Bacon green bean casserole with mushrooms, cheddar, and fresh green beans is the only way to make this classic Thanksgiving side dish!
Raise your hand if you love fresh green bean casserole with bacon on Thanksgiving! This girl definitely does!
But it hasn’t always been that way. In fact, I used to think that I hated green bean casserole. It turns out that what I hated was the canned green beans, the cream of mushroom soup, and the french fried onions.
Ever since I’ve tried green bean casserole made from scratch using fresh beans and without cream of mushroom soup, I’ve been hooked!
This bacon green bean casserole is full of healthy ingredients and tons of flavors. Plus, I made sure to use the healthiest bacon I could find, both uncured and nitrite-free. This is the best green bean casserole with bacon and cheese ever!
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What does bacon green bean casserole taste like?
This Thanksgiving side dish recipe is fresh, creamy, cheesy, rich, and oh-so-flavorful! Not too salty but not bland either, all the ingredients blend perfectly together in the oven!
Ingredients
Green beans – Fresh green beans are a must in this recipe, and give you complete control over how crisp or soft your green beans turn out in the casserole.
Bacon – Make sure to use an uncured and nitrite-free bacon product, like Applegate. You can find it at Target and most health food stores. This ensures that you’re making this bacon green bean casserole as healthy as possible.
Avocado oil – Instead of using butter like most green bean casseroles call for, I decided to use a heart-healthy oil instead for the roux.
Whole wheat flour – The other essential component to the roux, whole wheat flour helps the sauce to thicken up as it cooks.
Chicken broth – Broth is essential in making the sauce for the casserole, don’t skip it!
Mushrooms – Adds some fiber and more vegetables to make this green bean casserole recipe even healthier!
Yellow onion – Instead of French fried onions, I used a regular yellow onion to add that essential onion flavor.
Garlic powder – Garlic powder is an easy ingredient to use, and adds more flavor to this green bean side dish without adding any additional calories.
Sea salt – Just a little bit of sea salt is all this cheesy green bean casserole needs.
Half n half – A mix between milk and cream, half n half adds creaminess and helps thicken the sauce without having to add pure heavy cream.
Cheddar – Cheddar melts really easily into the sauce, and helps make it cheesy, and gives it just a touch of saltiness, too!
Parmesan – The other cheese in this recipe, parmesan adds a nice aged flavor to this green bean side dish.
Breadcrumbs – Instead of topping the casserole with fried onions, I decided to use whole wheat breadcrumbs instead!
Substitutions
Bacon – You can use any type of bacon in this recipe, and even turkey bacon will work! If you’re a vegetarian, be sure to just eliminate this ingredient.
Avocado oil – Olive oil, coconut oil, or butter are all great substitutions if you don’t have avocado oil on hand.
Whole wheat flour – All-purpose flour makes a great substitute for this recipe.
Chicken broth – Vegetable broth or beef broth would work in place of the chicken broth. Make sure to use a low sodium broth if you’re trying to watch your salt intake.
Half n half – Coconut cream, heavy cream, oat milk, or any other type of milk could work in this green bean casserole. However, if you choose to use plant-based milk, you may find that the mushroom sauce doesn’t end up quite as creamy.
Cheese – Feel free to use a combination of cheeses, or just add 1 cup of cheddar or 1 cup of parmesan. You can even throw in some mozzarella if you want to!
Breadcrumbs – Whole wheat, regular, or gluten-free breadcrumbs all work perfectly.
Instructions
- Wash, trim, and chop your green beans.
- Add the green beans to a pot of boiling water, and allow to cook for 5-6 minutes. If you like softer green beans, cook for a few minutes longer. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, chop up your bacon strips into small pieces.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet on medium until crispy. Drain and set aside.
- Add avocado oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth.
- Add broth and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then add sliced onions and mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are tender.
- Add half n half and cheese, and stir until the cheese is melted and everything is combined in a rich sauce.
- Combine the cooked green beans, bacon, and mushrooms sauce. Toss until well combined.
- Pour into a greased 9×13 pan, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve hot!
Tips & FAQ
Green bean casserole doesn’t freeze well at all, the green beans don’t hold up and they get mushy. However, you can store your casserole in the fridge for up to 3 days, then you need to throw it out.
That’s a great question! You can trim, cut, and boil the green beans a day ahead of time, as well as cook the bacon pieces until crisp. You can also make the creamy mushroom sauce a day ahead of time and just refrigerate everything separately until you’re ready to assemble the green bean casserole with cheese and bacon.
Nutritional Info
Because I used a reduced-sodium bacon product, this recipe stays fairly low calorie per serving, as well as low sodium, too!
It’s also fairly low in carbohydrates, and overall, a healthier Thanksgiving side dish that the whole family will love!
Total nutritional content per serving is:
- Calories: 294 calories
- Protein: 14 grams
- Sodium: 486 mg
- Carbohydrates: 23 grams
- Fiber: 5 grams
*This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.
Pricing Info
This is what I personally paid to make this recipe:
- 2 lbs fresh green beans: $3.98
- 8 oz bacon nitrite-free and uncured: $5.49
- 3 tbsp avocado oil: $0.55
- 3 tbsp whole wheat flour: $.04
- 2 cups chicken broth: $1.87
- 16 oz mushrooms: $3.96
- 1 yellow onion: $0.11
- 1 tsp garlic powder: $0.09
- ¼ tsp sea salt: $0.01
- 1 cup half n half: $0.99
- ½ cup shredded cheddar: $0.40
- ½ cup shredded parmesan: $0.74
- ½ cup breadcrumbs: $0.26
The total for this bacon green bean casserole comes out to be around $18.49 for 8 servings or about $2.31 per serving!
What main dishes go with green bean casserole?
Here are some great ones you could try with bacon green bean casserole on the side:
- Thanksgiving dinner
- Dutch Oven Chicken Breast
- Slow Cooker Rump Roast
- Dutch Oven Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
Other holiday recipes
Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below! I would really appreciate your feedback!
Recipe
Bacon Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs fresh green beans
- 8 oz bacon nitrite-free and uncured
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 3 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 16 oz mushrooms sliced
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup half n half
- ½ cup shredded cheddar
- ½ cup shredded parmesan
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
Instructions
- Wash, trim, and chop your green beans. Add the green beans to a pot of boiling water, and allow to cook for 5-6 minutes. If you like softer green beans, cook for a few minutes longer. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, chop up your bacon strips into small pieces, and cook in a skillet on medium until crispy. Drain and set aside.
- Add avocado oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth.
- Add broth and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then add sliced onions and mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are tender.
- Add half n half and cheese, and stir until the cheese is melted and everything is combined in a rich sauce.
- Combine the cooked green beans, bacon, and mushrooms sauce. Toss until well combined.
- Pour into a greased 9×13 pan, then sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Serve hot!
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Bacon green bean casserole with fresh green beans is healthy, creamy, and so delicious! You’ll want to make it every year!
xoxo Megan
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