• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • meet the team
  • blogger resources
  • Contact Me
My Account
Member Dashboard
40 Aprons Premium (Ad Free!)

40 Aprons

Delicious, Healthy-ish Meals for the Whole Family

  • All Recipes
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Cooking Basics
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Meal Prep
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Baking
    • Crockpot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Sous Vide
  • Dietary Needs
    • Dairy Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Keto
    • Low Carb
    • Paleo
    • Vegan
    • Vegetarian
    • Whole30
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican & Latin
    • Southern
Home Blog Seasons, Holidays, and Special Occasions Holiday

Make Ahead Green Bean Casserole

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 10/18/22 Updated: 12/22/22
Leave a Comment
Jump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Anything I can make ahead, I will – and that includes classic, must-have holiday dishes like green bean casserole. This method is a total game-changer when it comes to Thanksgiving prep, letting you make that traditional holiday side dish up to 3 days in advance so you can check one thing off your list a little sooner.

Overhead view of a large rounded rectangular casserole dish holding a make-ahead green bean casserole.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • Green bean casserole is one of my favorite Thanksgiving sides, but I love it even more when I can get it out of the way early. Holidays or not, the more recipes I can cook ahead of time and have ready-to-go when I need them, the better. At Thanksgiving, though? Absolutely invaluable. Figuring out how to make a green bean casserole ahead of time totally saved my dinner.
  • It’s everything you love about a traditional green bean casserole, right down to the crispy, crunchy, French fried onions. How do you keep them crispy in the fridge, you ask? Well, the key is not to add the onion topping until literally the very, very end, that way they don’t have time to soak up the liquid from the green beans, milk, and cream of mushroom soup.

Must-Make Green Bean Recipes

Air Fryer Green Beans

Crockpot Green Bean Casserole

Italian Green Beans

Green Beans Almondine

Chef’s Tips

  • Take the time to pat the green beans dry before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. It seems like a throwaway step, but it actually makes a big difference. If you don’t pat the green beans dry, that moisture will throw off the consistency of the soup, keeping it from really covering the green beans completely. That moisture will also make the mixture wet and kind of soggy as it sits in the fridge.
  • If you’re using a glass casserole dish, let it warm up a little after it comes out of the fridge, before you put it in the oven. Cold glass going into a hot oven can make the glass crack or shatter, which will absolutely ruin your green bean casserole (and maybe your whole dinner in general).
  • We used canned green beans because they’re easy and classic, but you can absolutely use fresh green beans instead. Just trim them and cook them, then let them cool completely before patting them dry and stirring them into the other ingredients.
  • Feel free to add chopped pieces of bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, diced onions, or any other ingredients that make up your family’s favorite version of green bean casserole.
Close up, overhead view of an angled casserole dish holding a make ahead green bean casserole.

Holiday Recipes You’ll Be Thankful For

  • Quick Turkey Brine
  • Crockpot Baked Brie Dip
  • Great Grandma’s Sausage Stuffing
  • The Best Ever Cranberry Brie Bites
  • Keto Pecan Pie
  • Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

Close up, overhead view of an angled casserole dish holding a make ahead green bean casserole.

Make Ahead Green Bean Casserole

Prep:15 minutes
Cook:45 minutes
Total:1 hour
Save yourself a lot of time and worry with this creamy tender, crispy green bean casserole, made up to 3 days ahead of your holiday dinner.
Print Save Saved! Click Here to Remove Ads
8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 10.5-ounce can cream of mushroom condensed soup or make your own
  • ⅔ cup milk of choice
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans cut green beans drained, rinsed, patted dry; or 4 cups cooked cut green beans, patted dry
  • 1 ⅓ cups French's® French Fried Onions divided

Equipment

  • 9×13 casserole dish with lid or aluminum foil, or plastic wrap
  • silicone or rubber spatula
  • Refrigerator
  • Oven

Instructions 

  • Add cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, green beans, and 1 cup fried onions directly to casserole dish. Stir ingredients together until thoroughly incorporated, then spread mixture out into one even layer covering entire bottom surface of casserole dish.
    Overhead view of an unbaked make ahead green bean casserole in a large casserole dish.
  • Cover dish tightly with lid, aluminum foil, or food-safe plastic wrap. Place covered dish in refrigerator up to 3 days ahead of cooking.
  • When ready to cook casserole, preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Remove casserole dish from refrigerator, uncover, and place dish directly in preheated oven. Bake 35 minutes.
  • Remove casserole dish from oven. Top casserole evenly with remaining ⅓ cup fried onions, then return casserole dish to oven and bake 5 minutes or until onion topping has browned.
  • Remove casserole from oven. Let stand 5 minutes, then serve as desired.

Notes

  • Fried Onions: I just think French’s fried onions are the best for green bean casseroles, but feel free to sub with any brand you like.
  • Freezer Option: Prepare the casserole as instructed. When ready to store it, press a layer of plastic wrap over the top of the casserole so it touches the food directly and covers it completely. Cover the casserole dish with its lid or with a tight layer of aluminum foil, then place the dish in the freezer. Freeze up to 1 month. Thaw casserole in fridge overnight before baking.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 160kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 1012mg, Potassium: 349mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 33IU, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 1mg, Net Carbs: 13g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @40aprons on social and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!

Rate Recipe Tag Me on Instagram
Cheryl Malik

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

Read more...

You may also like...

  • Overhead view of a white oval Crockpot containing a green bean casserole topped with crispy fried onions on a neutral tabletop.
    Crockpot Green Bean Casserole
  • Hash Brown and Sausage Casserole: Make-Ahead Breakfast Part
  • Baked French Toast Casserole: Make-Ahead Breakfast

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

What’s Popular?

Reusable meal prep trays with sweet potato, scrambled eggs, and sausage for a whole30 breakfast

Whole30 Breakfast Meal Prep

Crispy, golden air fryer tater tots in a large white serving bowl next to a small ramekin of bright red ketchup.

Air Fryer Tater Tots

Overhead view of marry me chicken in a cast iron skillet

Marry Me Chicken (Chicken in a Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce)

Instant pot chicken and rice in a bowl

Dreamy Instant Pot Chicken and Rice

In Season

Whole30 In-n-Out burgers close up

Whole30 Burgers – Burger Joint Style (Paleo, Low Carb)

Overhead photo of keto chicken tortilla soup in a rustic bowl

Keto Chicken Tortilla Soup (Low Carb, Gluten Free)

Air fryer chicken wings on a platter with sauce

Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings in Buffalo Sauce

Instant pot frozen chicken breast - easy chicken recipes for dinners with few ingredients

Instant Pot Frozen Chicken Breast

As seen on:

More Goodies + NO Ads!

Become a 40 Aprons Premium Member!

All the 40 Aprons content you love - now even better.

  • Member-Exclusive Recipes
  • Meal Plans & Grocery Lists
  • eBooks
  • NO ADS!
Join now

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

Disclaimers

Contact

© 2023 40 Aprons
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
5 shares