Day: November 10, 2025

• I made Alex Guarnaschelli, Alton Brown, and Ree Drummond’s green-bean casseroles. 
• Guarnaschelli’s casserole tasted like something from a high-end steakhouse.
• Drummond’s version was the least traditional, and Brown’s was the closest to my go-to recipe. 

Green-bean casserole is a non-negotiable 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.

However, 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 they stacked up in my quest to find the best green-bean casserole.

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

Each recipe called for trimmed, fresh green beans that had been blanched in boiling water for a few minutes and cooled in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

The boiling times varied between two and five minutes. However, since I prefer my green beans extra tender in the casserole, I blanched all the beans for five minutes before transferring them to an ice bath.

Brown’s ingredients seemed the most traditional.

Brown’s green-bean casserole most closely resembled the dish I’ve been making my entire adult life.

The ingredients included breaded onions, green beans, and a mushroom sauce. Everything was pretty simple and straightforward.

The sauce was basically homemade mushroom soup.

Brown’s recipe involved creating a sauce that seemed a lot like cream-of-mushroom soup to me. It included chopped mushrooms, butter, chicken broth, and half-and-half.

The sauce was simple to make and tasted amazing. I immediately knew it would be similar to the canned version I typically use, but fresher and more flavorful.

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

For the crunchy garnish, Brown called for yellow onions, halved and sliced thin.

I coated the slices in flour, panko, and salt and baked them until they were nice and crispy.

I combined all the separate parts to bake the casserole.

After all the components were ready, I started assembling the casserole by combining the green beans, mushroom sauce, and ¼ of the onions.

I topped everything with the rest of the crispy onions and baked it for 15 minutes at 475 degrees Fahrenheit.

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

It was obvious from looks alone that Brown’s casserole was the most traditional of the three. It looked like the green-bean casseroles I’ve made for years, and it had the same flavor profile.

But his version was better than mine. It was an elevated, fresher, more flavorful version of what I’ve been serving for years.

I just might start making it for future Thanksgiving dinners.

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

There were lots of familiar ingredients in Guarnaschelli’s casserole recipe, like mushrooms, green beans, and onion.

However, the chef specifically called for a red onion, and the sauce for the casserole contained tangy Dijon mustard.

The onions were the star of Guarnaschelli’s casserole.

Like Brown, Guarnaschelli had specific instructions for preparing the onion in her recipe. It was to be sliced into super-thin rounds before coating and frying.

I was more than a little nervous to fry the rings of red onion in several cups of canola oil, but the process was easier than I anticipated.

After tossing the onions in flour, I fried them in batches, allowing them to drain on paper towels before salting them.

Of all three casserole toppings, these were the crispiest, tastiest, and most flavorful.

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

Aside from the addition of Dijon, Guarnaschelli’s sauce was familiar and straightforward to prepare.

Once I had everything ready, I garnished the top with the crispy onions and baked everything for about 10 minutes at 350°F.

The recipe was an elevated version of the classic dish.

I may save traditional green-bean casseroles, like Brown’s, for Thanksgiving dinner. However, I’d make Guarnaschelli’s version as a side dish for any elevated meal at home.

The tanginess of the Dijon mustard combined with the salty crispiness of the fried red onion would make this a perfect side for everything from grilled steaks to barbecued meats.

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

Drummond’s casserole abandoned traditional inclusions like crispy onion and mushrooms, and instead called for bacon, diced red bell pepper, and a creamy cheddar cheese sauce.

I was immediately intrigued by how it would turn out.

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

I followed the recipe exactly, but I couldn’t help wonder how it would compare to my traditional and beloved green-bean casserole.

Most of the steps involved mixing the ingredients for the cheesy sauce in a pan on the stove before adding in the cooked bacon and blanched green beans.

Instead of crispy onions, I topped the casserole with breadcrumbs before baking it for 30 minutes at 350°F.

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

The bacon-y, cheesy dish was surprisingly delicious, although it tasted nothing like any green-bean casserole I’ve had before.

Next time, I’d add a few pats of butter to the breadcrumb topping to get it a bit more golden brown.

I particularly liked the flavors brought into the dish by the sharp cheddar cheese and red bell pepper — I could see this being a fun side dish to serve at a summer barbecue.

My husband preferred this one and said that if you’re trying to take a standout dish to a Thanksgiving potluck, this would turn heads.

The best green-bean casserole didn’t pass the leftovers test.

Right out of the oven, Guarnaschelli’s crispy, salty, oniony dish was my absolute favorite. The creamy mustard sauce gave it an elevated and decadent vibe, and the onions were packed with flavor.

But I think the best part of any holiday meal is the leftovers. The following day, Brown’s green-bean casserole emerged as the best of the three.

As the traditional creamy, mushroom-laden sauce sat with the green beans, the flavors got even better. For Thanksgiving, I think Brown’s recipe is the winner here.

Drummond’s recipe was delicious, but it just didn’t seem like a green-bean casserole to me. If I make it again, it’ll likely be at other times of the year.

This story was originally published in November 2023 and most recently updated on November 10, 2025.

• I spent Thanksgiving on a trip: An eight-day Carnival Cruise with my husband and 12 of our friends.
• We got to celebrate my husband’s birthday and my friends’ wedding anniversary.
• The holiday meal wasn’t great, but we loved the rest of our experience on the ship.

After a year of payments, coordination with a group, and plenty of YouTube videos for first-time cruisers, my husband and I finally set sail with 12 of our friends.

Recently, we booked an eight-day Carnival cruise over the Thanksgiving holiday to celebrate our friends Tai and Darien’s wedding anniversary. My husband’s birthday also coincided with the trip, so we were happy to agree to the celebratory cruise.

After coordinating our excursions, activities, and outfits for months, here’s how it went.

My husband and I spent about $3,800 to book the trip

The cruise cost $2,550 for the two of us, after additional fees, such as paying for gratuities in advance.

Our round-trip flights to our port in Florida were originally $1,450. But we had $500 in credit-card rewards, so that total came down to $950. Since we flew in a day early, we had to book a hotel. However, by using Hotels.com rewards, we got a $125 room for just $17.

Before the trip, we also spent $250 on items to make our cruise more comfortable, such as bucket hats, magnetic charging pads, outlet strips, sunscreen, and a cross-body fanny pack.

In all, the two of us spent about $3,800, or $1,900 a person.

We kicked off the cruise with my husband’s birthday celebration at a steakhouse

When my husband and I boarded the company’s Vista ship, I was a little bummed I didn’t see any holiday decorations.

But we were just happy to be with everybody because it had been about two years since we saw half of the friend group.

That night’s main event was my husband’s birthday dinner at Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse. The establishment was upscale in our eyes, so we dressed up, and it was phenomenal.

It wasn’t included in our trip, but we didn’t mind paying extra for the meal.

Our server took care of us by helping us pair wine with our food, staying attentive, and singing “Happy Birthday” to my husband the soulful way (à la Stevie Wonder). It was refreshing to be around someone with her energy, and the food was well-seasoned and succulent.

We ended the evening on the lido deck because my husband wanted to see the stars.

The ship didn’t satisfy our Thanksgiving cravings, but we still had nice meals

The ship’s Thanksgiving dinner, unfortunately, didn’t tickle our fancy.

The food options — which included turkey, green beans, cranberry dressing, ham, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie — didn’t give any nostalgic holiday feelings. They felt a little too fancy, and I wished it had been kept simple.

I didn’t partake, but my husband said his turkey with green beans was also a little dry.

Our group of 14 preferred eating at the ship’s Horizons restaurant. My husband and I got a nice sushi-boat appetizer that was artistically crafted and tasted good.

Everyone wanted to take pictures of it before we dug in.

The ship gave us opportunities to do things we don’t do at home — like watch movies

When we’re at home, I hardly ever watch movies. But it felt good to lie in bed on the cruise and watch films I hadn’t seen in years.

We even went to the onboard Imax theater and saw the then-new “Hunger Games” movie for $17 each.

My husband and I happily nudged each other a few times to say, “We’re watching a movie in a theater on a ship,” because it was pretty surreal.

There was just so much to do on the boat

Our cruise director was top-notch and kept us energized and entertained throughout every activity.

The ship had shuffleboard, lido-deck games, trivia, and opportunities to participate in or watch the ship’s version of popular game shows like “Deal or No Deal” and “Family Feud.”

The latter offered two versions — one kid-friendly and the other adult — and it was my favorite to watch.

We also loved the ship’s karaoke. It was great seeing everyone sing and dance without a care in the world.

I thought I could belt out Whitney Houston’s “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” but boy, was I wrong. I struggled (and laughed) my way through the song, but I had a good time on stage.

There were so many activities we couldn’t attend them all, but now we know more for next time.

It was fun to dress up for the ship’s elegant night

Months before the cruise, Tai told all of us to wear green for one of the cruise’s elegant nights, where passengers are encouraged to dress up in formal attire.

Our uniformity was beautiful, especially since green was part of her wedding’s color scheme. Getting dressed up with our friends was a great way to honor the couple on their anniversary.

All in all, the cruise was more than I could’ve imagined

It was great to see everything come together after all the planning that went into this vacation. The day we disembarked from the ship, we even caught the crew putting up holiday decorations, which was a win for me.

I got to live a summer lifestyle while folks back home dealt with cold temperatures, so I think the cruise was totally worth it.

I’d be happy to do it again for future holidays.

This story was originally published on November 30, 2023, and most recently updated on November 10, 2025.