Description
This Ultimate Green Bean Casserole elevates the classic comfort dish with crispy bacon, fresh mushrooms, and creamy Monterey Jack cheese. It combines canned green beans with a rich mushroom sauce, topped with crunchy French fried onions, baked to golden perfection for a perfect holiday side or cozy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Produce
- 1/2 yellow onion (finely diced)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped button mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
Meat
- 6 strips bacon
Dairy
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Canned Goods
- 2 (10.5-ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
- 4 (14.5-ounce) cans cut green beans (drained)
Other
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups French fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray to prevent sticking during baking.
- Cook Bacon & Onions: In a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels, then crumble. Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon grease. Return skillet to medium heat and sauté the diced onions for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent.
- Sauté Mushrooms & Garlic: Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet with the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes until mushrooms are golden brown. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Combine Sauce Ingredients: Stir in the two cans of undiluted cream of mushroom soup. Add crumbled bacon back into the skillet and mix well. Then stir in the milk and shredded Monterey Jack cheese until the cheese melts completely. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add Green Beans: Gently fold the drained green beans into the creamy mixture to combine evenly without mashing the beans.
- Assemble & Bake: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Evenly sprinkle the French fried onions over the top. Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the casserole is hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.
Notes
- For extra crunch, add some French fried onions halfway through baking as well as on top.
- Use fresh green beans if preferred; blanch them first before adding to the casserole.
- You can substitute cream of mushroom soup with a homemade mushroom béchamel sauce for a fresher taste.
- To reduce sodium, opt for low-sodium canned soups and rinse canned green beans thoroughly.
- Make ahead tip: Assemble the casserole and refrigerate uncovered; add fried onions and bake just before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
