Nothing says comfort food like a bacon green bean casserole made from scratch!
Rich, creamy, savory, and oh, so delicious, a green bean casserole is a classic holiday meal for sure!
Classic Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
We love the classic Campbell’s green bean casserole as a side dish with Thanksgiving dinner.
This version has the same flavors with green beans and onions but is leveled up with a rich flavorful cream sauce replacing the mushroom soup and a little bit of bacon.
Ingredients for Green Bean Casserole
- Green Beans Fresh is best but frozen works too!
- Onions & Mushrooms are pan-fried and added to the sauce for lots of flavor.
- Bacon use regular uncooked bacon, you need the little bit of fat to cook the onions and mushrooms
- Cream Sauce A simple yet decadent sauce is made with light cream, chicken broth, and seasonings.
- Toppings include a buttery, cheesy, bacon topping… need I say more?
How to Make Green Bean Casserole from Scratch
- Cook the beans. Boil green beans in a pot of water with a pinch of baking soda.
- Cook bacon until crisp, set aside. Add onion & mushrooms.
- Add light cream & broth per the recipe below and simmer until thickened.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and green beans.
- Place the green bean mixture in a casserole dish, top with crispy bacon and cheesy bread crumbs.
- Bake until browned and bubbly.
PRO TIP: Adding a pinch of baking soda to green veggies while boiling helps to keep their bright green color without changing the flavor!
How to Make Ahead
- This casserole can be assembled and refrigerated up to 48 hours ahead of time, keep the bread crumbs separate until you are ready to bake.
- If assembled ahead of time, remove from the fridge while the oven preheats and add an additional 10 minutes cooking time.
- Keep leftover green bean casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Green Bean Favorites
- Classic Green Bean Casserole
- Szechuan Green Beans
- Fresh Green Bean Casserole
- Roasted Green Beans
- Green Beans with Bacon
Did your family love this Green Bean Casserole? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Bacon Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pound green beans trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Topping
- ¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese shredded
- ½ tablespoon fresh parsley
Sauce
- 2 slices bacon uncooked, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ small onion finely diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 ½ tablespoons flour
- 1 cup light cream
- ¾ cup chicken broth reduced sodium
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine topping ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add ½ teaspoon baking soda*(see note) to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cut beans in half and simmer 5-6 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain well.
- Meanwhile in a large skillet cook bacon until crisp. Place bacon on paper towels to drain leaving the grease in the pan. Add 2 tablespoons butter and onion. Cook until softened, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add mushrooms, garlic, pepper, salt (or to taste), poultry seasoning, and thyme leaves. Cook until mushrooms have released their juices and are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the cream and chicken broth. Simmer 5 minutes or until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese. Toss with drained green beans.
- Place in a 2qt baking dish, top with bacon and breadcrumb mixture and bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly and bread crumbs are browned.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Casserole, Side Dish
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The green bean dish wash delish! Thank you for the recipe and notes. I will share and make again!
So happy you enjoyed it, Janine!
This recipe is a keeper. Since I generally make this casserole for the holidays, I am always looking for a favorite. I just finished assembling it. The taste is amazing. I also liked the poultry seasoning in it, this dish will be a compliment with my French meat pies. Thanking you for a 5 star recipe.
So glad you loved it, it’s a favorite for us too!
What an amazing casserole! I ate a ton of it while I was making it! Everyone raved about it! It’s the best Green bean casserole I’ve ever had, thank you for sharing your recipe!
So happy you enjoyed it, Chris! It’s such a delicious casserole.