Green Bean Casserole Is Twice As Tasty When You Sprinkle In This Packet From Your Pantry

Thanksgiving has its fair share of classic dishes. Of course, we all know about turkey and the various ways to cook it (bake, fried, smoked). But, for a lot of people, the sides are what make a fabulous Thanksgiving meal — the mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, and cranberry sauce. And who can forget about a classic green bean casserole?

In the world of casseroles, the green bean version might top the list. It's typically pretty easy to make and it pairs well with turkey, ham, and all those other tasty sides. But, sometimes, it feels like once you've tasted one green bean casserole, you've tasted them all. If you're looking to give your next casserole deeper savory, umami flavor, just add a packed of onion soup mix. 

The standard Campbell's recipe seems to cover all the green bean casserole bases — cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, cooked green beans, and pre-packaged fried onions. That will certainly get the job done. But you can add a little extra touch to your green bean casserole with onion soup mix. The casserole will still include the fried onions, but the soup mix will give the onion flavor an extra boost. These little packets are easy to find at your grocery store and only cost around $1.50 to $2.50 for a pack of two, making them super affordable for the amount of flavor they bring to this casserole.

Like most casseroles, this green bean version with the onion soup mix is quick and easy to make. You'll want to mix together the onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup, and milk. Drain the green beans and add them to this mix, then bake the casserole as you usually would, finishing it off with fried onions for a crisp, savory topping.

That's your creamy green bean casserole with an explosion of onion flavor. You can use the onion soup mix with cream of mushroom soup, or swap the latter with cream cheese if you aren't fond of the fungi — you'll still get that savory flavor from the onion soup mix. There are also plenty of other ways to riff on a green bean casserole. You could add shredded cheese to up the creaminess, or top the green bean casserole with crispy cornflakes instead of fried onions. You could also go all in on the onion flavor by incorporating not mushroom, but cream of onion soup. Or, give the green bean casserole French onion flavors by adding Gruyère cheese and caramelized onions into the mix. 

You might already have your go-to green bean casserole recipe, and it's the one that the entire family loves and expects to see at a holiday dinner. If that's the case, you might not want to rock the boat. But if you're looking for something new and a little different, add in a packet of onion mix and enjoy this slightly different take on a classic Thanksgiving side dish.