Classic Green Bean Casserole
This Classic Green Bean Casserole has a cheesy surprise that takes this classic holiday side dish over the top
This Classic Green Bean Casserole has a cheesy surprise that takes this classic holiday side dish over the top
- Carbohydrate 8.34595333791851 g
- Cholesterol 150.600000010144 mg
- Fat 47.6513200032969 g
- Fiber 0.053 g
- Protein 36.7539000032664 g
- Saturated Fat 30.0814000018919 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (258g)
- Sodium 923.34133337391 mg
- Sugar 8.29295333791851 g
- Trans Fat 2.71768000038347 g
- Calories 609 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 3 quart casserole dish with non stick spray and set aside.
- Place the green beans in a pot of lightly salted boiling water and cook until fork tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce and pepper directly in the casserole dish, until smooth.
- Add the green beans, 2/3 cups of the onion strings and all of the cheddar cheese. Stir to coat the green beans.
- Place in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is bubbly. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining fried onion strings. Place back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes. Enjoy right away.
Swapping fresh green beans for canned variants fundamentally alters the structural integrity of the dish by introducing excess moisture that dilutes the canned soup base. Fresh green beans require boiling in salted water for precisely ten minutes until fork-tender, followed by thorough draining to prevent watery pooling at the bottom of the casserole dish. Without this preliminary step, the vegetables remain fibrous and refuse to absorb the savory dairy elements during baking.
A frequent error involves mixing all the crispy fried onion strings into the interior filling before baking. Submerging these fried shallot strands in liquid causes them to lose their crisp exterior entirely, turning into a soggy paste. Dividing the fried onions by incorporating two-thirds into the bean mixture while reserving the final portion for a post-bake topping maintains the necessary textural contrast between the creamy interior and the crunchy crown.
Sharp cheddar cheese adds distinct fat and moisture profiles that require careful temperature management inside the three-quart baking vessel. Setting the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit ensures the dairy melts evenly without separating or scorching the surrounding mushroom sauce. Whisking the soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper directly in the dish saves time while guaranteeing an emulsified base before the solids enter.
Baking the casserole for twenty-five to thirty minutes creates the necessary bubbling center that indicates proper heat distribution throughout the dish. Adding the reserved onions during the final five minutes prevents the delicate allium coatings from burning under prolonged direct heat exposure. Serving the mixture immediately preserves the crispness of the onion topping before atmospheric humidity softens the fried layers.
