Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
Green Bean Casserole with Bacon is a holiday classic and has earned its place at many holiday tables. This casserole is upgraded with bacon, mushrooms, and a creamy sauce that’s full of flavor and texture. It is a classic dish, perfect for your holiday table, and it hits all the notes.
Before Thanksgiving rolls around and throughout Christmas, you hear about the famous Green Bean Casserole. It’s a simple dish made mainly with canned green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions. Once this dish hits the table, it will be a part of your recipe file forever.
What sets this recipe apart is how easy it is to prepare, yet it still feels special enough for a holiday feast. You can assemble it ahead of time and customize it with your favorite cheeses. Whether you’re hosting a big dinner or bringing a dish to a potluck, this green bean casserole with bacon and cheese delivers nostalgia that everyone will be talking about long after the meal.
Some people believe that the juicy roasted turkey is the star of the Thanksgiving table, but the sides really steal the show, like my Homemade Sweet Potato Casserole, Chicken and Dressing Casserole, Simple Cornbread Salad Recipe, and this classic Green Bean Casserole.
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💗 Why You’ll Love This Dish
- Creamy & Cheesy: The milk and cheese create a creamy base for this dish.
- Packed with Flavor: Bacon, mushrooms, and garlic turn an ordinary casserole into something special.
- Crunchy Topping: The fried onions add flavor and crunch to the topping.
- Perfect for Holidays: This is a crowd pleaser and goes with the main dish.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Assemble this dish ahead of time and bake before serving for stress-free entertaining.
🥘 Green Bean Casserole Ingredients
This is a super-easy classic holiday side dish that comes together fast. It is not only perfect for the Thanksgiving feast but would also be great as a weeknight side or part of a Sunday dinner menu. It is the ultimate green bean casserole with a twist—bacon and mushrooms. See the printable recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and amounts.
- Green Beans: I use a good brand of canned green beans. I prefer canned green beans over frozen or fresh beans. Canned green beans are more tender, while frozen beans are firmer. The choice is a personal preference. If using frozen beans, blanch them first so they are tender.
- Bacon: Should I say more? Any bacon you like will work- thick or thin sliced.
- Mushrooms, Onions, and Garlic: Provide flavors for this dish. These take this casserole from boring to extraordinary. Sliced white mushrooms or baby Bellas work nicely. Rough chop them so they cook down.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup & Milk: These ingredients help make the casserole creamy. You could also use the low-sodium soup if desired.
- Shredded Cheese: You can use pre-shredded cheese if desired. However, I prefer to buy a block of cheese and shred it myself if time allows. You may also experiment with your favorite cheeses. Monterey Jack, Colby, Pepper Jack, or even Smoked Gouda would be delish.
- French Fried Onions: This ingredient is a signature for this side dish. The crispy fried onions on top add the finishing touch and a nice crunch. You’ll want to bake uncovered so they stay crisp.
- Seasonings: Simple is best. The bacon, cream of mushroom soup, and fried onions replace the need for salt.
🔪 How To Make Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
This is my favorite green bean casserole recipe. It is one of my go-to side dishes that comes together fast and is delicious with each bite.
Step 1: Preheat and Prep the Dish. Preheat the oven and spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Bacon. Fry the bacon until crisp. Crumble and set aside.
Step 3: Saute Onions and Mushrooms. Drain bacon grease, leaving 2 tablespoons in the skillet. Heat to medium heat, then add onions and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add Garlic. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Step 5: Add Creamy Base. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the mushroom soup, milk, crumbled bacon, cheese, pepper, and green beans. Mix well.
Step 6: Transfer to Baking Dish & Top. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with fried onions. Bake. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot.
Check out this Thanksgiving Day Turkey Recipe and get a perfectly moist turkey every time. Check out my tips and tricks to make your holiday special.
💭 Pro Tips
- Drain Green Beans: Drain the canned beans well before adding them to the mix. This will prevent a watery casserole.
- Make Ahead Casserole: Prepare this casserole, except for the onion topping and baking. Wrap the casserole in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until ready to bake. I prepared this casserole a day ahead, and it was great. When ready to bake, remove it from the refrigerator and let it rest on the counter while the oven preheats. Remove the plastic wrap, add fried onions, and bake according to directions. If your casserole has been in the refrigerator, add at least 10 more minutes to the cooking time.
- Allow Rest Time: Let the simple green bean casserole rest for a few minutes before serving, allowing the filling to settle.
🧺 How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Cover and Refrigerate: Cover leftovers tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, or place in an airtight container and refrigerate. They will be fine for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Place leftovers in an oven-safe dish and reheat at 350°F until warmed throughout. Add some fresh-fried onions for added crunch. The microwave works too, but may lose the crunch.
My No-Bake Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving is an amazing dessert. It’s simple to make and delicious to eat. It only takes minutes to prepare and is so light and creamy.
❔ FAQs
You can prepare this casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Assemble the casserole, refrigerate it, and then bake it when ready. Add the crispy fried onions just before baking. Remove your casserole from the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before baking.
Freezing green bean casserole with cheese is not recommended. The texture of the green beans and the creamy sauce may change upon thawing and reheating.
If you do not like the crispy fried onions, you can substitute them with toasted breadcrumbs, Panko bread crumbs, crushed potato chips, or buttery crackers.
I prefer to use canned green beans for green bean casserole, but frozen green beans are an option. You will need to boil, blanch, or steam them before adding them to the casserole. Pat dry to remove the water.
You do not have to add mushrooms to this green bean casserole. You will still have a delicious side dish.
Classic Thanksgiving Recipes
If you’ve tried this Green Bean Casserole with Bacon or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments. Thanks for visiting!
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Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
Ingredients
- 8-10 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1 onion diced
- 1 (8 ounce package) mushrooms sliced and rough chopped. I used white mushrooms.
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 2 (10.75 ounce cans) cream of mushroom soup
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cups shredded cheese cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, or your favorite
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 (14 ounce cans) cut green beans drained
- 2 cups French Fried Onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, fry bacon until crispy. Remove from skillet and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Crumble when cool and set aside.
- Drain bacon grease, leaving 2 tablespoons in the skillet. Heat to medium heat, then add onions and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Remove from the heat and stir in mushroom soup, milk, crumbled bacon, cheese, pepper, and green beans to the skillet. Mix well.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish. Top with fried onions.
- Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until bubbly and hot.
What is the rice side dish that you are showing with your baked pork chops?
Hi Thomas,
I served yellow rice with the oven baked pork chops. It is a favorite in my home. Thanks for the question. Have a great day.
Everything this better with bacon, right! What a delicious side dish, my whole family love it.
This a must-have recipe for Thanksgiving and this looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing.
Love this! I added water chestnuts for a little more crunch.
This was such a delicious casserole that pairs perfectly with just about anything! Adding this to my Thanksgiving lineup; definitely, a new favorite dish!
This is my favorite dish at the holidays. I love this classic homemade version