Who doesn't adore a green bean casserole filled with plenty of green beans, mushrooms, and crispy onions?
But when we play home chef cooking a casserole dish, we have to find the best way to store and consume any leftover casserole. In this article, we share the 3 Best Ways To Heat Up Green Bean Casserole 2023, the ultimate guide.
3 Best Ways To Reheat Green Bean Casserole: New Tips
Watch your food budget
In many countries, including the United States, constant food price increases have made the daily diet increasingly unaffordable. That is why you should make every dollar count by not letting your food budget go to waste.
Why do casseroles easily spoil?
The classic green bean casserole includes multiple ingredients like milk, creamy sauce, meat, and other ingredients that spoil easily.
If you go for our easy recipe vegan best green bean casserole recipe, you will also find it is made up of several high-protein ingredients that can quickly spoil at room temperature in just a few hours.
A vegan healthy easy green bean casserole is made with fresh green beans, fried onions, chopped mushrooms, or cream of mushroom soup, a couple of tablespoons of butter (vegan), shallot, almond milk, soy sauce, black pepper, and a pinch of salt.
As in the classic dish, this green bean mixture has plenty of different ingredients that make them a fertile medium for bacterial growth.
Dealing with leftovers
The best practice for minimizing food waste is to try to make sure end up with an amount of food that matches the number of people you will entertain.
Make sure that, even if you serve small portions, any leftover green bean casserole will be consumed the same day it was prepared or at the latest, the next day. Please bear in mind that any leftovers should never be kept more than two hours after the casserole is prepared.
This insures that the food doesn't have much bacterial development. Make sure at most two hours pass between when you finish the cooking process and when the food is served or stored.
Casserole storage
To store the casserole, first determine how much food is left over.
If there is a lot and you decide it's better to keep the casserole in the baking dish, cover it with foil and store it in the refrigerator at 40°F. If you plan to eat the leftovers the next day, refrigerate them.
You should freeze the casserole if you don't want to eat it within one day. In this case, placing your dish in a freezer-safe container is advised.
Preserving it in the baking pan could be possible, but you must first confirm that the pan is freezer-safe and roomy enough.
If you have smaller leftover servings, you can place everything in one big container or store each serving separately in an airtight container. For smaller servings, adhere to the same storage guidelines as previously specified.
When refrigerated, green bean casserole can stay fresh for up to two to three days and in the freezer for up to four weeks.
Unfortunately, the casserole's creamy and rich flavor may deteriorate if you freeze it for an extended period.
3 best ways to reheat green bean casserole
Now let's go over the Best ways to heat up green bean casserole: Oven method, Rangetop method, and Microwave method.
Oven Method
This method works great for large amounts and is usually the finest method of reheating green beans. Oven use will guarantee even reheating of all the food without any cold areas.
Items you will need for this method
Follow the steps closely for the best results:
- 1First, remove the leftovers from the refrigerator or freezer and let them sit on the countertop for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature. You can heat the oven to 350°F in the interim.
- 2The green beans will naturally defrost if you leave them out. They won't thaw (unlike when frozen), but they will defrost enough to make a significant difference when reheated.
- 3Place the casserole on the center rack of a preheated oven after sealing the top with foil. Reheat the green bean casserole for 20 minutes, or until condensation forms within the glass baking dish. Don’t forget to cover your casserole with aluminum foil as this prevents the edges from burning.
- 4You can adjust the baking time depending on how thick your casserole is. It generally takes 20 minutes but you can shorten it to 15 if you’re reheating a small batch or a smallish dish.
- 5It’s best if you check the casserole every 5-10 minutes while it’s reheating. You don't want to burn a perfectly fine dish. Pull out the dish and remove the foil once it has heated through. Be careful not to burn yourself with the highly heat-conductive aluminum foil.
- 6Check the casserole to make sure it has heated all the way through. If not, bake it for another five minutes. Moreover, you can quickly broil the casserole by placing it on the top rack for 3–5 minutes if you notice any extra moisture or water on the surface.
- 7Add a little water to the green bean casserole before covering it with foil if you don't want to let it dry out. The green beans will heat up more quickly and effectively because of the steam created. Don't add more than 1-2 tablespoons. Otherwise, you risk the fresh green beans losing flavor.
Rangetop Method
Equipment needed:
The rangetop approach is perfect when you don't have many leftovers and need to heat the food quickly.
In contrast to the oven method, which employs indirect, ambient heat, this approach will heat the green beans utilizing direct heat.
Hence, you can anticipate a reheating time of 5 to 10 minutes.
Follow steps:
- 1Take the green beans out of the refrigerator or freezer and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes max.
- 2Heat a frying pan at medium-low heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of water. You can also add vegetable broth if you don’t want the sauce to lose flavor.
- 3Combine the water or stock with the casserole. Set the burner to low heat. When there is enough condensation and vapor inside the casserole, cook it for 5 to 10 minutes with the lid on.
- 4Keep checking the casserole to see how warm it is. Leave it on the range for another two to three minutes if it is still insufficiently warm. Since food heats quite fast on a stove, keep a close eye on it or you might ruin it. Dish it out and enjoy it after it's finished!
- 5Set the flame or electric setting to low to avoid over-drying the sauce.
The green bean casserole will experience some evaporation when it is refrigerated. Therefore, you will have to add some stock or water to bring it back to its original consistency.
Microwave method
The microwave approach should be saved for last since, although it can quickly reheat green bean casserole, it might also harm its texture.
Because microwaves heat food from the inside out, adding a casserole dish high in fat and carbohydrates will cause everything to get mushy, even the green beans.
We strongly advise reheating only individual servings rather than the entire fresh green bean casserole if you want to keep the casserole's original texture and crunchiness.
Equipment needed:
Follow these steps to reheat green bean casserole like an expert:
- 1Allow the leftover green bean casserole to warm up slowly on the counter at room temperature for 30 minutes max. If you are reheating frozen green beans, it is preferable to defrost them in the microwave at the defrost setting just before switching to the warming setting.
- 2Remove a single serving, then top the plate with stock or water. Do not use more than 1-2 tablespoons. Mix the water with the green beans very well.
- 3Reheat the casserole at the highest setting for about 2-3 minutes. For optimal heating results, heat the food for one minute to start, and then take it out and mix. Then continue heating for another 1-2 minutes or until the casserole is nice and warm. If the casserole is still not hot enough for you, you can continue heating it for an additional 15 seconds at a time.
- 4You can add some toppings such as fried onions, cheddar, parmesan, caramelized onions, bread crumbs, or crumbled potato chips for an even tastier dish.
Questions and Answers
Does green bean casserole reheat well?
You can reheat green bean casserole in an oven, on a range top, and microwave. But to reuse casserole leftovers safely, you must ensure proper refrigerated storage to avoid spoilage before you try to reheat it. A casserole should never sit at room temperature for more than two hours.
How do you reheat a casserole in the oven without drying it out?
Add a little water to the casserole before covering it with foil if you don't want to let it dry out. The food will heat up more quickly and effectively because of the steam created. Don't add more than 1-2 tablespoons. Otherwise, you risk the casserole losing flavor.
Is green bean casserole good the next day?
It depends on the care you took when you stored it. You must make sure the casserole never sits out over 2 hours are room temperature before sticking it in the fridge. A casserole can stay good in the refrigerator for up to three days, no problem. If you plan to store it any longer you better freeze it from the start.
Is It Better to reheat a casserole in the oven or the microwave?
Depends on the amount of food you want to reheat. If you just need to reheat an individual portion, warming it up in the microwave is generally faster and easier. For larger amounts reheating it in the oven will have far better results.
