Quick Look: Easy Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
- Ready In: 1 hour
- Serves: 10
- Main Ingredients: fresh green beans, coconut milk, mushrooms, french fried onions, garlic, and thick cut bacon.
- Dietary Info: gluten free and dairy free friendly
- Best For: Thanksgiving, Christmas, or another holiday gathering.
- Why You’ll Love It: A homemade take on classic green bean casserole with smoky bacon, a creamy mushroom sauce, and crispy fried onions. No canned soup needed!
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Key Ingredients + Substitutions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for a full listing of ingredients, instructions, and estimated nutritional information.
- Green Beans – blanching fresh green beans is the perfect way to make sure they are fully cooked but still fork tender for the perfect final texture.
- Bacon – personally I have found that thick cut bacon maintains the best texture without breaking apart and getting lost in the sauce.
- Mushrooms – this simple veggie adds a subtle umami flavor while also providing a hearty texture in each bite.
- Milk – coconut milk provides a wonderfully rich, velvety texture to the sauce while still keeping it light and dairy-free. Regular whole milk can also be used.
How To Make Green Bean Casserole With Bacon
Step 1 – Blanch the fresh green beans in hot water for 2 minutes.
Step 2 – Cool beans in an ice bath and then transfer to the baking dish.
Pro Tip
Take 1-2 minutes to dry off the green beans with a paper towel to prevent the casserole from getting watery and to ensure the sauce coats them rather than sliding off onto the bottom of the pan. It’s worth the minimal effort, we promise.
Step 3 – Cook the pieces of bacon over a medium heat on the stove top. Then remove and set aside.
Step 4 – In the same skillet, sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic until soft. Remove and set aside.
Step 5 – Melt the butter, whisk in flour, and then gradually whisk in the coconut milk and broth to make a creamy sauce.
Step 6 – Add the bacon and mushrooms back to the pan and mix to combine with the sauce.
Step 7 – Pour the mushroom sauce over the blanched beans, mix with some added french fried onions and bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly hot.
Step 8 – Add the remaining french fried onions and any reserved bacon on top. Bake for 5-10 more minutes.
Erin’s Testing Tips: What We Learned
- Green Beans: using fresh green beans that are quick blanched for 2 minutes before adding them to the casserole gives the best results of fork tender green beans without getting mushy.
- Cooked Bacon: the added smoky flavor is incredible and you will want your bacon cooked but not super crispy. Otherwise, it will break apart and get lost in the casserole.
- Homemade Sauce: we used full-fat coconut milk for the creamy mushroom sauce that results in a lighter version that isn’t too rich. Before assembling the casserole, the sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Green Bean Casserole with Bacon FAQs
Yes, follow all of the directions to assemble the casserole and instead of baking right away you will cover it and place it in the fridge overnight. When ready to bake the next day, pull it out of the fridge to come to room temperature while the oven preheats. Then bake according to the directions. If it is still cold going into the oven, it may need a little more bake time to get bubbly hot.
Green beans, string beans, wax beans, and snap beans are all basically the same thing and all are acceptable in this recipe. Just keep an eye on their size, larger beans will take longer to cook while thinner ones like Haricots Verts, won’t take as much time. Canned green beans are okay, but will result in a much softer textured casserole. Frozen are also alright, but won’t have the same crispness as fresh.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh green beans
- 6 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 12 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, sub plant-based butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sub gluten-free flour
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk, sub regular whole milk
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups french fried onions, divided (sub gluten-free fried onions)
Instructions
- Oven: Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Blanch Green Beans: Fill a medium saucepan ¾ full of water and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, add ice and water to a large bowl to create an ice bath. Set aside. Add 1 pound fresh green beans to the simmering water. Let cook for 2 minutes. Using a pair of tongs, carefully remove the green beans from the simmering water and place them directly into the ice bath. Let sit for 5 minutes or until fully cooled. Remove the cooled green beans, pat them dry, and place in a 9×13 baking pan.
- Cook Bacon: Bring a large cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Cook the chopped bacon pieces until they are cooked, but not super crispy. Remove bacon and place on a small plate to cool.
- Cook Mushrooms: Keep the same skillet the bacon was cooked in at a medium-high heat. Add 12 ounces baby bella mushrooms, diced onion and 1 teaspoon garlic. Move around the pan until the mushrooms have softened, approximately 3-5 minutes. Remove mushrooms with slotted spoon and place on a small plate. Set aside.
- Make Sauce: Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to that same skillet and let melt. Add 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour and use a whisk to combine into a paste (aka a roux). Slowly whisk in 1 cup full fat coconut milk and then ½ cup chicken broth, whisking the entire time and ensuring the mixture is hot enough to just barely simmer. Once thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, remove from heat and add back in the mushrooms and bacon (option to reserve some bacon for topping), plus ¾ teaspoon kosher salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust salt or pepper, as needed.
- Combine: Pour the mushroom and bacon mixture over the green beans and add about 1 cup of the french fried onions; stir to combine.
- Bake: Place in the oven, middle rack and uncovered, for 15-20 minutes. Remove and cover with remaining french fried onions and any extra bacon pieces. Return to oven for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Cook + Serve: Remove and let cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Gluten-Free: use gluten-free flour and gluten-free french fried onions.
- Dairy-Free: use plant-based butter and coconut milk.
- Make Ahead? Holiday cooking gets busy, so feel free to make this one the night before, cover, and store in the fridge until ready to bake. I would recommend letting it sit out at room temperature as the oven heats. It may need a little longer to get hot and bubbly, so keep an eye on it.
- Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Bridget Montag says
Made this for Thanksgiving and the whole family loved it!
Erin says
Yay! So happy to hear that!