I made green-bean casseroles from Alton Brown, Ree Drummond, and Alex Guarnaschelli, and one would fit better at a barbecue than Thanksgiving dinner

Terri PetersJan 14, 2024, 16:00 IST

I always make green-bean casserole for Thanksgiving, so I wanted to find the best recipe. Terri Peters

I made Alex Guarnaschelli, Alton Brown, and Ree Drummond's green-bean casseroles.
Guarnaschelli's casserole tasted like something from a high-end steak house.

Green-bean casserole is a nonnegotiable Thanksgiving side for me.

My go-to is the standard recipe made with canned green beans, condensed cream-of-mushroom soup, and French's fried onions.

But to make sure I'm not missing out on something better, I followed recipes from three celebrity chefs: Alton Brown, Ree Drummond, and Alex Guarnaschelli.

Here's how the green-bean casseroles stacked up.

Each chef called for the green beans to be blanched in advance, so I started there.

I had to blanch the green beans before I could get started on any of the recipes. Terri Peters

Brown’s ingredients seemed the most traditional.

Alton Brown's take on green-bean casserole felt familiar to me. Terri Peters

The sauce was basically homemade mushroom soup.

I typically use a can of condensed cream-of-mushroom soup in my casserole, so this was similar. Terri Peters

I followed the chef's precise instructions for the onions.

I used yellow onions for Alton Brown's recipe.Terri Peters

I combined all the separate parts to bake the casserole.

The casserole came together pretty quickly. Terri Peters

As I expected, Brown’s recipe tasted the most like traditional versions of the dish.

I liked Alton Brown's recipe better than my own. Terri Peters

Guarnaschelli’s recipe called for Dijon mustard and pan-fried red onion.

Most of the chef's ingredients were standard, but there were a few zingy twists. Terri Peters

The onions were the star of Guarnaschelli’s casserole.

It wasn't too difficult to fry the red-onion rings.Terri Peters

I then started on the sauce, which was fairly straightforward.

Alex Guarnaschelli's sauce called for tangy Dijon mustard. Terri Peters

The recipe was an elevated version of the classic dish.

I loved the fun twists Alex Guarnaschelli added to her casserole. Terri Peters

Drummond’s green-bean casserole was completely different from what I was used to.

I was thrown off by many of Ree Drummond's ingredients. Terri Peters

Drummond’s cheese sauce and bold red bell pepper seemed strange to me.

Instead of a creamy mushroom sauce, Ree Drummond's dish called for a cheesy sauce. Terri Peters

I enjoyed her take on the dish, but I'd make one tweak next time.

I was surprised by how much I liked this nontraditional green-bean casserole. Terri Peters

Straight from the oven, there was a clear winner, but a different dish made the best leftovers.

I think all of these green-bean casseroles could have a place in my cooking rotation. Terri Peters

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