Bacon Green Bean Casserole is a classic holiday side dish made with fresh green beans, crispy bacon, and a creamy mushroom sauce, topped with homemade fried onions. It’s a flavorful upgrade to the Campbell’s green bean casserole you have probably had many times! Be sure to add this to your Thanksgiving menu and impress your guests! I also have another Green Bean Casserole recipe made with canned crispy fried onions you will love.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Green Beans: Fresh green beans are the main vegetable in this side dish. To make them easier to eat, trim and cut the beans in half. After boiling the green beans, drain them and place them in a bowl of ice water. This blanching method helps the green beans retain their bright color and freshness. You could also use canned green beans that have been drained. Then, no need to blanch them before adding to the mushroom sauce.
Bacon: I like thick-cut bacon to add a savory flavor and crunchy texture to the casserole. You could leave it out if preferred. The casserole will still be delicious!
Onions: Yellow onions are added to the casserole as well as fried and top the dish.
Mushrooms: Look for white mushrooms like button mushrooms to chop and add to the casserole.
Cream of Mushroom Soup: If you don’t have any cans of condensed cream of mushroom soup, make homemade condensed soup!
Heavy Cream: Heavy cream (heavy whipping cream) is added to the sauce to give it a creamy texture. You could substitute half-and-half or whole milk for a lower-fat option. However, the texture may not be quite as velvety, but still delicious.
Can I Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead Of Time?
Yes, you can get most of this green bean casserole with bacon made ahead of time. Once you have the casserole assembled, but before cooking it in the oven, cover the dish with aluminum foil. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready, bake the casserole as instructed. In addition to assembling the casserole in advance, you can also fry the onions up to a week ahead of time. Once the onions are fried, let them cool. Then, store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
How To Store Green Bean Casserole
To store green bean casserole, first, let it cool to room temperature (but don’t let it sit out for more than 2 hours). Once cooled, store the casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3-4 days. Reheat it in the oven or microwave.
Bacon Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 7 cups fresh green beans, trimmed, cut in half, rinsed
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced (about ½ cup)
- 1 package (8 ounces) white mushrooms, diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 cans (10.5 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
- ¼ cup (59.5 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Fried Onions
- 4-5 small yellow onions, thinly sliced, layers separated (about 4 cups onions)
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until bright green and tender, about 4-5 minutes. While the beans are boiling, set out a large bowl of ice water. When the beans are done, drain and place them in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Set aside.
- To a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add bacon. Cook for 9-11 minutes, or until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the skillet, discarding the rest.
- To the skillet with the bacon grease, add the onions and mushrooms. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.
- To a large bowl, add the bacon, cream of mushroom soup, heavy cream, salt, pepper, green beans, and the onions and mushrooms mixture. Stir to combine.
- Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes.
- While the casserole is baking, prepare the fried onions.
Fried Onions
- Line a large baking sheet with two layers of paper towels. Set aside.
- To a medium saucepan over high heat, add onions and oil. Cook, stirring constantly, until onions turn pale golden brown, 18-20 minutes. Using a fine mesh strainer, carefully remove the fried onions from the hot oil. Place them in an even layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
- After 30 minutes, remove the dish from the oven. Sprinkle the fried onions evenly on top of the casserole.
- Return the dish to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbly and the onions are golden brown. Serve warm.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Bacon, mushrooms, and homemade fried onions really send this dish over the top! I loved it and will definitely make room for it on my holiday menu!
Elizabeth
I loved the added crispy bacon to this holiday classic casserole! And, making homemade fried onions makes it a little extra special!
Rachael
Fantastic elevated green bean casserole! I loved this, and the bacon added to it puts it on another level for sure.
Annabelle
I'm not the biggest fan of green bean casserole, but this is tasty! Truly a step above the classic!
Bella
Green bean casserole is a necessity for the holidays. The addition of bacon makes this even better. Such a good recipe to try!
Selena
This is so delicious, rich, and creamy. I love the addition of bacon to this classic dish and the fried onions on top are such a treat!
