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Our Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with bacon is just what you need for the holidays! Made from scratch (don’t worry, it’s easy), loaded with that classic GBC flavor + the addition of bacon and cheddar, and ready with just 15 minutes of prep!
Growing up, my family never really made green bean casserole for the holidays, but I’m in charge now. 😉
A big chunk of my family is on Team No Mushrooms Ever, so the classic green bean casserole recipe that everyone serves isn’t the best choice for us, but this Green Bean Casserole with Bacon? Yep. Everyone loves bacon.
We make this recipe from scratch – no cans of cream of mushroom soup needed! (Although, my homemade cream of mushroom soup is always delicious when recipes call for that stuff!)
Between the crispy bacon stirred into the cream green beans, the sprinkling of cheddar cheese over the top, and the crispy, salty fried onions, there are never any leftovers of this one. Make a double batch if you want to fight Uncle Frank for this one.
Oh, and I considered making some of my onion strings to top this recipe with, but then decided that I was being ridiculous and taking “homemade” way too far. I mean, those little cans of fried onions are divine. Why mess with perfection? But if you have the time and the energy, go for it!
Ingredient Notes:
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Bacon – We use regular or thick cut bacon (both work!) and chop it into small pieces before frying.
Green Beans – We’re using cans of French style green beans. You could use traditional cut green beans in a can as well, if you prefer those. We have not tested this recipe with fresh or frozen beans.
Milk & Flour – No cans of soup in this green bean casserole! I know that sounds scary, but trust me, this is better. You’ll make a creamy substitute from milk, flour, and a bit of bacon grease.
French Fried Onions – These add loads of flavor and crispy textures to the casserole and they’re so easy. I love that they are just ready to go with no preparation required. It makes them such an easy addition.
Cheddar – We prefer freshly grated cheddar for maximum meltability, but pre-shredded does work.
What We Love About BACON GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE:
- Ease: I love a nice, easy casserole recipe. This one doesn’t require a lot of work besides frying the bacon and it’s a huge hit at holiday meals.
- Tradition: This casserole is a classic Thanksgiving recipe! It’s a familiar and comforting dish that is enjoyed by millions, but updated with a nice twist!
- No Cans of Soup: I don’t mind those canned soups every now and then, but if I can easily make the recipe from scratch, I know it will taste better every time!
- Speed: This does need a bit of time in the oven, but you’ll only need about 15 minutes or less of hands on time. That’s a win for me!
How to Make Green Bean Casserole with Bacon:
Bacon: To get started you’ll need to fry up some bacon. Add the diced bacon to a large skillet and fry until crisp. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Don’t drain the grease, because we’ll need that to make the roux. Just sprinkle the flour right over the top of it all.
Roux: Stir the flour and bacon together until the flour has soaked up that bacon grease. Pour the milk into the pan and start whisking. Keep cooking over medium heat until the mixture thickens up and is nice and smooth and creamy. You’ve essentially just made cream of bacon soup here.
Combine: Drain the canned green beans and add them to a large mixing bowl. Pour the creamy bacon mixture in with the green beans and top with the salt, pepper, and half of the fried onions. Stir well to combine it all.
Top & Bake: To finish preparing the green bean casserole spread the mixture into a greased 9×9 baking dish and then top with the grated cheddar. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes before sprinkling the remaining French fried onions over the top and baking for an additional 5 minutes. Serve the casserole nice and hot.
Serving Suggestions:
This green bean casserole with bacon is obviously perfect for Thanksgiving. Serve it alongside our sausage dressing (grandpa’s recipe!), crockpot carrots, and pumpkin crunch cake!
Have leftovers? Try adding some to our leftover turkey casserole!
And if you enjoyed this recipe I think you’ll also love this air fryer green bean casserole recipe!
Can You Make Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time?
Like many other casserole recipes this green bean casserole can be prepared in advance! That makes it perfect for holidays when you’ve got a lot going on.
To make in advance, prepare the recipe per the instructions and then cover with foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Bake as directed, uncovered, adding an extra 5-10 minutes to the bake time before adding the fried onions. .
Helpful Tip!
Feed a Crowd
This recipe should serve 8 as a side dish. To double the recipe, you’ll want to double all of the ingredients and bake as directed in a 9×13 baking dish. The bake time should remain the same.
FAQ’s:
The casserole itself will take about 40 minutes to bake in the oven. You will need to fry the bacon first in a skillet which may take about 5 to 10 minutes or so.
Leftover green bean casserole can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days. You can reheat it in the oven or the microwave! The onions will not stay crispy if refrigerated but you can always add more later!
Yes, let it cool completely before transferring to a freezer safe container. It can be frozen for up to a couple of months. The onions will not stay crispy after freezing/thawing so you may need to add more before reheating if you want the crispy topping.
We have not tested this recipe using fresh or frozen green beans, but if I were going to try it, I would boil the green beans for a few minutes to soften them just a bit and warm them up before mixing with the other ingredients.
MORE THANKSGIVING CASSEROLE RECIPES!
Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/4 cups whole milk
- 4 14.5 ounce cans French style green beans drained
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup French fried onions divided
- 1 cup grated cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add the bacon to a large skillet over medium heat and fry until crisp.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constanty, for one minute.
- Whisk in the flour until smooth and creamy.
- Whisk in the milk and continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a gravy.
- Add the drained green beans to a large mixing bowl and pour the bacon mixture over the top. Add salt, pepper, and half of the fried onions. Stir well to combine.
- Spread into a greased 9×9 baking dish. Sprinkle the top with cheddar.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining onions over the top of the casserole and continue baking for 5 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Information:
This recipe was originally published October 2017. It was updated with new photos in October 2023. Original photo below.
Christie says
Can you tell me if this recipe can be made ahead & frozen – and then cooked the day of Thanksgiving? I try to prepare as much as possible in the weeks before the big day – and this would be 1 more thing that I could have done in advance. Please let me know. Thanks!
Karly says
I haven’t tried freezing this one myself, but I think it would work fine.
Susan Foster says
This looks delicious! Can it be made ahead?
Karly says
Absolutely!
Sara gad says
Can I use ground meat instead of bacon…
Karly says
Sure. I would drain the grease and then add in 3 tablespoons of butter before adding the flour.
Amber says
Can regular green beans be used in this instead of the French cut style? And if so, how many cans would I use then?
Karly says
Sure! You’ll use the same amount of green beans, regardless of the cut. 🙂
GoMovies says
Perfect treat for holidays!
nancy says
Do you drain any of the fat off from the bacon ?
Karly says
Nope, you’ll need the fat to make the roux. 🙂
Megan | 3 Scoops of Sugar says
This looks divine!! I will definitely be making this. Love love love green bean casseroles and this looks like the perfect one!
Karly says
Hope you love it!
Christina says
Now, THIS is what I’m talking about! I’m not a fan of Thanksgiving type foods EXCEPT for green bean casserole. My mom always made GBC with Campbell’s mushroom soup. I’m not hating on Campbell’s, but I much prefer a recipe made from scratch. Not only is this recipe made from scratch but it includes BACON and CHEESE. You’re my hero!
Karly says
Haha, thanks, Christina! Hope you love this!
Carla and Robert Skidmore says
Hi Christina,
My husband and I loved Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup, he for just eating it for lunch, and for me, it was both eating it and using it for cooking. Campbells is, by far, a superior soup for cooking. Unfortunately, my husband was diagnosed with a Gluten Intolerance, and thus cannot eat Campbell’s Soup, as they contain flour made from wheat. I have implored them to make them G. F. but to no avail. I know, Andrea will see this a once again castigate me as she said that only 1% of the population is G.F. so basically, to heck with anyone who has an allergy or other health issues. The milk of human kindness escaped my friend Andrea. Upon further research, I found that the percentage was more than 1%, but 8% and rising, due to the newer hybrid wheat, that withstands both torrential rain and extreme drought.
Is there a way that you can apply some pressure Campbell to make their soups G. F.
Connie Clark says
Carla, Progresso Cream of Mushroom Soup is gluten free. It is a thinner soup than Campbells so I don”t add milk to it.
Jessy says
Oh wow- this is a twist on a family favorite that I can seriously get on board with- this looks amazing!!
Karly says
Hope you try it!
Megan @ Pip and Ebby says
I LOVE this from-scratch recipe! I’m definitely in the must-have-mushrooms camp, but that would be easy enough. Thanks for sharing and I’m so glad you remedied your green bean casserole draught. 🙂
Karly says
Yep, you could cook them up with your bacon. Or used jarred, but I have a feeling mushroom lovers don’t resort to the jars of mushrooms often? 🙂
Carla says
Megan, I am in the “Love, love, love mushroom camp,” so thanks for sharing. I shall definitely add some mushrooms. Mushrooms are a food that folks either love or hate, but I love them, too.
Thank you for the idea!
Adina says
What a delicious looking casserole! And four slices are bacon are not sooo bad, especially if there are 8 servings! And what is life without a bit of bacon in it! 🙂
Marsha | Marsha's Baking Addiction says
Okay, this casserole sounds and looks amazing! What a comfort meal!
Lexi @ Sempre Dolce says
This looks delicious! And an addition of bacon is ALWAYS welcome… 😉
Dianna says
Delicious! Lovely recipe! I will have this this weekend!
Karly says
Hope you enjoy it!
Vickie says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I remember the first time I ever ate green bean casserole and it was so comforting. I made it for years with the canned soup. Now I try not to use many prepared foods when cooking so I can control what is in our food. I plan on fixing this for Thanksgiving this year-first time in probably two decades. Hope you and your family have a blessed holiday season!
Karly says
Hope you find this one just as comforting! 🙂
Dianne says
This looks so delishous,but a Serving size would be most helpful…Thank you
Carla says
Hi Karly,
Fortunately, I am able to substitute corn starch for the flour that you use for a thickener and I have found some GF french fried onions so that I can make this delicious casserole. I always made this dish on special occasions but gave up when my husband was diagnosed with a gluten allergy, late in life, too, he was 72, now ten years later you came up with this “canned soup-free” recipe. Mil gracias, thank you, danke!