A green bean casserole is a delicious, hearty addition to any winter meal. Rich, creamy, and full of vitamins, this dish is sure to please. It is easy to whip up--just follow this guide on how to make green bean casserole to get started.

Green bean casserole is a traditional favorite that can get even the pickiest eaters to devour their vegetables. Kids and adults alike love the creamy, salty flavor, enhanced by the sharp crispness of the fried onions. This recipe is extremely simple to make, and can even be prepared a day early, making it an excellent choice for large, multi-course meals.

While the simplest way to make green bean casserole is to use canned soup, you can also prepare your own. Making your own cream of mushroom soup will allow you to control the flavor, as well as the amount of fat and salt that go into the dish. This is an excellent idea if you are watching your weight, or reducing your salt intake.

• Ingredients for green bean casserole:
• 1 Can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 Cup milk
• 3 Cups green beans, cooked and cut
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 Cups French fried onions
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Black pepper to taste

Making green bean casserole is a fairly simple process, and that is one of he reasons that it is so popular for holiday meals. After all, when one has numerous dishes to prepare and serve in a single day, the simpler the recipes the better. If you will be extremely busy the day that you plan to serve your casserole, consider making it the day before. Then you can bake it in the oven just before serving (be sure to extend the cooking time, as the casserole will be coming from a cold refrigerator).

How to make the green bean casserole:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet, and saute the mushrooms until tender.
3. Mix together all ingredients except for half of the fried onions, and pour into a casserole dish.
4. Bake for 25 minutes, then top with remaining onions and bake for another 5 minutes.

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For a bit of flavor variety with your green bean casserole, try some of the following variations:

1. For a cheesy casserole, sprinkle with cheddar cheese at the same time you add the rest of the onions
2. For more flavor, boil the green beans in vegetable broth
3. If you are watching your salt intake, use a reduced sodium mushroom soup
4. Make your own french-fried or oven-fried onions for a more homemade flavor