Green Bean Casserole with Worcestershire Sauce is the classic holiday side with a savory upgrade: tender green beans in a creamy mushroom sauce seasoned with Worcestershire and black pepper, melted sharp cheddar, and a golden, crunchy fried onion topping. It takes 15 minutes to put together and is a must for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner.
How to make green bean casserole with Worcestershire sauce: Boil fresh green beans until tender. Whisk cream of mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire and pepper in the baking dish, stir in the beans, cheddar and some fried onions, and bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes. Top with the rest of the onions and bake 5 minutes more.
Why You’ll Love It
- Classic with a twist: Worcestershire and sharp cheddar make the familiar casserole more savory.
- One dish: the sauce is whisked right in the baking dish.
- Crunchy top: fried onions added at the end stay golden and crisp.
- Fresh, frozen or canned beans: use whatever you have.
Ingredient Notes
Fresh green beans: Four cups, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces. They need about 10 minutes in boiling water first so they are tender in the finished casserole.
Cream of mushroom soup and milk: One 10.5-ounce can of condensed soup whisked with half a cup of milk makes the creamy sauce.
Worcestershire sauce: One teaspoon. It gives the mushroom sauce a savory, slightly tangy note. I measure it rather than splashing it in straight from the bottle.
Sharp cheddar: One cup, shredded, stirred right into the beans for a cheesy, creamy casserole.
Crispy fried onions: One and two-thirds cups, divided: two-thirds of a cup goes into the casserole and the rest goes on top at the end.
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 can (10.5 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 2/3 cups crispy fried onions, divided
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
How to Make Green Bean Casserole with Worcestershire Sauce
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cook the green beans. Cook the green beans in a pot of lightly salted boiling water until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
3. Make the sauce. Whisk the cream of mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce and pepper together right in the casserole dish until smooth.
4. Mix. Add the green beans, 2/3 cup of the fried onions and all of the cheddar. Stir to coat the beans.
5. Bake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is bubbly and reaches 165°F. Sprinkle the remaining fried onions on top and bake 5 minutes more. Serve right away.
How to Keep the Fried Onions Crisp
Fried onions do two jobs in this casserole, and they are added at two different times. The first two-thirds of a cup gets stirred into the creamy beans before baking. Those onions soften into the sauce.
The rest go on top only at the very end, after the casserole has baked and is bubbling in the center. Five minutes in the oven is all they need to warm up and turn deep golden while staying crunchy.
Give the casserole a quick stir before you add the top layer, so the sauce is even. If you are assembling it ahead of time, keep the onions out of the dish entirely and add both batches when it goes into the oven.
Fresh, Frozen or Canned Green Beans
All three work, as long as the beans are tender and well drained before they meet the sauce. Fresh beans give the brightest color and best bite: trim them, cut them into bite-size pieces and boil them about 10 minutes until a fork slides in. For bright green beans with a little more snap, you can instead blanch them for 3 to 4 minutes and cool them in ice water.
Frozen cut green beans only need a short steam, about half the time on the package, then a good drain. Canned cut green beans are already cooked; just drain them completely and stir them straight into the sauce.
Tips for Success
Why are my green beans squeaky and tough?
Fresh green beans were not cooked long enough before baking. Boil them until a fork slides in easily, about 10 minutes, before they go into the sauce.
Why is my casserole watery?
The beans were not drained well. Let them sit in a colander for a minute and shake off the water; canned beans need to be drained completely, and frozen ones steamed briefly and drained.
Variations
- Shallot and garlic: stir finely diced shallots and minced garlic into the soup sauce.
- Savory broth: use part chicken broth in place of some of the milk, and season with a little seasoned salt.
- Parmesan top: sprinkle grated Parmesan over the casserole before the fried onions.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave to 165°F, and add a handful of fresh fried onions on top. FSIS lists cream sauces among foods that do not freeze well.
What to Serve With It
This is a holiday table side for roast turkey, baked ham or a Sunday roast chicken. Round out the spread with Paula Deen’s Southern cornbread dressing, sweet potatoes with marshmallows and easy creamy corn casserole. For other ways to cook green beans, try smothered green beans, smothered green beans with potatoes or Texas Roadhouse copycat green beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Worcestershire sauce taste good in green beans?
Yes. A teaspoon whisked into the creamy soup sauce adds a savory, slightly tangy depth.
How much do I need for canned or frozen beans?
Two 14-ounce cans of cut green beans, drained, or one 24-ounce bag of frozen cut green beans replace the 4 cups of fresh beans.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Mix the beans, sauce and cheese in the dish, cover and refrigerate. Stir in the first batch of fried onions right before baking, and add the rest at the end.
Final Notes
Buy an extra container of fried onions for topping the leftovers. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Green Bean Casserole with Worcestershire Sauce
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Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh green beans trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 10.5 ounces
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 2/3 cups crispy fried onions divided
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 3-quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.
- Cook the green beans in a pot of lightly salted boiling water until fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
- Whisk the cream of mushroom soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce and pepper together right in the casserole dish until smooth.
- Add the green beans, 2/3 cup of the fried onions and all of the cheddar. Stir to coat the beans.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is bubbly and reaches 165°F. Sprinkle the remaining fried onions on top and bake 5 minutes more. Serve right away.
