This Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Bacon made from scratch is a homemade version of the classic. It is made without any canned cream of mushroom soup. The perfect holiday side dish!
This green bean casserole from scratch is way better than the classic. It is on the menu for every holiday dinner, like my creamy Red Skin Mashed Potatoes, super crispy Cast Iron Corn, or buttery Old Fashioned Yeast Rolls.
Love a veggie side with bacon? Try my Fried Cabbage with Bacon.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made without canned cream of mushroom soup - This recipe is made completely from scratch. Yes it is a lot more work, but so worth it!
- No mushy green beans - Since the green beans used are fresh (instead of canned) and blanched they do not get too soft when baked.
- Lots of bacon - The crispy, smoky, salty bacon adds texture and flavor.
- Creamy - The combination of half and half and the roux make the sauce thick and creamy.
- A little cheesy - A little parmigiano reggiano adds some depth and flavor to the bechamel. I prefer this over cheddar cheese in this dish.
- Topped with homemade fried onions - If you want to go the extra mile, you can homemade fried onions. They are super salty and crispy. You can also use French’s if you hate to fry at home, like me.
- Can be made ahead - This dish can be prepped one day in advance.
- Holiday side dish - Is there a more traditional thanksgiving side dish than green bean casserole? This homemade version will have everyone coming back for seconds.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Crispy Onion Strings: Store-bought crispy fried onions, like French’s work great too. I recommend adding them on the casserole for the last 5-10 minutes of baking.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
Quick Overview
- Blanch the green beans.
- Fry the bacon.
- Make the mushroom sauce.
- Transfer and bake.
- Fry the onion strings and top.
Step by Step Instructions
Quickly transfer the green beans to an ice bath so they do not overcook.
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt. Add the green beans and boil for 5-8 minutes, depending on how soft you prefer them.
Step 2: After boiling, immediately transfer them to the bowl of ice water. Place this in the fridge.
Step 3: In a large skillet over medium low heat, fry the bacon.
Step 4: Once all of the fat has rendered and it is brown, remove it from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Leave 2 Tablespoons of the bacon grease in the skillet to sauté the mushrooms and set the remainder aside for frying the onions.
Step 5: Increase the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
Step 6: Add the butter, garlic, thyme, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
When adding the liquids to the roux, stir continuously so the sauce does not get lumpy.
Step 7: Add the flour and sauté for 1-2 minutes. The mixture will be very dry.
Step 8: Deglaze the pan with about half of the broth, scraping all of the brown bits and flour off the bottom. While stirring continuously, add the rest of the broth. The sauce should be very thick.
Step 9: While stirring continuously, add about ¼ of the half and half. Don’t add any more until it is combined completely. Repeat with the rest of the half and half.
Step 10: Stir in the balsamic vinegar and simmer the sauce for 3-4 minutes or until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
Step 11: Stir in the grated parmesan.
Step 12: Remove the green beans from the fridge and drain all of the water, shaking off any excess. Add the green beans and about half of the bacon back into the sauce. Fold until combined.
Remove the onions when they are lightly golden. If they get too browned, they will taste burnt. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.
Step 13: Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish. Transfer the green bean casserole to the dish. (Option: Cover and refrigerate overnight if making in advance.)
Step 14: Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling.
Step 15: While the casserole bakes, add the remaining bacon grease to a large frying pan. Add oil so it is about ¾ inch deep. Heat to 350 degrees. While the oil heats, toss the onions, flour, and cajun seasoning together in a large bowl until completely coated.
Step 16: Add about ⅓ of the onions to the skillet. The oil will bubble up.
Step 17: Fry for about 2-3 minutes or until light golden brown, moving the onions around with a spoon or tongs a couple of times. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate. Salt lightly while hot and repeat with remaining onions.
Step 18: Let the casserole stand for about 5 minutes. Top with crispy onions and remaining bacon.
Recipe Serving Suggestions
This fresh green bean casserole is a great side dish for any holiday dinner. Here are some of the main dishes I like to serve it with:
- Dutch Oven Pork Chops
- The Perfect Pork Tenderloin
- Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breast
- Slow Cooker Dr. Pepper Ribs
Expert Tips & Variations
- Salt the water. Be sure to add 1.5 Tablespoons of salt to the boiling water. It might seem like a lot, but most of the salt is removed with the water. This is going to season the green beans as they cook.
- Place the green beans in an ice bath. This will stop the green beans from cooking immediately so they do not get mushy as they sit.
- Save some of the bacon grease. The bacon grease adds so much flavor to the mushroom sauce.
- Add the broth and half and half slowly. You want to add these liquids to the roux (flour & fat mixture) in stages instead of dumping the whole amount in at once. This will help them to incorporate more smoothly. When a lot of cold liquid hits a hot roux it can clump up.
- Slice the onions super thin. I highly recommend using a mandoline slicer. Switch the blade to the 1/16 inch thickness. This is the perfect thickness for onion strings.
- Fry until golden. Move the onions around a couple of times while frying so they cook evenly. Once they turn golden brown, remove them immediately. They can burn quickly because they are so thin.
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Fresh Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
Ingredients:
Green Beans
- 24 ounces fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed, halved
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Morton kosher salt, for blanching
Mushroom Sauce
- 8 ounces (about 8 slices) bacon, diced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 7-8 cloves garlic, mined finely or pressed
- 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 ¾ cups half and half
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 ounces (⅔ cup) parmigiano reggiano, grated finely
Crispy Onion Strings*
- 1 large onion, sliced in 1/16 inch thick slices*
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cajun seasoning
- vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Instructions:
Blanching Green Beans
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the salt. Add the green beans and boil for 5-8 minutes, depending on how soft you prefer them.
- After boiling, immediately transfer them to the bowl of ice water. Place this in the fridge.
Making Mushroom Sauce
- In a large skillet over medium low heat, fry the bacon.
- Once all of the fat has rendered and it is brown, remove it from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Leave 2 Tablespoons of the bacon grease in the skillet to sauté the mushrooms and set the remainder aside for frying the onions.
- Increase the heat to medium. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the 2 Tablespoons of bacon grease. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until softened.
- Add the butter, garlic, thyme, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the flour and sauté for 1-2 minutes. The mixture will be very dry.
- Deglaze the pan with about half of the broth, scraping all of the brown bits and flour off the bottom. While stirring continuously, add the rest of the broth. The sauce should be very thick.
- While stirring continuously, add about ¼ of the half and half. Don’t add any more until it is combined completely. Repeat with the rest of the half and half.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar and simmer the sauce for 3-4 minutes or until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
- Stir in the grated parmesan.
Assembling
- Remove the green beans from the fridge and drain all of the water, shaking off any excess. Add the green beans and about half of the bacon back into the sauce. Fold until combined.
- Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish. Transfer the green bean casserole to the dish. (Option: Cover and refrigerate overnight if making in advance.)
- Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until bubbling.
Frying Onions
- While the casserole bakes, add the remaining bacon grease to a large frying pan. Add oil so it is about ¾ inch deep. Heat to 350 degrees. While the oil heats, toss the onions, flour, and cajun seasoning together in a large bowl until completely coated.
- Add about ⅓ of the onions to the skillet. The oil will bubble up.
- Fry for about 2-3 minutes or until light golden brown, moving the onions around with a spoon or tongs a couple of times. Remove and place on a paper towel lined plate. Salt lightly while hot and repeat with remaining onions.
- Let the casserole stand for about 5 minutes. Top with crispy onions and remaining bacon.
Notes:
- Kosher Salt: All of my recipes are tested with Morton kosher salt unless noted otherwise. It is the best salt for everyday cooking because of its size and flavor. If using table salt, the amount should be reduced. I highly recommend picking up some kosher next time you are at the store!
- Crispy Onion Strings: Store-bought crispy fried onions, like French’s work great too. I recommend adding them on the casserole for the last 5-10 minutes of baking.
- Salt the water. Be sure to add 1.5 Tablespoons of salt to the boiling water. It might seem like a lot, but most of the salt is removed with the water. This is going to season the green beans as they cook.
- Place the green beans in an ice bath. This will stop the green beans from cooking immediately so they do not get mushy as they sit.
- Save some of the bacon grease. The bacon grease adds so much flavor to the mushroom sauce.
- Add the broth and half and half slowly. You want to add these liquids to the roux (flour & fat mixture) in stages instead of dumping the whole amount in at once. This will help them to incorporate more smoothly. When a lot of cold liquid hits a hot roux it can clump up.
- Slice the onions super thin. I highly recommend using a mandoline slicer. Switch the blade to the 1/16 inch thickness. This is the perfect thickness for onion strings.
- Fry until golden. Move the onions around a couple of times while frying so they cook evenly. Once they turn golden brown, remove them immediately. They can burn quickly because they are so thin.
Fresh green beans are so much better and healthier than canned!