Thanksgiving is only 4 weeks away and, since I am hosting a large group again this year, I thought I better start planning now. While I was in planning mode, I decided that I might as well start making as many dishes ahead of time as I can. My freezer is going to be my BFF this Thanksgiving. 
This isn’t my first time to freeze some items on our menu ahead of time, but it is the first time I am going to be trying to make almost everything ahead of time.
The reason to start cooking now is simple. I want to be able to enjoy my family on Thanksgiving, not be tired and grouchy because I stayed up late and got up early to cook.
My intention is to post every time I make something for Thanksgiving. That is why today’s post is about green bean casserole. It is probably the easiest dish on my list, so it made sense to start with a win so to speak.
Whether you only have to make one dish or you are preparing the whole menu, making and freezing food ahead of time will hopefully let you have a stress-free holiday.
The ingredient list for green bean casserole is pretty simple: green beans, cream of mushroom soup, milk, pepper, salt, garlic powder, and French fried onions (not pictured).
You basically throw everything in a bowl and stir it up. It doesn’t look all that appetizing to me at this point, but I do think it is pretty tasty when it has been baked.
After I mixed up the ingredients I poured them into a casserole dish with a lid. Then, I made a little label with the instructions so that I don’t have to fumble through a recipe book on Thanksgiving Day.
Finally, I put the casserole in the freezer and marked that dish off of my list. Awesome!
There’s still a lot of cooking I need to do, but I think it will feel great to have most of it done early.
Ingredients
- 3 Cans Green Beans (Approximately 6 Cups)
- 1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 3/4 Cup Milk
- Dash of Pepper
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 3 oz. French Fried Onions (Approximately 1 1/2 Cups)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, except onions, in a casserole dish.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Remove from oven and stir.
- Top with onions and bake 5 more minutes.
Notes
If freezing the casserole ahead of time, be sure to dethaw before baking. Also, do not freeze with the onions on top.
Are you a make-ahead kind of cook, or do you prefer to make everything on Thanksgiving day?
Also, is green bean casserole on your list of must have foods for Thanksgiving? This is the one time of year when I actually buy cream of anything soup.
