Why Frozen Green Beans Are A Better Choice For Green Bean Casserole - Tasting Table

Despite conventional wisdom that says fresh veggies are always best, in this case, frozen wins. (Scientists say frozen veg is just as nutritious as fresh too.) Usually, when using frozen vegetables, you'd have to wait for your ingredients to thaw, but there's not even any defrosting required for this recipe. EatingWell specifically recommends using French-cut green beans and adding them into your recipe directly from the bag. 

If you don't have any frozen French-cut green beans on hand, you can substitute them for fresh ones, but instead of cooking them all the way through, you'll stop when they are tender but still crisp. Then, in order to keep them from overcooking from residual heat, blanch them in chilled or ice-cold water. This helps to prevent the green beans from becoming mushy when you take your casserole out of the oven. Remember, the green beans technically get cooked twice, so unless you're going for a softer texture, it's best to slightly undercook them, or better yet, add them in frozen.