Paula Deen’s Southern Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Paula Deen’s Southern Green Bean Casserole is a comforting, classic Southern dish featuring tender green beans simmered in chicken broth, mixed with sautéed mushrooms and onions, creamy mushroom soup, and topped with crispy French-fried onions and melted cheddar cheese. This rich and flavorful casserole is perfect for family gatherings and holiday meals.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Casserole
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 cups green beans (fresh, frozen, or canned – use 2 cans, drained)
- 3 cups chicken broth (skip if using canned green beans)
- 2 ½ tablespoons butter
- ½ cup diced onions
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 10.5 ounces cream of mushroom soup (1 small can)
- 2.8 ounces French fried onions, divided (about 1 ½ cups)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder (more or less, to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the casserole.
- Cook Green Beans: In a large saucepan, bring 3 cups of chicken broth to a boil. Add the green beans and boil for 10 minutes for a fork-tender texture, or up to 20 minutes for softer beans. This step is skipped if canned green beans are used.
- Sauté Vegetables: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onions and sliced mushrooms and sauté for 1-2 minutes until softened. Remove the skillet from heat.
- Mix Soup and Vegetables: Stir the cream of mushroom soup together with the sautéed onions and mushrooms in the skillet or a large bowl to combine flavors.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the cooked green beans, garlic powder, black pepper, half of the French fried onions, and half of the shredded cheddar cheese. Mix thoroughly until evenly combined.
- Assemble Casserole: Pour the green bean mixture into a greased 1 ½ quart casserole dish, spreading it evenly.
- Bake the Casserole: Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbling.
- Add Toppings and Finish Baking: Sprinkle remaining shredded cheddar cheese and French fried onions evenly over the casserole. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Notes
- If the mushrooms are large, slice them into small bite-sized pieces for even cooking and better texture.
- Heat the shredded cheese and fried onion topping only until the cheese melts to avoid hardening the cheese or burning the onions.
- Reserve the chicken broth used for boiling green beans for use in other recipes such as stuffing for enhanced flavor.
- Adjust boiling time based on desired green bean texture: blanch quickly for crisp-tender, boil 10 minutes for fork-tender, or up to 20 minutes for very soft beans.
Keywords: green bean casserole, Paula Deen, Southern casserole, creamy green beans, holiday side dish, mushroom soup casserole, French fried onions, cheddar cheese casserole
