Cheesy Green Bean Casserole

Our easy cheesy green bean casserole with frozen green beans recipe baked in the oven is our favorite Thanksgiving side dish made with cream of mushroom soup and crispy onions on top.

Green bean casserole with cheddar cheese is a slight tweak to an old fashioned dish that takes it to a whole new level of YUM! I mean cheese makes everything better and this is yet another win for dinnertime. For the best outcome we use frozen vegetables, you’ll never go back after a bite of this one.

Why Frozen Green Beans are Better for Green Bean Casserole

This is controversial right?? If you have been making it “your Grandmothers way” for tens of years now you never thought twice about it. You bought canned beans, drained and never thought twice about it. Let me change your mind. Using frozen give this classic dish a MUCH better texture, avoiding the mush! It is a game changer.

Now going another step further from that there was always something missing with this dish I thought. That added wow I got with let’s say my cheesy Cream Cheese Corn Casserole so I thought…”that is it” and here is what I came up with, with cheese!!

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole Ingredients

For the ideal texture and flavor you are going to want to use frozen green beans. If you use fresh green beans I would blanch the green beans first for 1-2 minutes, then into an ice bath to prep at the beginning.

It is nice to add some baby bella or white button mushrooms sliced into the mix if you want larger pieces vs. just the bits that are in the soup.

To make the sauce around the veggies creamy we are going to use a can cream of mushroom soup, or cream of chicken soup works fine too.

Butter should be salted, Kerrygold is my favorite brand for flavor and creaminess. You could use a dairy free alternative if need be but I would add another pinch of salt in this case.

And the difference between the “normal” dish and this one is the addition of shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top.

You can use a can of fried onions divided, some inside the dish and the rest on the top. I have made homemade Fried Onion Strings at times which are chunkier and those are beyond amazing.

Variations

You could choose a different type if you wanted to. Monterey jack can give it just a bit of a kick with a tad of spicy heat. Parmesan has less lactose in it for those with dairy free requirements. If you have someone at home who needs an alternative version, use dairy free cheese and this condensed soup mix.

You could transition our Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole into this one, but it wouldn’t brown on the top. In that case you technically can transfer the Crock into the oven under broil just for a few minutes to fix that but to me that is just more work. If I add the cheese it goes in the oven I say, period.

How to Make Green Bean Casserole Cheesy

If you are bored of the traditional boring sides during the holidays, I get it. One year I made Crockpot green beans and the next I made this. Both I added shredded cheese into the mixture with the cream of mushroom and then the last 10 minutes sprinkled another layer of cheddar on top to brown and an ooey gooey dish was made!!

Tips

Gently fold everything together so that the more delicate items don’t break apart completely. Especially with the canned onions you want those to stay as whole as possible to add texture to the inside and top of the dish. Full instructions in recipe card below which can be printed as well.

This one uses a square 8×8 or 9×9 inch dish. If you have more people coming over you could double this and use a 9×13″ dish instead. Spray the inside with non stick spray so you don’t loose any of it to sticking on the sides. It saves well too for the next day, we will talk about that a bit later.

A traditional holiday side dish everyone expects to be on the table in our house!! If you are looking for something new to add this year you should try something different! I mean of course have your must haves and family recipes that have been passed down from generations but add 1 new to see if it becomes a new must for y’all. 😉 A few ideas are;

Other Green Bean Recipes you’ll love

How Long to Cook Fresh Green Beans on Stove is here with some butter and minced garlic until they’re tender but still crisp. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

You can roast, sauté or bake like sheet pan green beans until they’re slightly caramelized, then drizzle them with a balsamic reduction for a tangy-sweet flavor.

Make fried green beans with a light layer of breadcrumbs and bake until crispy for a healthier alternative to french fries. Roast Green Beans with Ham until slightly caramelized, then can drizzle them with a mixture of honey and melted butter for a touch of sweetness.

Remember to adjust these recipes according to your taste preferences and dietary needs. Green beans can be cooked to various levels of tenderness, so feel free to experiment with cooking times to achieve the texture you prefer.

FAQ