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 bet it’s going to be delicious. That’s just not what I want in mine.
But 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 staying 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 to. Enjoy!
Ultimate Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon
- 1/2 onion finely diced
- 1 1/2 cup 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 13X9-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 a bubbly.
Amy says
What brand of green beans do you use or recommend please?
Stacey says
I typically use Del Monte.
Lane Edwards says
How about fresh cooked POLE beans???
Stacey says
I think they would work just fine.
Pam says
I agree! Green bean casserole wouldn’t be the same without those 3 ingredients, but that’s not to say it can’t be improved upon. I’m making your version this year!
Stacey says
Thanks, Pam! I sure hope you’ll enjoy it!
Tess says
Could you clarify how much “French Fried Onions” should be used on the top of the casserole? It looks like it says 1 1/s cups French Fried Onion…. This sounds really good–can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing the recipe! 🙂
Stacey says
It should be 1 1/2 cups. Hope you’ll enjoy!
Dianne says
I would like to replace the canned beans with fresh, cooked beans. Can you recommend how many ounces I would use? Still 58?
Stacey says
I’d use about 1 1/2 pounds of fresh beans.
Jess says
I made this version for Thanksgiving, with fresh green beans (2 pounds). It was an absolute hit!
I boiled the green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes to soften them.
Stacey says
Awesome! Glad y’all enjoyed it!!
Donna K. says
All except the french fried onions, could this be prepared the night before, or would it make it soggy?
Lindsay says
I made mine last night and plan on putting the fried onions on and cooking today. My mother has been a professional cook for 35 years and she said I can do it this way. 🙂
Vicki says
Can you use french style green beans?
Stacey says
Sure!
Rick Capin says
Something that I have always done is use all 4 kinds of green beans (whole, cut, French style & Italian) in my recipe. I love the way that makes the finished casserole look & taste.
Stacey says
What a GREAT idea!
Sarah says
Do you think I could make this in a slow cooker?
Stacey says
Hmmm… I don’t see why not.
sara says
Can you make ahead and the cook?
Stacey says
Everything but the onions. Just add them right before cooking.
Jenn Link says
This recipe worked amazing! I used 2 lbs of fresh green beans which subbed well for the casserole. Family loved it. Thank you!
Stacey says
So glad y’all enjoyed it!
Janet Morris says
Green bean casserole, meh. That is what I used to think until I made this recipe for our Christmas dinner this year and just let me say I could not get enough of it! It was the best I have ever had and even better the next day as all of the flavors seemed to just explode! Will definitely be my go to green bean casserole!
Stacey says
SO glad to hear you enjoyed it, Janet! I won’t make it any other way either! 🙂
Kelly says
Could you sub canned mushrooms for the button mushrooms?
Stacey says
You can, though the texture will be very different.
Kimberly Wall says
Well, I kinda followed your recipe… I didn’t have any cream of mushroom soup, didn’t have any plain Monteray Jack cheese… so this is what I did: combined some directions from a recipe I found on daringgourmet.com with some of yours. Yes, I love bacon, so I used it! Yes, I love cheese, and had some Pepper Jack, so used it; I had a variety pack of dried mushrooms from Costco, so reconstituted about 1 cup word, then cut into small pieces. So after frying the bacon, sauteed onions, garlic and mushrooms with the bacon. Removed to the bacon plate. Then added 3 Tbsp butter, added approximately 1/2 cup flour, slowly added half and half then milk to make a nice rue seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Added approximately 1 1/2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese, and as it thickened, I added the bacon/mushroom mixture into it. Then added my freshly blanched garden green beans. I placed into two (2) 8×8 inch dishes, topped with a thin layer of Mexican cheese blend then tater tots, and baked for 30 minutes at 350* It turned out absolutely delicious, but did take a little (a lot) more time than your simple recipe, Stacey!! Had to prep those green beans and blanch, and that takes time! Boredom, which you mentioned under a lemon dessert recipe cannot be found here! Lol! Thanks for sharing your love of cooking!!
Stacey says
Sounds great, Kimberly!!
Erin says
Trying this out for my family tonight, I will comment back with a verdict! It’s interesting because this technically has all of the things i love, but i wasn’t sure if i liked it when i taste tested then pan mixture. Maybe because I am used to my casserole tasting a certain way I’m not sure, but I’m excited to see! 16 more minutes.
Stacey says
Sure hope it turned out great for you!!
Teresa says
This is by far the best green bean casserole iv ever had
Stacey says
Nothing makes me happier than comments like this! Thanks, Teresa!
Diana T says
I don’t eat bacon- do you think I could use Liquid Smoke instead? If so, any idea how much I should use? I don’t want to overpower the dish.
Stacey says
I’m super worried about liquid smoke overpowering. You could start with a drop or two and just work up from there.
Holly says
What size baking dish did you use? (Beginner cooker here in charge of this for thanksgiving!)
Stacey says
You got this! 9×13-inch will work perfectly for this! Good luck!
LolO says
Want to make chicken and rice or noodle soup
Lauren says
If using fresh green beans instead of canned, do I need to blanch them before folding them into the mixture?
Stacey says
Depending on weather you like your green beans completely tender, you might want to cook them all the way through before adding them. Canned beans are usually cooked soft straight from the can. If you like them to have more crunch, blanching them will work.
Jae says
I’m preparing approximately 30 servings. Triple ingredients??
Stacey says
Sounds about right to me! Y’all enjoy!
mackenzie says
Could I omit the mushrooms all together? Would I need to add more beans or something to it if doing a 9×13 still?
Stacey says
You can simply leave them out. No need for a substitution. 🙂
Kerry says
It says to stir in the diluted mushroom soup – how did you dilute it? Thanks!
Kerry says
Oh goodness. Nevermind. My eyes are playing tricks on me! It clearly says UNDILUTED! 🙂
Stacey says
No worries! 🙂
Nicole C. says
I’m having a dinner party for some friends. A couple of them are vegetarian. What can I substitute the bacon for and not feel like the dish is missing something?
Stacey says
Hmm… I’m honestly not sure. You could use a little liquid smoke to get that smoky flavor in and perhaps some butter to get that fat and texture in there.
Carol Williamson says
My son asked me to make a green bean casserole last Thanksgiving for his work pot luck dinner. I chose this recipe because it looked wonderful & had such good reviews. I doubled it & prepared it in a slow cooker because they don’t have a kitchen there. They (all guys) ate every bite & raved how good it was. Guess what his coworkers want him to bring this year!! 😉 I haven’t made it for us at home because my youngest grandson HATES green beans, but my son said it’d be nice to have on our Thanksgiving table so I’ll get to have some this year! Thanks for posting this fabulous recipe.
Stacey says
This makes me so happy! I’m just so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Billie says
Sliced Water Chestnuts make it crunchy !!!
Stacey says
Yes they do!
Karen says
Hey Stacey!
I just decided to make this as my side for tomorrow. Can I get started on this now? Would you go ahead and mix in the bacon or should I add the bacon & crispy onions tomorrow? This looks amazing and I can’t wait to eat it!
Thanks again for everything you do! Happy Thanksgiving!
Stacey says
I’m starting today as well and am doing just as you suggested – waiting and adding my bacon and onions tomorrow right before baking. Hope y’all enjoy!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Karen says
Thanks Stacey!
This is the Ultimate Green Bean Casserole!!!!
Stacey says
Glad you think so too!
MikeA says
canned beans are for losers.
Stacey says
Call me a loser, then! 🙂
Amanda says
Made this today for Thanksgiving 2018 and loved it!!! Thank you!!
Stacey says
Awesome! Glad it turned out great for you!
Meagen says
By far the BEST green bean casserole recipe ever! We made a few adjustments as follows (my husband is allergic to onions so I’m used to getting creative): 1/3 C very finely diced celery instead of onions, 1.5x the amount of minced garlic, splash of Worcestire and sprinkle of paprika when cooking down the mushroom/celery/garlic mixture, and instead of French’s onions we used shoestring potato French fries on top. I also threw the casserole back in the oven on broil for a few minutes with Monterey Jack sprinkled over the top until it was bubbly & brown.
Thank you so much for the recipe!
Stacey says
Sounds amazing! So glad y’all enjoyed it, Meagan!
Erin says
I must admit I’m not a fan of green bean casserole usually, but I needed some easy make ahead sides for a large family gathering. This really is the best recipe out there. The addition of the bacon really elevates this dish and a bit of cheese makes it thick and creamy!
Stacey says
So glad that y’all enjoyed it, Erin!!
Rebekah Thompson says
Can I do unsweetened almond milk instead of regular milk?
Stacey says
I don’t see why not. Hope it turns out great!
Ted F. says
This will forever be the recipe that will bring to table. I omitted the mushrooms. And used Cream Celery Soup instead. Bacon just makes everything better.
Stacey says
So glad you’ve enjoyed it, Ted!!!
Shawn Slater says
I have a green bean casserole that doesn’t have cream of mushroom soup in it. It beats any cream of mushrooms soup recipe, hands down everytime.
Send me a email and I’ll give it to you.
Thank You,
Shawn Slater
Stacey says
I’ll admit it. I’m seriously partial to the mushroom soup, but I’m willing to give anything a try. 🙂
Rhianna says
If I double this recipe should I use a larger pan or cook longer? If so, by how much? Thanks!
Stacey says
I would reccomend just making two casseroles as it’s going to be hard to find a larger dish without going to a large aluminum pan. That way everything should stay about the same.
Stephanie says
I love your recipes! Can’t wait to try it this way this year! 🙂
Stacey says
Thank you! Hope it turns out great for you!!
Gina Chavez says
I already bought frozen green beans, can I use them and what should I do to prepare them for this recipe! This recipe sounds amazing and if I have to I will go out and buy canned beans! Thanks, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!
Stacey says
No worries! Just blanch them in boiling salted water for about 10 minutes and they should work just fine. Hope you enjoy!!
Kara Castellano says
Hi, can you use this recipe for a crock pot? If so, how long would you cook it for and I understand you would have to toast the onions to top. Thanks
Kim says
Can you prepare this the night before and cook the following day?
Stacey says
Sure! You’ll just leave the onions off until you bake it.
Stacey says
I’ve not tried that with this particular version, so I can’t say for sure. I would imagine about 4 hours on low, though.
Donna says
Hey Stacey. One tried I did what a friend’s Mom did, added a can of store bought La Choy Chow Mein to it. It was ok. Not so sure about the cheese you sugg., or mushrooms.
Stacey says
This isn’t a “cheesy” casserole. It just gives the sauce some flavor and heft. For me, mushrooms are must. But I totally understand if that’s not your thing.
Jules says
Hi, I could not find Monterey jack in my grocery store anywhere I’m hoping provolone will be a good substitute. Do you think this will effect the taste or consistency?
Stacey says
I think provolone will work perfectly! Hope it turns out great for you!!
Donna says
Could I leave this in a warm oven for couple hours after cooked?
Stacey says
I can’t say for sure, but I don’t see why an hour or so, super low, would hurt.
Shirley says
I have always mixed the French Fried onion rings into the casserole as well as some on top….your recipe calls for none in the casserole, correct?
Stacey says
That’s correct, because we have regular onion in the casserole.
Carla says
I made this for Christmas dinner and everyone loved it. My son and daughter fought over the leftovers to see who got to take them home. I will definitely make this again, but will half the recipe.
Stacey says
Wonderful!! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Ben Blackburn says
Great recipe. I have never liked green bean casserole until I made this. However, I made it with 50% more bacon and more garlic. Plus I used fresh green beans, which made it a bit crunchy. Next time I’m going to add some spices — which would you recommend
Stacey says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! When it comes to spices, I suppose you could go just about anywhere. Cayenne or red pepper for heat, some Greek seasoning might be nice as well.