Green Bean Casserole was created by a Campbell Soup Company employee, Dorcas Reilly, at our Camden, New Jersey headquarters in 1955. She was one of the first full-time members of Campbell's Home Economics department—now known as the Campbell Test Kitchen, where I work.

Should green bean casserole be soupy before cooking? ›

Mistake No.

Green bean casserole should have a nice thick sauce that coats the green beans—it should not resemble soup.

Why is green bean casserole so good? ›

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.

Why do I feel sick after eating beans? ›

Lectin is a protein which can be found in many types of beans, but it's most highly concentrated in kidney beans. Ingesting high doses of lectin can cause diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Lectin in kidney beans is so concentrated that some individuals can become sick after consuming just four or five beans.

Is it safe to eat green bean casserole left out overnight? ›

According to the USDA, food that has been left out of the fridge for more than two hours should be thrown away. That's because between 40° F and 140° F (what the USDA calls the "Danger Zone"), bacteria grows incredibly fast and can make you sick.

Can I leave green bean casserole out overnight? ›

“But you also need to remember cream pies and those creamy green bean and sweet potato casseroles can become dangerous if they sit out for too long without refrigeration, which needs to be below 41° F.”

Why is my green bean casserole soggy? ›

Your Crispy Onion Topping Is Soggy

Yet it's one of the most common green bean casserole mistakes a home chef can make. If this happens to you, it may be due to adding that topping too early; toppings should be added at the very end of the cooking process, shortly before you pull it out of the oven.

How to make green bean casserole not runny? ›

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.

How do you make green bean casserole not soggy? ›

Don't overcook the green beans: Remember when you are blanching the green beans that they will continue to cook and soften while baking in the oven with the rest of the casserole. So it's important to undercook them slightly during this first step so that they don't get mushy in the oven.

What is the best beans brand to buy? ›

If you've ever had Goya beans, then you know that they're plenty tasty — but you may be surprised to learn that when Tasting Table ranked 10 canned bean brands, Goya did not finish first. Instead, Goya ranked at number two — with Heyday Canning Co. taking the top spot.

What is the best stringless green bean? ›

The Blue Lake FM-1K Pole is a stringless pole bean that is very tasty! Blue Lake beans are known for reliability, disease resistance, flavor and high yields. This is the pole version of the popular bush type that is widely planted for the canning industry. These bright green beans are straight and reach up to 7'.

How do you buy good green beans? ›

Purchase beans that have a smooth feel and a vibrant green color, and that are free from brown spots or bruises. They should have a firm texture and “snap” when broken.

Where is the most green beans made in the US? ›

Green beans, also called snap beans, are grown in many different states and climates from New York to Florida, but Wisconsin tops them all, producing a third of the US supply.

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