My Mom’s Green Bean Casserole Is So Good, We Eat It For Dessert

Growing up, my family’s Thanksgiving meal went something like this: Dad smoked the turkey and baked a ham and my mom, the ultimate home cook, made everything else. That usually meant three or four side dishes and a couple of desserts. As my siblings and I got older and had families of our own, we pitched in with more side dishes and desserts.

Because my family members share a slight competitive nature (that’s an understatement—game nights are pretty intense), we spend all year searching for a dish that will win us the unspoken title of Best Thanksgiving Cook. The year my mom introduced her green bean casserole was the year she claimed the title for keeps. Desserts became unnecessary because we all shun the sweets for another helping of mom’s casserole. Even the youngest family members can’t get enough.

To be honest, I’m not sure why this dish is so craveable. It may be the savory combination of French-style green beans and shoepeg corn. Or the buttery cornflake topping. Maybe it’s the creaminess from the two cups of sour cream. Most likely, though, it’s the combination of all of the above.

How To Make My Mom’s Green Bean Casserole

The recipe is fairly simple: Mix together butter, all-purpose flour, grated onion, sour cream, cheese, sugar, salt, and pepper. Fold in the canned beans and corn, and pour mixture into a 9x13-inch buttered baking pan. Top with Swiss cheese and crushed cornflakes. Then bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. 

When I make this recipe, I occasionally substitute cheddar cheese for the Swiss and Ritz crackers for the cornflakes. Both versions are delicious, but feel free to play around with your favorite cheese and crunchy topping.

My Mom’s Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons melted butter, divided
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon grated onion
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 5 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cans French-style green beans, drained
• 2 cans shoepeg corn, drained
• 2 cups crushed cornflakes

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. 
2. Mix together 4 tablespoons melted butter, all-purpose flour, grated onion, sour cream, 3 ounces Swiss cheese, sugar, salt, and pepper. 
3. Fold in green beans and shoepeg corn, and add mixture to prepared baking dish.
4. Mix crushed cornflakes with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Top casserole with cornflakes and remaining 2 ounces of Swiss cheese.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.