Like the green bean casserole you grew up with but better, way better! Bacon, garlic, fresh green beans, mushrooms, plus homemade cream of chicken soup elevate this holiday dish to an entirely new, fabulously delicious level!
Looking for more holiday recipes? Look no further than my from-scratch recipes for Sheet Pan Cranberry Chicken and Stuffing, Parker House Dinner Rolls, and Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes.
I’m sure my story is no different than everyone else’s in America who grew up having traditional Thanksgiving dinners: It more than likely included lots of the same dishes, like cranberries, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole.
But, as you may have noticed, I really enjoy taking these tried-and-true recipes and kicking them up a notch, making them just as tasty as you remember but with fresh ingredients whenever possible and a tasty twist…in this case it’s bacon. Plus, making your own cream of chicken soup is a cinch and so worth it.
Why this Recipe Works
Wondering if this really is the best green bean casserole ever? Let me convince you!
Fresh green beans — Forget the canned green beans you grew up eating in this green bean casserole recipe, fresh green beans are where it’s at! No more soggy green beans, these remain tender-crisp even after they bake in the yummy homemade soup.
Bacon — Everything tastes better with bacon. Enough said.
Homemade cream of chicken — So much tastier than the canned kind, and it’s not hard to make at all! Some chicken broth, milk, garlic powder, chicken broth, salt, and flour and you’ve got yourself one heck of a creamy base for this casserole.
French fried onions — Okay I mean, some traditional ingredients still stand. You have to have that crunch on the top of this green bean casserole with bacon and I can’t come up with a better replacement, believe me I’ve tried! I have to have these fried onions on top to complete the dish.
Here’s How you Make it
Here’s how you make this super easy homemade green bean casserole – it’s easy, I promise!
Prepare the soup
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then stir in the flour to make a roux.
- Now whisk in the chicken broth and milk till the roux starts to thicken. Then, stir in the salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Take it off the heat and set it aside.
Prepare the bacon and green beans
- Cook the bacon until it’s crisp and be sure to reserve the drippings. Allow the bacon to cool a bit, then chop it up.
- In a large skillet, combine the green beans, mushrooms, and bacon drippings, sauteeing over medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
- Add the cream of chicken soup, salt, and pepper. Stir.
- Transfer the bean mixture to a casserole dish, and top with French fried onions.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Take the foil off, then put back in the oven for another 20-25 minutes or until the green beans are fork-tender and the onions are golden brown.
How Many Cups of Green Beans are in a Can?
If you are wondering how many cups you can get out of one can of canned green beans, the answer is about 2.
What can be Substituted for French Fried Onion?
If you don’t have or don’t like French fried onions (I’ll only judge you a little), then there are some things you can use as substitutes, because you absolutely have to have that crunchy top, even if you don’t use fried onions.
- Use plain, dried bread crumbs mixed with a little bit of butter.
- Salad croutons can work too, just break them up if they are big cubes.
- I admit, I have used crushed potato chips and cornflakes for casserole toppings with great results!
- Crush up butter crackers and put those on top before baking.
- Sliced and fried shallots.
When did Green Bean Casserole Become Popular?
Yeah, so I’m not 100% sure how the original green bean casserole started, but my mom has some old cookbooks from the 50s and it’s in there!
She seems to think it probably started by Campbell’s soup, as they used to put out recipes in the early 50s (and probably in the decade before and after too), so they came up with the recipe to come up with ways to use their cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups.
Expert Tips
- If you end up substituting something like bread crumbs or croutons for the French fried onions in this green bean casserole, make sure to toss them in butter or oil first so that they don’t burn up to a crisp while they’re baking.
- If you want to freeze green bean casserole, then once it is cooled, wrap the leftovers up with plastic wrap, then foil, or just put in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 weeks. To reheat, put in an oven-safe container, thaw, and heat at 350 degrees until warmed through.
- You can keep this green bean casserole recipe in the fridge for up to four days.
- After rinsing and cutting your green beans, pat them dry. This will ensure there’s no excess water in your dish, and it won’t be runny when you serve it.
More Holiday Side Dish Recipes
Did you make this green bean casserole? Please rate the recipe below!
Servings: 10 servings
homemade cream of chicken soup
Prepare the cream of chicken soup. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Stir in flour.
Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk til thickened. Stir in salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cook bacon til just crisp (reserve the drippings!). Allow to cool slightly, then roughly chop.
Combine green beans, mushrooms, and bacon drippings in a large skillet. Saute over medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
Stir in bacon, cream of chicken soup, salt, and pepper.
Transfer to a casserole dish. Top with french fried onions.
Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover, bake another 20-25 minutes til green beans are fork-tender and onions are golden brown.
Topping: you can easily swap out the French fried onions for another topping – one of my favorites is panko bread crumbs tossed in a melted butter with a pinch of Italian seasoning.
Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 554mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 687IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg
