Description
A classic comfort food favorite, the Ultimate Green Bean Casserole features tender green beans enveloped in a creamy mushroom sauce, accented with crispy bacon and topped with crunchy French fried onions. Perfect for holiday gatherings or a satisfying weeknight side dish, this casserole combines savory flavors and textures in every bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Aromatics
- 6 strips bacon
- 1/2 yellow onion (finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
Vegetables
- 1 1/2 cups chopped button mushrooms
- 4 (14.5-ounce) cans cut green beans (drained)
Dairy and Sauces
- 2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Other
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 1/2 cups French fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Cook the bacon: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook the bacon strips until crisp. Once cooked, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain excess grease, then crumble it into small pieces.
- Sauté onions: Drain most of the bacon grease from the skillet, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Return the pan to medium heat and add the finely diced onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the onions turn translucent and soft.
- Cook mushrooms and garlic: Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Then add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Combine sauce ingredients: Stir in the undiluted cream of mushroom soup and add the crumbled bacon back into the skillet. Mix well, then stir in the milk and shredded Monterey Jack cheese until the cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix with green beans: Fold the drained green beans into the creamy mushroom and bacon mixture until everything is well combined.
- Assemble and bake: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and evenly top with the French fried onions. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the casserole is hot and bubbly with a golden topping.
Notes
- For a fresher taste, you can substitute fresh green beans blanched for about 5 minutes instead of canned ones.
- Make sure to use undiluted cream of mushroom soup for the best creamy texture.
- Feel free to swap Monterey Jack cheese with sharp cheddar for a stronger flavor.
- Cook the bacon carefully to not over-crisp it, as it will continue to cook slightly in the oven.
- This casserole can be prepared a day ahead and refrigerated before baking; just add 5-10 minutes to the baking time if baking cold.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/10 of casserole)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 620 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
