Simple & Delicious Trader Joe's Green Bean Casserole

ByHaley Chin Updated on

Green beans have always been my favorite vegetable, so it’s no surprise that green bean casserole is my favorite holiday dish. A few years ago, I noticed that Trader Joe’s had started selling their own brand of green bean casserole ingredients. Since Trader Joe’s is hands down my preferred place to grocery shop, I was immediately intrigued and had to try it out for myself!

The result was delicious. Enter a new family holiday tradition: the Trader Joe’s Green Bean Casserole! This is a big deal for me, because I love tradition and am averse to change. Especially when I find something that I love, I enjoy doing it the same way every year. I mean, that’s part of how traditions work, right? I’m always willing to add new traditions, but changing old ones is more challenging for me. 

But every once in a while, I encounter something that’s so great I’m willing to change the tradition (ever so slightly)! So let’s dive into how to make a Trader Joe’s Green Bean Casserole.

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What Is Green Bean Casserole?

First, if you’re unfamiliar with it — what is green bean casserole? This traditional Thanksgiving dish is surprisingly simple. The key players are green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and French-fried onions! The simplicity is part of what makes green bean casserole so great. Plus, you’re eating vegetables, so it’s healthy right? 

It’s kind of an odd flavor combination that we don’t really go for other times of the year. But somehow, it works! The creaminess of the mushroom soup pairs well with the green bean flavor and texture, and the crunchiness of the French-fried onions adds some decadence that prevents you from feeling like you’re eating something too healthy (after all, it is Thanksgiving, right?). 

As the green bean lover in the family, this is always my main contribution to our Thanksgiving meals. The best part: It only takes 5 minutes to whip up and throw in the oven!

The Classic Casserole

The original green bean casserole recipe was invented in 1955 by an employee in the Campbell Test Kitchen. As the main ingredients in this dish, Campbell’s and French’s each have their own recipe for this. However, it is interesting to note they both reference the other brand in their recipes.

Although Campbell’s was first, my family has always used French’s (probably because the onions are so important to us — more on that later). The main difference between the two is Campbell’s recipe includes soy sauce, which I haven’t tried and therefore can’t vouch for.

There are dozens of recipes out there for making this classic dish from scratch, but some things are classic for a reason. Why try to reinvent the wheel?

The French’s recipe only requires five ingredients:

The Trader Joe’s Casserole

When I set out to make a Trader Joe’s Green Bean Casserole, I was curious to see if they had any recipe recommendations. Turns out, their product containers have a fancy recipe that involves sauteing additional veggies and adding Swiss cheese. 

While I’m sure the recipe is excellent, a crucial element of green bean casserole is how easy it is. Plus, we’ve established that the simplicity of the ingredients is what truly makes this classic dish. So for my Trader Joe’s Green Bean Casserole, I simply adapted the classic recipe but substituted Trader Joe’s ingredients. 

An added bonus: it’s great value! Have you ever wondered why Trader Joe’s products are so unique and yet affordable? That’s because the store chain uses a cost-plus pricing model, which adds a fixed percentage to the production cost rather than considering other factors such as consumer demand and competitor prices. 

They focus on delivering good value to their customers, and for their business model it really works! Especially in the San Francisco Bay Area, Trader Joe’s is usually cheaper and better value than other grocery stores. 

Ingredients for a Trader Joe’s Green Bean Casserole

You also only need five ingredients to make a Trader Joe’s Green Bean Casserole, and you can get them all at Trader Joe’s! An added bonus: you should either have these ingredients already on hand or you can purchase them well in advance of Thanksgiving, so it’s easy to prep ahead. 

Before we go into the detailed recipe, let’s evaluate our primary ingredients.

Green Beans: Canned, Fresh, or Frozen?

When it comes to green bean casserole, the biggest variable is generally what kind of green beans should be used: canned, fresh, or frozen? There are a few things to consider when making this important decision. 

Canned Green Beans

Since green beans are my favorite vegetable, I think I’m entitled to a small amount of snobbery, which leads me to my confession: I’m morally opposed to canned green beans. 

They just taste…canned to me. The texture is too mushy and the flavor isn’t quite right. They’re my last choice for green bean casserole. But obviously, if they’re all you have on hand they’re better than no green beans! And since they’re shelf-stable, they can save you fridge or freezer space if you don’t have room to store fresh or frozen.

Fresh Green Beans

Fresh green beans are a better option than canned, but they can be a bit of a hassle since they take longer to cook than canned or frozen. I’ve never used fresh green beans for green bean casserole, although if you do it is recommended to blanch them first. 

Additionally, fridge space at Thanksgiving is a very precious commodity (at least in our household). Although fresh green beans stay good for a while, they don’t last as long as canned or frozen. They’re also usually more expensive. For that reason, fresh green beans are not my first choice, but they’re a good option if you want to try them!

Frozen Green Beans

Enter frozen green beans: the best of both worlds! These are my #1 choice for green bean casserole. Frozen vegetables are cheaper than fresh, keep for months in the freezer, and are frozen at their freshest point, which means you’re getting the best value for taste! 

They’re also so easy. Although some recipes recommend thawing and draining, I’ve never found it to be necessary. In fact, cooking frozen vegetables straight from frozen can actually preserve their texture and flavor. Unlike fresh green beans, they don’t require blanching beforehand since most frozen vegetables are blanched prior to freezing. 

As a bonus, Trader Joe’s sells frozen French Green Beans — also known as haricots verts. They are a thinner, more sophisticated green bean and add a little something extra to the dish. 

So throw in those frozen fancy green beans — super easy! The one thing to keep in mind is they do take a while in the oven to get up to temp. So be sure to allow plenty of time for the casserole to cook!

Cream of Portabella Mushroom Soup: What’s So Special About It?

The classic Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup uses button mushrooms as the base. Button mushrooms have the mildest flavor and are cost-effective, making them a popular choice in cooking. 

However, the Trader Joe’s Condensed Cream of Portabella Mushroom Soup uses portabella (also known as portobello) mushrooms, which are richer in flavor with more umami. Especially if you’re into mushrooms, it adds a fun twist to this classic recipe while preserving the original. 

Gourmet Fried Onion Pieces

While French’s Crispy Fried Onions are the classic choice for green bean casserole, I really like the Trader Joe’s version as well! The primary difference is the size of the onion pieces — the Trader Joe’s ones have smaller and thinner pieces than French’s. This means they get extra crispy (and are also more sensitive to burning). It comes down to personal preference, but I enjoy both!

The Secret to the Best Green Bean Casserole

Green bean casserole is pretty fool-proof — the ingredient quantities are very flexible. However, I believe that the secret to the best green bean casserole is adding extra fried onions. I add a little more every year and I am convinced that there is no limit. 

While it is important to add some onions in the casserole, the ones inside the casserole will never be as crispy as the ones on top. That’s why I always add extra on top, especially right at the end!

Recipe for Trader Joe’s Green Bean Casserole

Now that we’ve gone over our ingredients, let’s make this casserole! For some reason, green bean casserole recipes are usually intended for an 8×8 or 9×9 inch casserole dish. This has always been a mystery to me. Even if you’re not serving a crowd, don’t you want lots of leftovers?

For that reason, I always at least double the recipe (and sometimes even triple). This recipe is doubled and serves anywhere from 6-12 people. However, you can halve it to make less. It’s designed for a deep 13×9 inch casserole dish. Mine is Pyrex and is available on Amazon! It comes with a lid which makes it easy to throw in the fridge for leftovers and I absolutely love it.

Pyrex Deep 9×13-Inch Glass Baking Dish on Amazon

Note: As mentioned previously, ensure you allow plenty of time for this to cook. Mine usually takes a little over an hour, but it can take even longer especially if you have multiple things in the oven (as is common around Thanksgiving). 

Ingredient Quantities

P.S. As noted earlier, the ingredient quantities for this dish are very flexible. So if your ingredients aren’t exact, don’t worry! It’s pretty hard to mess this recipe up.

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Mix together cream of mushroom soup, milk, and pepper in a bowl. 
  3. Combine mixture with as many frozen green beans as will fit in your dish (about 1.5-2 bags for this recipe) and 1 container of the fried onions and toss until evenly coated. Note: I find this easier to mix in the casserole dish due to the large quantity (the frozen green beans will cook down so don’t be afraid to fill it). Be careful as the dish will be very full.
  4. Place mixture in a 13×9 casserole dish and add another ½ container of onions on top.
  5. Bake for 60-75 minutes until heated through. Keep an eye on it — you will likely need to cover the top with aluminum foil after 15 minutes or so to keep the onions from burning.
  6. When the casserole is done (you can check with an instant thermometer to ensure it’s heated to at least 165° F in the center), add as many remaining onions to the top as desired and cook for 5 minutes or until crispy. 
  7. Enjoy!

FAQ

Now that we’ve covered how to make a Trader Joe’s Green Bean Casserole, I’ve also put together a few answers to common questions you might have. 

Does Trader Joe’s sell green bean casserole ingredients year-round?

No! Although you can obviously find green beans year-round, the Condensed Cream of Portabella Mushroom Soup and Gourmet Fried Onion Pieces are only available seasonally during the holidays, so be sure to stock up! 

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! Cook in advance through step 5 and refrigerate until 30-45 minutes before serving, then throw it back in the oven until heated through. Add the remaining fried onions and cook for 5 minutes as instructed before serving. You can also cook and freeze in advance, then reheat and serve, but I haven’t done that personally.

Does green bean casserole make good leftovers?

Yes! The fried onions won’t be quite as crispy, but green bean casserole is still delicious as leftovers. Reheat in the oven vs. the microwave for maximum possible crispiness.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it since the cream of mushroom soup is so important. 

Well, that’s all there is to making an easy and delicious Trader Joe’s Green Bean Casserole! If you’re a fellow green bean lover like me or you just love holiday food, consider giving this recipe a try this year. After all, some traditions are worthy of being amended. 

Looking for more recipes? Try a few of my Trader Joe’s fall favorites, or these make-ahead Thanksgiving desserts you can prep before the big day.

Haley is the creator of Haley’s Comment, where she shares practical tips for entertaining, home styling, and making everyday life feel more beautiful. With a background in event planning and a passion for hospitality, she helps readers create intentional, welcoming spaces, even in rentals or small homes. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Haley is a freelance writer and designer, a wife and cat mom, and a firm believer that dessert should always come first.