Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

5 from 8 votes

Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

This Green Bean Casserole with Bacon and Mushrooms is a homemade version of the classic. It is made without any canned cream of mushroom soup. The perfect holiday side dish!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 5

Total Time1 15

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 268kcal

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

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, minced 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 ? cup parmigiano reggiano, grated finely

CRISPY ONION STRINGS*

1 large onion, sliced in 1/16 inch thick slices*
? cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon cajun seasoning
vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Instructions

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.
24 ounces fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed, halved, 1 ½ Tablespoons Morton kosher salt, for blanching
After boiling, immediately transfer them to the bowl of ice water. Place this in the fridge.
In a large skillet over medium low heat, fry the bacon.
8 ounces (about 8 slices) bacon, diced
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.
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
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.
2 Tablespoons butter, 7-8 cloves garlic, minced finely or pressed, 1 Tablespoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon Morton kosher salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
Add the flour and sauté for 1-2 minutes. The mixture will be very dry.
¼ cup all purpose flour
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.
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
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.
1 ¾ cups 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.
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Stir in the grated parmesan.
2 ounces ? cup parmigiano reggiano, grated finely
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.
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.
1 large onion, sliced in 1/16 inch thick slices*, ? cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon cajun seasoning, vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Add about ? 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 or the store's brand of French fried onions, work great too. I recommend adding them to the green bean casserole with bacon and mushrooms 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 step is going to season the green beans as they cook.
Place the green beans in an ice bath. This step 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 in this green bean casserole with bacon and mushrooms recipe.
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 step will help them to incorporate more smoothly, making for an even more delicious green bean casserole. 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.

Nutrition