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Overhead shot of a baked green bean casserole with bacon on a marble table with lemon slices, scattered green beans, bread and crispy red onions.

Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

Julia | The Yummy Bowl
A classic holiday dish, this creamy and cheesy Green Bean Casserole with Bacon will be the hit of your dinner table. Deliciously tender these healthy green beans are tossed in creamy mushrooms sauce, cheeses, bacon, and crispy red onions. Few steps are required, but promise you it is easier than you think!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 portions
Calories 371 kcal

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INGREDIENTS
  

Casserole

  • 1 ½ pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
  • 7-10 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
  • ½ cup cheddar, grated

Creamy Mushroom Sauce

  • 4 tablespoon butter
  • 8 oz fresh cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 ½ tablespoon gluten-free flour, or regular all-purpose
  • ½ cup vegetable or chicken broth or bouillon cube, more if needed roo thick
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup parmesan, grated
  • 1 teaspoon cajun spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Fried Onions

  • 1 large red onion, sliced into thin half-moon circles
  • 3 tablespoon gluten-free flour
  • 3 tablespoon gluten-free breadcrumbs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • Peanut or canola oil for cooking, preferred but can use other oil of choice

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Blanch green beans. Take a medium to a large pot, fill with water enough to cover the beans later. Add salt and take it to a boil. Reduce the heat and lower the green beans into the water. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes. Remove the beans from water with kitchen tongs or a slotted spoon and lower them into prepared ice-cold water to stop the cooking process. Once cooled to touch, drain in a colander and pat dry the beans with a kitchen towel.
  • Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 F (180C).
  • Fried onions. While the oven is getting warm, prepare the fried onions. In a large bowl, mix flour, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper. Toss the onions in the mixture making sure they are fully coated. Heat oil in a medium or large saucepot (or a wide and deep skillet). When the oil is hot enough (about 375 F) that it is sizzling (make a test by lowering one onion slice into the oil, if sizzling, your oil is ready!)
  • Add a bunch of onion slices and fry until they become golden brown turning them over once making sure they are browned on all sides. You may need to do it in batches depending on the size of your pot or skillet. Don't overcrowd the pot.
  • The process is quick, don’t leave them unattended! Once browned, spread them out on a cooling rack to remove the excess oil making sure the fried onion slices don’t touch one another. The onions will darken even more once cooled.
  • Make the creamy sauce. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and saute for about 1 minute. Make space in the middle and add garlic, season the mix with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and saute until garlic becomes fragrant and mushrooms golden brown.
  • Next, lower the heat and stir in the flour making sure to coat the mushrooms. Pour in ½ of the chicken/vegetable broth, stir and continue slowly adding the broth until all is used.
  • Simmer for few minutes and follow with cream, cajun, and parmesan. Stir constantly until sauce has thickened. The sauce will not thicken in the oven later.
  • Lower the green beans into the skillet and stir again until well combined. Remove from the heat.
  • Casserole Assemble and Baking. Place the green beans sauce in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, add a layer of bacon and cheddar cheese on top. Top with fried onions in the middle or all over the dish (your call!). Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Take off the foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted and the sides bubbly. 
  • Serve immediately while warm.

VIDEO

NOTES

Reheating and freezing - I wouldn’t recommend freezing this green bean casserole but you can keep it in the fridge for up to 2-3 days and reheat in the oven at 400-425F for about 10-15 minutes or until the middle is warm.
The fried onions will darken even more after drying, so when they are becoming golden brown during the frying it is time to remove them from oil. Don’t wait until they are dark brown and burned.
Onions - I used red onions but you can use brown onions instead. However the flavor and color will be slightly different. Alternatively, there are ready-made fried onions that you can get from the store.
Flour - I used gluten-free flour from Schar (Universal), basically, any all-purpose gluten-free flour should be fine here as it is used mainly for the sauce and onions and not for baked goods where the type of flour really matters a lot.

ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES

NUTRITION

Calories: 371kcal
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