Easy Green Bean Casserole (No Cream of Mushroom!).

Green bean casserole gets an upgrade with a quick, homemade cream sauce made in just minutes. It's rich, creamy and infused with bacon flavor. Many green bean casseroles notoriously use cream of mushroom soup, but why use a can when we can make something better tasting with just a few minutes? You get great, made-from-scratch taste with no extra hassle. This green bean casserole recipe is sure to win everyone's hearts!

For more delicious green beans, try our recipe for Best green beans ever!

This recipe is easy to throw together with canned green beans, but if you want to use fresh, we've got you covered. In fact, you can always add mushrooms if you like! Our goal with this recipe is to give you the best taste, with the least amount of fuss. The day this recipe was photographed we had a visit from a fan. These two lovely ladies wondered at first bite how green bean casserole could possibly taste this good.

Material notes

• Bacon: It adds great flavor to the casserole. Use scissors or a knife to cut into small pieces before cooking. Do not drain the grease, as it will add even more flavor!
• All-Purpose Flour: This is what thickens the sauce. You can also use cornstarch.
• Garlic: Fresh mince always has the best taste. A jar of pre-minced garlic has a slight bitterness. If you are fresh out of garlic, you can replace it with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Chicken Broth: Use less sodium to better control salt levels and taste.
• Half and half: This makes the sauce nice and creamy. For an even creamier casserole, use heavy cream.
• French Fried Onions: They usually come in a can or box. You can find them near the canned vegetables in most grocery stores.

Use fresh green beans

You can definitely use fresh green beans in this recipe! You just need to make sure that they are softened in advance. We recommend steaming them for 15 to 20 minutes.

Start by trimming and thoroughly washing about 1 1/2 pounds of green beans. Set up a steamer basket in a large pot with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Bring the water to a boil, add the green beans to the basket, cover and steam for 15 to 20 minutes, until tender but still crisp. Drain and let the beans cool slightly before adding them to the baking dish.

Adding the mushrooms

If you like mushrooms in your green bean casserole, they're easy to add. Start by dicing about 8 ounces of mushrooms (both button and crimini will work) or you can cut them into small pieces.

When the bacon is cooked and crisp, add the sliced ​​mushrooms to the skillet with the bacon and cook in the bacon fat over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Then, sprinkle the batter over the bacon and mushrooms and continue the recipe as directed.

Please direct forward

Since this dish is softened as a big meal and served on holidays, it is important to note how to prepare it!

1. Assemble the casserole: Prepare the recipe where the bacon mixture is poured over the green beans. Spread everything evenly in the baking dish, but do not add the crispy fried onions on top.
2. Cover and refrigerate: Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
3. Bake when ready to serve: When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 450°F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes while the oven preheats. Bake as directed, adding an additional 5-10 minutes of baking time if necessary, until heated through.
4. Add the toppings: After the casserole is baked, sprinkle the crispy fried onions on top and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the onions are golden and crispy.

Watch the video below Where Rachel walks you through each step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we've always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes YouTubeour Facebook pageOr here on our website with their respective recipes.