Creamy, Dreamy Green Bean Casserole Starts With Store-Bought Alfredo Sauce

For many households in the United States, a holiday meal isn't complete without green bean casserole. The history of this casserole dates back to 1955, when it was invented by Dorcas Reilly, who worked as a recipe supervisor for Campbell's at the time, and green bean casserole has remained a cozy, creamy staple ever since. The original appeal of this dish was that it used cheap ingredients that most households had on hand already (something important in those postwar years of the 1950s), such as canned green beans, fried onions in a bag, and cream of mushroom soup. 

And even though cream of mushroom soup has been a key ingredient in this beloved dish, some people are trading out this soup for an unexpected ingredient: Alfredo sauce. Using this sauce instead of mushroom soup will still give the casserole that signature creaminess that we know and love, but it bumps up the flavor of the original casserole in dramatic ways. 

Cream of mushroom soup has been a staple ingredient in green bean casserole (and can also be used to elevate your mac and cheese) because of its creamy base, which is most commonly made from a roux of flour and cream. Beyond the texture of this soup, it also provides a delicious umami with the mushrooms, and flavors from ingredients like garlic and tomato paste. Although this ingredient obviously goes beautifully with green bean casserole, Alfredo sauce cranks it up a notch because of its combination of butter, cream, garlic, and cheese.

The added cheese is the main difference here, and who doesn't love a creamy casserole with cheese at its core? Most recipes that use Alfredo sauce also call for a bit more cheese melted on top, so it ends up being a cheese-lover's dream. Some Alfredo green bean casserole recipes also call for the addition of fresh or canned mushrooms to maintain that umami in the dish, since the sauce is replacing the mushroom soup. 

Have we convinced you yet? If so, grab your favorite casserole dish (here are some tips for picking out the best one), and try this Alfredo sauce take on green bean casserole.