Old Fashioned Green Bean and Corn Casserole
Green Bean and Corn Casserole is a simple holiday side dish that might be even more popular than the main course! This easy recipe is made with simple ingredients like canned and fresh veggies, cream of celery soup, cheddar cheese and a crunchy Ritz cracker topping.
My green bean and corn casserole makes a great holiday side dish. We like to serve it around Thanksgiving and Christmas next to the roast turkey and sage stuffing.
I use canned corn and green beans mixed with sautéed celery, onions, and bell pepper. Everything get mixed with cream of celery soup and a little sour cream. Then I add what might just be the best part – the buttery Ritz cracker topping.
The filling bakes up creamy and the topping gets golden brown and crunchy. It only takes about 15 minutes to prep, and after it cooks you’re looking at about an hour total. That’s not too bad for a casserole side dish that feeds several people.
What to Know Ahead of Time
I like to think this green bean and corn casserole is pretty simple to pull together, but there are a couple of things you need to do to make sure it turns out correctly.
Drain the canned ingredients! To keep the casserole filling from being watery, make sure to drain the green beans, corn, and mushrooms really well. Any excess liquid will make the filling soupy.
Sauté the fresh veggies. Take the time to sauté the fresh vegetables so you don’t have the crunchy raw celery and onion taste in the casserole.
How to Make Green Bean and Corn Casserole
Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Drain the green beans, corn, and mushrooms then combine them in a large mixing bowl.
Melt the unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, and add the onion, celery, bell pepper, salt, and pepper. Cook until the veggies soften then remove from heat.
Combined the sautéed vegetables with the pepper and onion mixture. Then stir in the cream of celery soup, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. If you don’t have cream of celery, a can of cream of mushroom soup will work, too.
Spoon the mixture into the baking dish, and smooth into an even layer. Sprinkle crushed Ritz crackers and sliced almonds over the top. Drizzle well with melted butter.
Cover with foil, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue to bake for another 10 minutes until the filling bubbles and the crackers begin to brown.
How to Store Leftovers
Storage: Store leftover casserole in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: This casserole freezes well without the cracker topping. After it’s baked and cooled, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It stays fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just make sure it doesn’t have any crackers on top, otherwise they’ll get soggy.
Need to Make an Ingredient Substitution?
Green beans: Honestly, use your favorite canned variety. I use French-cut, but you can use Italian-cut (flat) or even whole green beans. Just make sure the ends are trimmed.
Mushrooms: I grab jarred mushrooms for this recipe, but canned work great. Make sure whatever you use are well drained. You can use fresh mushrooms, too. You’ll want to sauté them before adding the onions and bell pepper to the pan. Let all the liquid cookout before adding them to the filling.
Cream soup: Use whatever you have on hand. That could be cream of celery, mushroom, or even cream of chicken in a pinch.
Crackers: In my house, Ritz = butter crackers. If you buy store brand, they’ll probably say “butter crackers” on the box. Name brand is Ritz. Either one works.
Cheese: I really like sharp cheddar cheese shredded off the block in my green bean and corn casserole. However, I know lots of folks prefer bagged cheese. Pre-shredded works – just make sure you choose a good brand that melts well. Kraft Creamy Melt is my favorite pre-shredded.
Ingredients
For the Base:
- 30 ounces green beans, 2 (15 ounce) cans, drained and rinsed
- 30 ounces whole kernel corn, 2 (15 ounce) cans; drained and rinsed
- 9 ounces sliced mushrooms, 2 (4.5 ounce) jars; drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup white onion, diced
- ½ cup celery, finely diced
- ½ cup green bell pepper, diced
- 10.5 ounces cream of celery soup
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded off the block
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
For the Topping:
- 1 ½ cups Ritz crackers, crushed
- ½ cup slivered almonds, optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.
- In a large bowl, combine the drained and rinsed green beans, corn, and mushrooms. Set aside.30 ounces green beans30 ounces whole kernel corn9 ounces sliced mushrooms
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, salt, and pepper and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat.2 tablespoons unsalted butter1 cup white onion½ cup celery½ cup green bell pepper1 teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon pepper
- Combine the sautéed vegetables with the green beans, corn, and mushroom mixture. Stir in the cream of celery soup, shredded cheese, and sour cream.10.5 ounces cream of celery soup1 cup sharp cheddar cheese1 cup sour cream
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Top with the butter cracker crumbs and almonds (if using). Then drizzle with melted butter.1 ½ cups Ritz crackers½ cup slivered almonds2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Cover, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue to bake for another 10 to 15 minutes until the crackers are lightly browned and the filling is bubbly.
