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Traditional and Unique: Six Different Holiday Green Bean Casserole Recipes

Compiled by Vicki McClure Davidson

Green bean casserole, an American holiday tradition | Photo credit: cleveralias, Flickr, Creative Commons

A favorite traditional side dish for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinners is the well-known baked green bean casserole, usually mixed with and topped with store-bought French-fried onions in a creamy mushroom soup sauce seasoned with soy sauce and black pepper. Such an easy and relatively inexpensive dish to make — one of the most common vegetable side dishes during holiday or festive family dinners — so, it should be included as a delicious side for non-holiday meals as well. Perfect for summer meals or church potlucks, the now-famous green bean casserole was invented and launched in 1955 by the Campbell's Soup company, and has been popular in American homes ever since.

Here are six green bean casserole recipes from which to choose... if you're a bit tired of the original, classic Campbell's version, give one of the more unusual ones a whirl.

Classic Green Bean Casserole

Original source: Campbell's Kitchen website

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free, or Healthy Request®)
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1-1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans, and 2/3 cup onions in a 1-1/2-quart casserole.

Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

Additional recipe tips from Campbell's:

* Easy Substitution: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 packages (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 cans (about 16 ounces each) green beans, drained or about 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe.
* Easy Substitution: For Broccoli Casserole, substitute 4 cups cooked broccoli florets for the green beans.
* Flavor Variation: For cheese lovers, stir in 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese with the soup. Omit the soy sauce. Sprinkle with an additional 1/4 cup Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions.
* Flavor Variation: To add a festive touch, stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with the soup.
* Flavor Variation: To add crunch, add 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds to the onion topping.
* Flavor Variation: For bacon lovers, add 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, to the bean mixture.
* Flavor Variation: For Golden Green Bean Casserole, substitute Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup for the Cream of Mushroom Soup. Omit the soy sauce. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with the green beans.

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Fried Shallots | Photo credit: Starleigh, Flickr, Creative Commons

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Fried Shallots

Original source: Starleigh, Flickr, from Martha Stewart

3 cups vegetable oil
6 large shallots, cut into very thin rounds, rings separated
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and halved
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 pound button mushrooms, trimmed and coarsely chopped
14.5 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup whole milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. In a large bowl, toss together shallots and 1 1/4 cups flour until shallots are evenly coated. In batches, shake off excess flour from shallots and fry until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes, adjusting heat if shallots are browning too quickly. With a slotted spoon, transfer to sheet and season with salt. Set aside. (Store in an airtight container at room temperature with a layer of paper towels underneath, up to 2 days.)

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook green beans until crisp-tender, 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Pat dry. (To store, refrigerate in a resealable plastic bag, up to 1 day.)

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until liquid has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, until incorporated, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, gradually add broth, then milk. Bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (To store, refrigerate with plastic wrap on surface, up to 2 days. Reheat before using.)

Add green beans to mushroom sauce and toss to coat. Transfer mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bake until bubbling around edges, about 15 minutes. Serve topped with fried shallots.

Jim's Green Bean Casserole

Source: Cooking with Vegetables

2 pkg. frozen French-style green beans, cooked, drained
1-1/2 c. commercial sour cream
3/4 c. grated sharp Cheddar cheese
2 T. light brown sugar
1 T. flour
1 T. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 5-oz. can water chestnuts, drained, chopped
1 4-oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
3 T. chopped pimientos
3/4 c. dry coase bread crumbs
3 T. melted butter

After cooking and draining green beans according to package directions, combine the source cream, cheese, brown sugar, flour, onion, salt, and pepper. Carefully stir in the green beans, water chestnuts, mushrooms, and pimientos.

Turn mixture into a 1-quart casserole. Mix the bread crumbs with the melted butter, and arrange over the string beans.

Bake in preheated 35- deg. oven for about 25 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are nicely browned.

Serves 4 to 6.

Grandma's Green Bean Casserole

Original source: All Recipes

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce) cans French-style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled buttery round crackers
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat.

Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Best Green Bean Casserole Ever

Original source: Stephanie Gallagher, About.com

Writer Stephanie Gallagher with About.com included this information about her casserole:

I like to use the crispy onions found in the produce aisle for this green bean casserole, rather than the old French fried onions. I think they have a better flavor, but use whatever you like. I also highly recommend Trader Joe's portobello cream of mushroom soup. It's creamy and all-natural and has a wonderfully rich mushroom flavor.

1 10-3/4 oz. to 12 oz. container of condensed cream of mushroom soup, such as Trader Joe's portobello cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 14 oz. cans green beans
1-1/3 cups French fried onions or crispy fried onions, such as Fresh Gourmet brand

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 x 13 pan or 1-1/2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, whisk together soup, milk, and soy sauce.

Stir in green beans and 1/2 cup of the onions.

Pour into prepared casserole dish.

Bake 25 minutes. Sprinkle remaining green beans on top. Bake another 5 minutes until warmed and bubbly.

Yield: 6-10 servings.

Cheese, String Bean, and Sesame Casserole

Source: Fast Vegetarian Feasts

For something quite different than the other traditional green or string bean creamy casseroles, consider this recipe. This unique casserole uses fresh string or green beans and forms a thick crust of sesame on the top and the cheese and wine combine beautifully. The nutty flavor of Swiss cheese or Gruyere cheese makes it similar to the traditional dish "Swiss string beans."

1 c. sesame seeds
1 lb. tender string beans, trimmed and cut in half
1/2 c. minced onion
2 T. whole-wheat flour
Salt to taste
1/2 c. plain low-fat yogurt
1/2 c. dry white wine
1 c. grated Gruyere, Swiss, or mozzarella cheese
1 T. butter or safflower margarine

Preheat the oven to 350 deg. F (180 deg. C) and oil or butter a 2-quart baking dish or soufflé dish.

Heat a dry skillet over moderate heat and add the sesame seeds. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan, until the seeds begin to smell toasty, about 5 minutes. (They will begin to pop at this point.) Remove from the heat and transfer to a food processor, blender, or mortar. Grind to a coarse meal.

Steam the beans for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Refresh under cold water. Toss with the minced onion, flour, salt, yogurt, and wine. Turn into the prepared baking dish and top with the cheese. Spread the ground sesame seeds over the top and dot with the butter.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top browns.

Serves 4-6.

Additional sources:
Hawkes, Alex D., Cooking with Vegetables, Simon and Schuster, NY, NY, 1968.
Shulman, Martha Rose, Fast Vegetarian Feasts, Doubleday & Company, Garden City, NY, 1986.

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Traditional and Unique: Six Different Holiday Green Bean Casserole Recipes