Green Bean Casserole

5 from 3 votes
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Green Bean Casserole - easy and the BEST ham and cheese green bean casserole recipe from scratch for Thanksgiving holidays. This recipe is healthy, so delicious and feeds a large crowd.

Green bean casserole in a baking dish.
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Green Bean Casserole

This green bean casserole recipe pays tribute to the classic recipe, but takes it to a different level with the added ham and cheese.

This ham and cheese green bean casserole is creamy and cheesy and packed full of flavors and much better than any recipes I have tried. In fact, it’s THE BEST ever!

The green beans are not mushy and soggy, but stay fresh and crisp because they are not blanched beforehand.


How To Make Easy Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole recipe with French green beans, ham and cheese is healthy.

This recipe is an easy recipe for any occasion and great for the holidays. With Thanksgiving coming up in a few weeks, I strongly urge you to try my recipe.

It will change your Thanksgiving green bean side dish forever. I guarantee you!

It’s very easy to make this dish and it takes only 20 minutes prep time.

First, you combine all the ingredients (cream of mushroom, half and half, garlic powder, salt, pepper, diced ham, onion, shredded cheese and French fried onions) together in a large bowl.

Then, you add the trimmed and cut fresh green beans. The green beans will cook in the oven for almost an hour so there is no reason to blanch them.

Pour the mixture into a buttered casserole dish and top with cheese.

Bake the green bean casserole for 40 minutes at 350°F and you will have the BEST tasting casserole green beans you have ever tasted!


Ingredients

French's green bean casserole topped with crispy French fried onions.

The classic ingredients in the nostalgic green bean casserole are all present and accounted for.

The addition of ham and cheese enhance the flavors.

  • French green beans or haricots verts are thinner and more tender than regular green beans. They have a more robust flavor.
  • Canned Cream of Mushroom Soup.
  • Half and Half.
  • Chopped onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  • Cooked and cubed ham.
  • Shredded cheddar cheese.
  • Store-bought crispy French fried onions.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.


What To Serve With Green Bean Casserole

Best and easy green bean casserole from scratch for Thanksgiving and holidays.

A classic choice would be Thanksgiving turkey or oven roasted chicken, roasted Cornish Hens or holiday ham.

The casserole also goes well with:

  • Mashed potatoes
  • Sweet potatoes.
  • Cranberry sauce.
  • Homemade biscuits.

Cooking Tips

  • DO NOT BLANCH the green beans because there is no need to. Your green beans will have a crisp texture after baking, and not soggy and mushy. You will forever thank me for this cooking tip!
  • Experiment with different kinds of cheese, like Gruyere or Monterey Jack.
  • Use cream of chicken soup instead of cream of mushroom if some of your guests don’t like mushrooms.
  • Be creative with different spices like Cajun seasoning, Old Bay, dry mustard or crushed red pepper.
  • Step it up a notch and use Creme Fraiche and sautéed fresh mushrooms instead of canned cream of mushroom soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make ham and cheese green bean casserole ahead of time?

Yes, you can mix all ingredients together one day in advance. Cover with plastic wrap and store in fridge.

How long do leftovers last?

Always store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 375 calories per serving.

Green Bean Casserole.

Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas

For a festive Thanksgiving dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


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5 from 3 votes

Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole – easy and the BEST ham and cheese green bean casserole recipe from scratch for Thanksgiving holidays. This recipe feeds a large crowd.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 people
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Ingredients  

  • unsalted butter, for greasing baking dish
  • 1 lb (500g) French green beans , or haricots verts, trimmed and cut into 2-inch (5cm) lengths
  • 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
  • 3/4 cup half and half
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 lb (250g) ham, diced
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups canned French fried onions

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Grease a 10×12-inch (25cm x 30cm) baking dish with butter.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the soup, half and half, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir in the green beans, ham, onion, 2 cups of the cheddar cheese and 1 cup of the French fried onions.
    Green Bean Casserole
  • Pour the casserole mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bake until bubbling and crusty, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and top the green bean casserole with the remaining 1/2 cup French fried onions. Serve immediately.
    Green Bean Casserole

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cravings Cookbook.

Nutrition

Serving: 8people, Calories: 375.96kcal, Carbohydrates: 15.01g, Protein: 20.31g, Fat: 26.14g, Saturated Fat: 13.9g, Cholesterol: 66.86mg, Sodium: 1342.58mg, Fiber: 1.92g, Sugar: 2.5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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8 Comments

  1. Lynn says:

    Not my sort of dish but I thought the point of blanching the beans is to stop them giving off liquid into the sauce.

  2. Yeh Ximin says:

    5 stars

  3. Meghan says:

    5 stars
    Made this green bean casserole last night. It’s going on my Thanksgiving menu this year for sure! Probably do it without the salt and still be delicious. Thank you for the inspiration.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Thanks this will be the best green bean casserole you make, I promise.

  4. Tonya says:

    Can you just use can green beans?

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Sure you can skip the ham but I think you will want the cheese. You can try this Brown Butter Green Beans recipe which is very good: https://rasamalaysia.com/green-beans/

  5. Marie Czarnecki says:

    5 stars
    Will try this recipe, can not get a recipe that I like.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Hi Marie, this recipe is super awesome, you will have to try it. It will be the best green bean casserole ever!