Best Green Bean Casserole with Water Chestnuts

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The best green bean casserole with water chestnuts starts out with fresh green beans, fresh mushrooms and onions, and topped off with crispy fried onions. The smooth, creamy sauce and the added crunch from the sliced water chestnuts create a delicious twist on this holiday comfort food. It’s a classic Thanksgiving dinner dish and near and dear to my heart.

Green Bean casserole can be mixed together a day or two ahead and cooked on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, saving you time and stress. Green bean casserole with water chestnuts is my favorite holiday side dish and this recipe is very close to my sweet mom’s version. For me, it’s one of the best parts of Thanksgiving dinner.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS HOMEMADE GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

This green bean casserole with water chestnuts satisfies all the taste textures: savory, a little crunchy, creamy, and a bit of spicy goodness.

Green Bean casserole can be mixed together a day or two ahead and cooked on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day, saving you time and stress. It can easily sit at room temperature for a couple of hours and pop in the oven for a quick warm-up.

This classic dish pairs well with anything in my opinion. Of course, the usual partners are Thanksgiving turkey, buttery mashed potatoes, and savory herbed gravy. But it is really great accompanying a Christmas roast pork or beef tenderloin, roasted or grilled chicken, or even in an all vegetable lineup. You don’t have to celebrate a holiday to enjoy this crunchy creamy green bean casserole.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED THIS EASY CLASSIC RECIPE

Ingredients:

•  2 tbsp of butter
• 1 cube of chicken Boullion or 1 tsp of Better than Boullion roasted chicken or garlic
• 1.2 medium onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 cups mushrooms sliced and rough chopped
• 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed 
• 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup 
• 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tsp of paprika
• 1 can (8 oz) sliced canned water chestnuts, drained and roughly chopped
• 1/2 a 6 oz can French fried onions (reserve half for topping)
• 1 tbsp lite soy sauce or 1/2 tbsp of regular soy sauce
• Salt, to taste, if desired

HOW TO MAKE THIS TRADITIONAL GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

Recipe Instructions

• STEP 1: Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (175°C). Grease a baking dish and set aside.
• STEP 2: Blanch the Green Beans: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the Boullion and green beans. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until they are bright green and slightly tender. Immediately transfer the green beans to a large colander and dump ice on top. This stops the green beans from continuing to cook. Drain and set aside.

• STEP 3: Sauté: In a large skillet, sauté the garlic, onions, and mushrooms in butter over medium heat until soft. Add the broth and cubed cream cheese, and stir until the cream cheese is melted.

• STEP 4: Stir in the condensed soups, soy sauce, and black pepper. Mix until well combined.

• STEP 5: Place the blanched green beans in a casserole dish. Add the sliced and chopped water chestnuts on top.

• STEP 6: Spoon the mushroom soup cream sauce mixture over the green beans and water chestnuts and sprinkle with paprika. Add 1/3 of the French fried onions on top. Mix with tongs until beans are evenly coated. Sprinkle with paprika and lightly mix again. 
• Note: if you want to add salt to this recipe then add it when you are mixing the beans with the sauce. I would go very lightly because the canned soup and French fried onions already have a lot of salt in them.

• STEP 7: Bake, covered with aluminum foil, in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly.

• STEP 8: Add the remaining French fried onions on top. Bake, uncovered, for another 5-7 minutes.

Cool: Allow the green bean casserole to cool for a few minutes before serving. 

Serve and Enjoy: Scoop out generous portions and savor the combination of creamy mushroom sauce, crisp green beans, and the delightful crunch of water chestnuts.

RECIPE TIPS

Prepare this recipe together and cover with plastic wrap the day before will save a lot of time and oven space on Thanksgiving. Follow steps 1-4: Blanch the green beans and make the mushroom, onion, and garlic cream sauce. Make sure the cream sauce and green bean mixture are thoroughly incorporated.

Either cover it with the plastic wrap and refrigerate at this point or bake it without the crispy onions on top and then cover and refrigerate. Bring the casserole to room temperature and bake again for 10 minutes with the French fried onions on top.

Regular soy sauce can be substituted for the lite soy sauce, but I would use 1/2 a tablespoon instead of a whole one. You can also use Worcestershire sauce if you like a smokier flavor.

​If you plan on adding salt to the cream sauce and green bean mixture go lightly because the canned condensed soups and French fried onions already have a lot of salt in them.

​Canned cream of celery soup, cream of mushroom with roasted garlic, or cream of Onion soup can all substitute for the cream of mushroom and chicken soups used in this recipe.

RECIPE FAQ

Can frozen or canned green beans used for this green bean casserole?

Canned green beans will disappear with the long cooking time of this recipe. Using frozen green beans in this easy casserole would make this dish very watery and not creamy. Fresh beans are the best option for this recipe, blanch the green beans and refrigerate a couple of days before you put everything together to save even more time.

How many days is green bean casserole good for?

The standard green bean casserole is good for about four days. It will get less crunchy sitting in the fridge and covered. To freshen it up, sprinkle some more crispy onions on top before reheating.

Can you freeze leftover green bean casserole?

You can, but it really won’t be very good.

HOW TO STORE THIS CLASSIC GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE RECIPE

Store in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to four days.

I would not recommend freezing leftovers.

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Best Green Bean Casserole with Water Chestnuts

Green bean casserole with water chestnuts starts out with fresh green beans, fresh mushrooms and onions, and topped off with crispy fried onions. The smooth, creamy sauce and the added crunch from the sliced water chestnuts create a delicious twist on this holiday comfort food.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Calories 150 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1 tsp 1 cube of chicken Boullion or 1 tsp of Better than Boullion Roasted Chicken or Roasted Garlic
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1.5 cups fresh mushrooms, rinsed, sliced and rough chopped
• 1/2 medium yellow or white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cans 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup and 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
• 1 tbsp lite soy sauce or 1/2 tbsp of regular soy sauce
• 1 can sliced canned water chestnuts (8 oz) roughly chopped
• 1 oz French fried onions mixed with bean mixture and cream sauce
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 oz French fried onions topping

Instructions

 

• STEP 1: Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (175°C). Grease a baking dish and set aside.
• STEP 2: Blanch the Green Beans: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the Boullion and green beans. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, or until they are bright green and slightly tender. Immediately transfer the green beans to a large colander and dump ice on top. This stops the green beans from continuing to cook. Drain and set aside.
  2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed, 1 tsp 1 cube of chicken Boullion or 1 tsp of Better than Boullion Roasted Chicken or Roasted Garlic
• STEP 3: Sauté: In a large skillet, sauté the garlic, onions, and mushrooms in butter over medium heat until soft. Add the broth and cubed cream cheese, and stir until the cream cheese is melted.
  3 tbsp butter, 1.5 cups fresh mushrooms, rinsed, sliced and rough chopped, 1/2 medium yellow or white onion, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
• STEP 4: Stir in the condensed soups, soy sauce, and black pepper. Mix until well combined.
  2 cans 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup and 1 can (10.5 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup, 1 tbsp lite soy sauce or 1/2 tbsp of regular soy sauce, 1/2 tsp black pepper
• STEP 5: Place the blanched green beans in a casserole dish. Add the sliced and chopped water chestnuts on top.
  1 can sliced canned water chestnuts (8 oz)
• STEP 6: Spoon the mushroom soup cream sauce mixture over the green beans and water chestnuts and sprinkle with paprika. Add 1/3 of the French fried onions on top. Mix with tongs until beans are evenly coated. Sprinkle with paprika and lightly mix again. Note: if you want to add salt to this recipe then add it when you are mixing the beans with the sauce. I would go very lightly because the canned soup and French fried onions already have a lot of salt in them.
  1 oz French fried onions, 1 tsp paprika
• STEP 7: Bake, covered with aluminum foil, in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly.
• STEP 8: Add the remaining French fried onions on top. Bake, uncovered, for another 5-7 minutes.
  2 oz French fried onions

Notes

The day before instructions. Preparing this recipe the day before and covering it with plastic wrap can save a lot of time and oven space on Thanksgiving.

Follow steps 1-4: Blanch the green beans and make the mushroom, onion, and garlic cream sauce. Make sure the cream sauce and green bean mixture are thoroughly incorporated.

Either cover it with the plastic wrap and refrigerate at this point or bake it without the crispy onions on top and then cover and refrigerate.

Bring the casserole to room temperature and bake again for 10 minutes with the French fried onions on top.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 150kcalCarbohydrates: 0.2gProtein: 0.1gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 71mgPotassium: 9mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 204IUVitamin C: 0.002mgCalcium: 2mgIron: 0.1mg

Keyword christmas, French fried onions, green bean casserole, thanksgiving, water chestnuts

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