Skillet Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

Brace yourself for this one guys. This ain’t the casserole you see on the side of soup cans. This Skillet Green Bean Casserole with Bacon is made from scratch- made with fresh, juicy green beans, a deliciously thick sauce filled with bacon, mushrooms and garlic all topped with french fried onions.

This recipe was originally published in November 2017 and has been updated with text and new photos. 

Does anyone else love Thanksgiving purely for the sides? Like, isn’t the turkey always a little dry and the ham just a little too salty? So instead, I usually pile up my plate with ALLLLL of my favorite sides like these Honey Dijon Brussel Sprouts or my Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese and especially this Skillet Green Bean Casserole!

To be completely honest, during my childhood, I only ever ate canned green beans. And they were never my favorite because they were all mushy and overly salted.

That is not the case with these green beans. With this recipe, you blanch the green beans – which is basically boiling them for 2 minutes then immediately putting them into an ice bath to “shock” them. With this method, they retain that delicious crunchy, fresh aspect.

I mean, can we just sit in awe for a moment at how beautiful those green beans are?! So fresh, crunchy and delicious!

Most green bean casseroles use the classic can of cream of mushroom soup. After seeing the ingredients on said can in the grocery store and not being able to pronounce half of them – I decided to make my own! And I added bacon because #whynot. It turned out SO wonderfully thick, creamy and flavorful.

One thing that I added to this dish that sets it apart from other green bean casseroles is BACON! This base of the cream of mushroom soup is made from the bacon grease. Oh yes. The bacon gives this dish such an amazing flavor – not to mention the crunchy pieces of bacon sprinkled throughout!

And one trusty ingredient that I could never leave out when it comes to this Skillet Green Bean Casserole: French Fried Onions. Those crunchy little guys are SO tasty and gave the dish the “zing” it needed. Plus, I’m pretty sure my granny would be calling me if I didn’t add those…

Best of all? Aside from the pot I blanched the green beans in, this casserole was made in ONE DISH – the trusty ol’ cast iron skillet. I love mine – it’s so versatile and adds such a rustic feel and flavor to everything we cook in it.

Move over mashed potatoes, This creamy, crunchy casserole may just become your new fave Thanksgiving side dish.

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Skillet Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

This Skillet Green Bean Casserole with Bacon is made from scratch- made with fresh, juicy green beans, a deliciously thick sauce filled with bacon, mushrooms and garlic all topped with french fried onions.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 people

Author Haylie

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Fresh Green Beans
• 8 oz Whole White Mushrooms
• 4 slices Bacon
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 1/4 cup Flour
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
• 1.5 cups Whole Milk
• Salt and Pepper
• 1.5 cups French Fried Onions

Instructions

Creamy Homemade Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Prep vegetables. Dice mushrooms, mince garlic. Set aside. 

3. Dice 4 slices of bacon and place into cast iron skillet. Cook on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Remove from pan once fully cooked. 

4. Add mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes until they soak up all the remaining bacon grease. 

5. Add garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute. 

6. Add 2 tbsps of flour to mixture. Cook for 1-2 minutes until flour is well incorporated into mixture.

7. Add 1.5 cups of whole milk and 1/2 cup of vegetable broth. 

8. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring every now and again, until sauce has thickened. Add more flour to sauce if it needs help thickening. 

9. Once the sauce is thick and creamy, take off burner and add the bacon back in. Generously add salt and pepper to taste. Lastly, add in 1/3 cup of french fried onions. 

Blanching the Green Beans

1. Wash and cut both the tops and bottoms of the green beans off. 

2. Add 6 cups of water to a large pot. Add salt. Bring to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add in the green beans. Cook for 2 minutes - not a second longer! 

3. While cooking, add ice and cold water to a large bowl to make an ice bath. 

4. Once the 2 minutes is up, immediately transfer green beans to the ice bath to "shock" them and stop the cooking process. 

Time to assemble the casserole!

1. Once drained, add the green beans to your skillet with the sauce. Mix together. Top with the rest of the french fried onions. 

2. Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden and bubbly. Enjoy!