Aunt Betty’s Comfort Kitchen · Vegetables

Green Bean Casserole

Name: Green Bean Casserole
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 cans cut green beans; 1 can cream of mushroom soup; 180 ml milk; ¼ tsp black pepper; 80 g French-fried onions

The 1955 holiday original, kept exactly — cut green beans and cream of mushroom soup under a crown of French-fried onions. Half the onions stirred in, half on top so they stay crisp.

~40 min total 10 min prep 35 min bake

Effort ●○○○ Time ●●○○ Anytime

Vegetarian

Servingsamounts scale to match

Units

Ingredients

Half the onions go in, half go on top at the end. Stirring half into the casserole gives oniony flavor all the way through; adding the rest only for the last 5 minutes keeps them crisp and golden instead of soggy. Bake uncovered the whole time so it browns instead of steaming.

Easier, if you like

Make it ahead: assemble without the topping, refrigerate up to a day, then add the onions and bake — one less thing on a busy holiday.
It's already about as easy as a dish gets — canned beans, canned soup, a can of onions, and a stir.

Method

Cook's notes

The 1955 original — Campbell's home economist Dorcas Reilly invented it with cream of mushroom soup, and it never left the holiday table. Betty kept it exactly.

Fresh or frozen green beans work in place of canned — cook them just until tender-crisp and drain well (about 4 cups cooked) so the casserole isn't watery.

Stir ½ tsp soy sauce into the soup for the savory depth the modern Campbell's version has — optional, but a nice touch.

Keep it uncovered the whole time so the top browns and the onions crisp.

Make it gluten-free or vegan (it's already vegetarian)

Gluten-free: use a gluten-free condensed mushroom soup and gluten-free fried onions (a few brands make them), with GF-safe green beans.

Vegan: use a vegan condensed mushroom soup and plant milk — and check the fried onions, though most (French's included) happen to be dairy-free.