Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole
on Nov 11, 2019, Updated Jun 21, 2024
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Green bean casserole is a savory holiday side dish with all kinds of big and delicious flavors, and it’s totally easy to make day of or ahead of time!
Could anyone else out there survive on casseroles alone? I know they’re not for everyone, but I can’t get enough. They just remind me of cozy comfort foods that warm you up with their rich and savory flavors, and Grandma’s green bean casserole lives up to all the casserole hype.
Homemade green bean casserole has to be one of my favorites. Not only does it remind me of sweet memories around the holidays, but the textures and flavors are unreal and just so good. You’ll love this rendition with cracker crumbs on top because they lend a crunchy, salty topping to an already incredible dish!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This green bean casserole is the perfect homemade side to bring to holiday celebrations with loved ones, and it’s a piece of cake to whip up with only 15 minutes of prep time and 30 in the oven.
- It’s a holiday favorite that’s warming to the soul and beyond easy to make on the day of a gathering or ahead of time. Nobody wants to be slaving away in the kitchen for hours!
- You can prep all the ingredients, bake the casserole, and then either freeze it if the event’s a ways off or refrigerate it if it’s only a couple of days away. And it tastes just as good reheated as the first time it was made. That’s sort of the magic of casserole.
Recipe Ingredients
- Green beans
- Butter – try making your own butter!
- Onion – any color of onion
- Garlic – minced
- Flour – all-purpose
- Milk
- Sour cream
- Cracker crumbs – I use butter round crackers
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole
- Melt butter, then add the onion, garlic, flour and milk.
- Stir in sour cream and green beans and put in baking dish.
- Add the cracker crumbs and melted butter.
- Sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the mixture and bake.
Recipe FAQs
Of course, green bean casserole is typically a holiday side dish, so any of your normal suspects on a holiday table really go nicely with it: turkey and gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, or homemade cranberry sauce are all super tasty with it!
So, my recipe for green bean casserole doesn’t use cream of mushroom soup (even though a vast majority of recipes out there do call for it). I think soup can be a good way to make it creamy, but I’m not a huge fan of using it myself, so I make a creamy base using milk and sour cream that is divine in this casserole.
You sure can! Just make the casserole as the instructions call for below, and then let it cool completely before covering it tightly with a lid or plastic wrap overnight. You can make it up to 3 days ahead, and you can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
Expert Tips
- Green bean casserole can be reheated in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until heated through.
- I use a 2.5-quart baking dish (this can be a 9-inch square, a 9-inch round, or other similar-sized oval dishes).
- Using butter round crackers for the cracker crumbs adds great flavor and texture.
More Side Dishes to Consider
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Grandma’s Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 cans green beans, (14.5 ounce)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup white onion, finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup cracker crumbs, (we like to use butter round crackers)
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Drain and rinse the canned green beans, and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. When it is melted, add the onion and garlic, and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the flour, and cook for another minute, stirring often.
- Whisk in salt and then the milk, and cook for one more minute until the mixture thickens.
- Remove from the heat, and stir in the sour cream.
- Add the rinsed green beans to the pan, and gently stir to combine.
- Place the green bean mixture in the bottom of the 2.5-quart baking dish (this can be a 9-inch square, a 9-inch round, or other similar-sized oval dishes).
- Add the cracker crumbs and melted butter to a small bowl, and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle the cracker crumbs over the green bean mixture.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the cracker crumbs are golden-brown.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Letting the casserole rest for about 10 minutes after taking it out of the oven helps it set and makes it easier to serve.
- Using fresh green beans instead of canned ones will add a better texture and flavor to the dish.
- If using fresh green beans, blanch them briefly in boiling water and then shock them in ice water to keep them crisp and vibrant.
- Green bean casserole is a great make-ahead dish for gatherings and big dinners because you can prep all the ingredients and bake ahead of time.
