Recipe: Green Bean Casserole

A Texas-inspired side that’s worthy of center stage.

Published November 2, 2026

Texas green bean casserole. — Photo by Manny Rodriguez; Styling by Paige Fletcher

Green bean casserole’s origin story is a culinary Cinderella fairy tale. In the 1950s, a food editor prompted Campbell’s Soup to create a recipe from a handful of pantry staples. The original version contained only six ingredients, two of them canned and one of them black pepper. By all accounts, it should have remained a clever marketing recipe. Instead, it became a holiday institution, a side dish an aunt or grandmother prepares that wouldn’t be left out of holiday meals for anything in the world.

Do you have to use condensed cream of mushroom soup? You do not. There’s no reason you can’t give the classic your own flair.

Some, preferring the firmer, crisper texture and vibrancy, use fresh green beans rather than canned. For a South Asian twist, add creamy coconut milk rather than milk. For Mexican inspiration, scatter with cotija cheese. Making a homemade mushroom roux or cream of mushroom soup can add sophistication and depth.

But don’t forgo the fried onions (canned, originally) — or some version thereof. You can bake them when feeling healthy or batter and fry them like tiny onion rings. You can crisp up shallots and then sauté extra mushrooms in the remaining fragrant oil. Some top the casserole with toasted slivered almonds or crushed potato chips. Just don’t forgo the crunch that is the soul of the dish.

Our version leans into flavors that hail from the Lone Star State: smoky bacon in the sauce, roasted poblanos adding gentle warmth, and toasted pecans for a buttery crunch that plays perfectly against the filling and crispy onions.

This humble side dish belongs at the heart of the table. Just save those fried onions for the final stretch of baking so they stay golden and crunchy.

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

6 strips bacon
1/2 onion, finely diced (white, yellow, sweet, or red)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup (or homemade)
1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded mild, creamy cheese, such as Monterey Jack
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
4 (14.5-ounce) cans cut green beans, drained (or 2 pounds fresh, blanched)
4 poblanos, roasted and peeled
1 1/2 cups French fried onions (or shallots), canned or freshly fried
1 cup toasted pecans, crushed

Making green bean casserole. — Photo by Manny Rodriguez; Styling by Paige Fletcher

Method

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly coat 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2

In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels, then crumble. Drain all but a few tablespoons of bacon grease, then return skillet to medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Step 3

Add garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in undiluted mushroom soup. (Or use homemade soup and omit milk.) Add milk and cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold in bacon, green beans, and poblanos.