There’s a lot that can be said about the humble Green Bean Casserole. LOTS. And I’ve seen some pretty serious arguments about what can and can’t be in the dish.
To me, Green Bean Casserole must include 3 things… cream of mushroom soup, canned green beans, and fried onions. You’re welcome to throw whatever else in there, but it’s gotta have those 3 things in my opinion.
You are welcome to make your own cream of mushroom soup. You are welcome to use fresh green beans. And you can make your own fried onions – or even use fried shallots. Go on with ya bad self. I just know it’s going to be delicious. Now, call me lazy, call me old school, whatever you’d like… that’s just not the way I want mine.
Now if you want to take that classic version and kick it up a notch – or three – man, do I have a recipe for you. I add fresh mushrooms for even more umami flavor and add… wait for it… BACON! Yes, I love the smoky flavor that bacon adds to this dish and it complements the mushrooms beautifully! I’ve always had a love affair with the bacon and mushrooms combo.
So here it is… My Ultimate Green Bean Casserole. If you want to take a few extra steps and take your GBC to the next level, you’ve just got to try this. It is SERIOUSLY the best GBC I’ve ever, ever had! And that’s saying something, ’cause I’ve eaten a lot of this casserole over the years. Oh, did I mention that I added cheese, too? Yep. Monterey Jack. Y’all, this is seriously amazing. You need to try it. And pin it on Pinterest so others can try it too. Enjoy!
Recipe Card
Ultimate Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon
- 1/2 onion, finely diced
- 1 1/2 cups chopped button mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of mushroom condensed soup
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- salt and pepper
- 4 (14.5-ounce) cans cut green beans, drained
- 1 1/2 cups French fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9X13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium low heat until crisp. Remove to drain on paper towels, then crumble. Drain away all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease, then return the pan to medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes or until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the undiluted mushroom soup and add the crumbled bacon back. Stir to combine. Stir in the milk and cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the green beans until well combined.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared dish. Top with the fried onions. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly.
