Really easy green bean casserole with bacon and frozen green beans! The best Thanksgiving or Easter side dish recipe you can make as a leftover ham recipe topped with crispy onions.
Since we love this easy green bean casserole with bacon and cream of mushroom so much we make it well beyond the holidays AND have doctored it up thru the years. This version is much yummier than the one that everyone typically makes because it’s packed with bacon! Here is my homemade green bean casserole with bacon I know you’ll love and your guests will too! (affiliate links present)
Green Bean Casserole with Bacon and Cream of Mushroom Soup
Just amazing right?? And a must when it comes to those get togethers we all love. If this is for the holiday season you could combine these two favorites to make green bean mashed potato casserole too.
Top it with freshly made air fryer onions and this will be your new favorite way to make it. Yes you may have made this the old fashioned way for years and years but it is time for something new friends! There is a tip to doing just that, and making sure it is not mushy. Y’all need to use frozen green beans!
Should You Make Green Bean Casserole with Frozen Green Beans?
I start with right out of the freezer for this one so that they stay firmer while being baked. Somewhat similar to our Crack Green Beans but with that one I do run cool water over them first to defrost just slightly since the bake time isn’t quite as long. If choosing canned, frozen or fresh I choose frozen all the way!
Ingredients
- Frozen green beans are your best option
- fresh green beans could be used too, cut into 3rds
- canned green beans drained come out quite soft, not recommended
- Bacon precooked and diced
- Plenty of french fried onions or make your own crispy fried onions
- Cream of mushroom soup and milk or dairy free alternative
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Mushrooms, fresh and sliced are optional
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top is optional of course. Some prefer parmesan or id you wanted it totally dairy free you could leave that off totally.
Tips
Here’s a holiday tip: Use a Crockpot, Ninja Foodi and your Instant Pot to keep it warm once done! It is impossible to keep all that food warm since cooking times vary. Most people don’t have a double oven to keep it all in until meal time so:
I use this technique for yams and mashed potatoes too. After we cut up the turkey you can put it in a warmed crock to keep it warm so when you get seconds it isn’t cold! Now if you don’t want to make this in your oven you can try our Instant Pot green bean casserole recipe.
Foil on top of 1/2-quart casserole dishes left on your stovetop can keep the warmth in too.
Variations
If using a Crockpot, use our slow cooker green bean casserole recipe with these ingredients. Just know that you won’t get any crispy topping this way but if texture isn’t an issue for you then that is a good option. To make spicy you can sprinkle in a bit of red pepper flakes too.
Here’s a quick step by step but there is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post as well.
How to Make Frozen Green Bean Casserole
- First add your frozen green beans (or canned but frozen turns out better visually and isn’t as mushy)
- Mix in 1/2 cup of milk and soup into an oven safe dish (spray with non stick spray first)
- Cook your bacon or in a pan until slightly crisp and then chop up into small pieces and add to your bowl. If you like cooked mushrooms, slice them up without stems and add them too.
- I shake some garlic salt on top, maybe 1/4 tsp, a bit of salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup of the fried onions. Fold ingredients together so onions don’t get totally smashed.
- Empty mixture into dish that has been sprayed with non stick spray, then cover with foil. Bake for 25 min. at 350 degrees.
Can you make this cheesy?
Want to transition this to a cheesy dish? NO problem. You can either swap out the fried onions for shredded cheddar cheese, or follow our Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with some inside and on top.
We use this method every year! I have everyone cook their dishes and then transfer them into a crockpot to bring to my house. Then we aren’t waiting around and the kids don’t get as antsy. It works great for a good hour or sometimes longer without changing the consistency or taste of the food.
I mean technically you can do what you like but the texture changes a lot, especially the topping if you do. Reheating will make it mushy, it is best to just refrigerated instead and enjoy within 3 days after the holidays.
Of course. If you want to keep the top crunchy throw it into the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes. OR use an oven safe dish and do the same in your air fryer for about 6 min.! Stir halfway through so the top doesn’t get too dark this way. Remove from oven, take off foil and shake another 1/2 – 1 cup of fried onions to the top Put back into the oven for 5 more minutes just so they get crispy.
Other easy Thanksgiving side dishes you’ll love
- Swiss chard is a Southern fave.
- Or this easy roll recipe we have on all holidays
- Pressure cooker green beans turn out tender with just salt and pepper. Add onions on top for a healthier version of your traditional dish.
After the holidays you’ve got to try out leftover turkey recipe too, it can be made with ham too so you can enjoy the day or so after….hope you enjoy your day!
Easy Green Bean Casserole
Equipment
- 1 9×13 pan
Ingredients
- 22 oz frozen green beans, we have used 2 cans instead but frozen comes out fresher tasting
- 1 can cream of mushroom soup, any brand, I use whatever is on sale really
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 tsp Garlic salt
- 1 1/2 c French’s fried onions
- 8 strips bacon, cooked, can use real bacon bits or turkey bacon if desired
- salt and pepper
- 1 c mushrooms, sliced – optional
Instructions
- First add your frozen green beans (or canned but frozen turns out better visually and isn’t as mushy)
- Mix in 1/2 cup of milk and soup into an oven safe dish (spray 9×13" pan with non stick spray first)
- Cook your bacon until slightly crisp and then chop up into small pieces and add to your bowl.
- If you like cooked mushrooms, slice them up without stems and add them too.
- I shake some garlic salt on top, maybe 1/4 tsp, a bit of salt and pepper, and 1/2 cup of the fried onions. Fold ingredients together so onions don't get totally smashed.
- Empty mixture into dish that has been sprayed with non stick spray, then cover with foil. Bake for 25 min. at 350 degrees.
- Remove from oven, take off foil and shake another 1/2 – 1 cup of fried onions to the top Put back into the oven for 5 more minutes just so they get crispy.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I make mine with bacon, too. I cook the bacon, and set it aside to drain; fry diced onions in some of the bacon grease; add cream of mushroom soup plus salt; mix it all together; gently fold in beans (frozen and first cooked on the stove for 5 minutes); put in casserole dish and top with the bacon pieces and slivered almonds before baking it!
The bacon grease and onion permeate the whole dish.
Bacon is where it’s at