The Best Green Bean Casserole Recipes to Grace Your Thanksgiving Dinner Table (2024)

FAQs

Which is better in green bean casserole canned or frozen? ›

Frozen French-cut green beans are a better option. They hold their texture better than canned, and you can cook them straight from their frozen state. And if you're using fresh green beans? You'll need to cook them first by roasting, steaming or boiling them.

You can safely estimate that one handful of green beans will serve one person, or two people if you have other green sides, Hartigan says. While these calculations seem straightforward, the full breadth of your menu could reduce the IRL size of each serving—after all, there's only so much room on one plate.

Green bean casserole was considered a perfect dish for holiday entertaining because it was simple, inexpensive, and could easily be made ahead of time.

Green Bean Casseroles are served at 20 million Thanksgiving dinners every year.

If you sense it's a little watery, "add a thickener like roux or starch to absorb the additional liquid or cook a little longer," she says. That'll give it that rich, dense consistency you're looking for.

Notes: ✿ 4 cups of green beans is about 1½ pounds fresh or 16 ounces frozen or 2 cans (15 ounces each) drained.

Any liquid from the beans will make your casserole watery. Only add 1/4 cup milk with the condensed soup—do not add the water as directed on the can. Add the crispy fried onions during the last 5 minutes of baking or they will absorb some of the sauce and become soggy.

Green beans: 1 ½ pounds of beans makes 6 to 8 servings. Mashed potatoes: A 5-pound bag of potatoes makes 12 to 16 servings.

I recommend 4 appetizers or bites per person. Most resources out there will recommend between 1 and 2 pounds of turkey per person. I think it's safe to plan for 1 1/2 pounds per person.

How many dishes should I serve with the turkey? For 4 people, choose 1-2 appetizers and 3 sides. For 8 people, choose 1-3 appetizers and 3 sides. For 16 people, choose 2-3 appetizers and 3 or more sides.

Which is better frozen or canned green beans? ›

In fact, some frozen vegetables, such as green beans, have an edge over the limp and old green beans in your fridge! Frozen vs. Canned: In general, frozen vegetables are better than canned. Fresh vegetables are blanched before freezing, and they do lose some nutrients but not a lot.

Canned Foods

According to Dr. Surampudi, canning requires a lot more processing, and is likely to have less nutritional value than frozen foods. The process of canning is different for different types of food, but typically it involves three major steps that keep the food safe to eat for long periods of time.

"When things are frozen, they are at the peak of ripeness," Derocha says, which means they'll retain much of their nutrients. Canned peas may contain added salt and lose a bit of their nutrients in the canning process, Petitpain says, but they are typically the most convenient.

Frozen green beans are not as good as fresh, but they're miles better than canned ones and thus a decent compromise.