10 Thanksgiving Green Bean Recipes, No Cans Required

When I think of must-have Thanksgiving recipes, green bean casserole—the kind made almost entirely with canned ingredients—is one of the first that comes to mind. The thing is, I love it mostly for the gloopy cream of mushroom soup and the crispy fried onions; the bland, mushy green beans are the least important part.

No disrespect to the casserole I grew up on, but this year I’m going to try to prepare green beans in a way that highlights their flavor rather than covering it up. I could cryo-blanch them to preserve their crunch, braise them until tender, sauté them with mushrooms and onions, or even broil them and serve with a Sichuan sauce. Or, more likely, I’ll stick with the casserole but make it with fresh beans and other minimally processed ingredients. Whichever way you want to go, keep reading to find out how to prepare green beans for Thanksgiving without opening up a can of soup.