Thanksgiving Green Bean Recipes

In a riff on a traditional green bean casserole, Food & Wine's Justin Chapple makes a bright and punchy green bean salad with a mustard vinaigrette and tops it with crispy oven-baked Yukon Gold potato chips.

The assembled casserole can be made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight, making it an ideal side dish for Thanksgiving. The fried shallots also can be prepared ahead and stored overnight in an airtight container.

Instead of just steaming or boiling green beans, Katie Workman first sautés them in butter and garlic, then simmers them in chicken broth. For adults, she adds fresh herbs and citrus—both zest and juice—giving the beans a fresh, vibrant flavor.

The great shortcut here is the packaged rice-and-grain blend. Instead of cooking them separately, all the grains cook in one pot in the same amount of time.

Inspired by classic green bean casseroles from his childhood, F&W's Justin Chapple put a Spanish spin on this timeless favorite by topping the creamy beans with smoky pimentón de la Vera and toasted almonds.

For his simple side dish, Dean Fearing sautés crisp green beans with caramelized salsify, toasted pecans and strips of intense country ham. At home, he jokingly calls them "all-day" green beans—in fact, they take about half an hour to prepare.

Store-bought red curry paste and coconut milk put a Thai spin on this green-bean-and-mushroom holiday classic. For a vegetarian main dish, simply stir in cubes of tofu.

“We always need to remember that many people in need, whether here or overseas, don’t have the freedom of time,” says José Andrés. “But if you have some potatoes, green beans and cauliflower, you have a heck of a dish that can feed an entire family with just a tiny bit of work.”

The cooked green beans can be refrigerated overnight; blanch in boiling water or steam until heated through.

Scott Conant makes his crisp-tender beans with ground ginger, since freshly grated ginger invariably creates unappealing little chunks.

This brown rice salad is healthy, delicious, and the beans and dressing can be prepared in advance.

Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley serve their skillet-tossed lettuce and green bean salad warm, topped with a buttery, tangy anchovy dressing. "I could eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner," says Melissa. "When vegetables are served this way, there's no way to feel like, 'Oh, greens, I have to eat them."

This reimagined pesto, made with parsley instead of basil, is fast, fresh and delicious.