This green bean casserole with bacon is a homemade version of a classic recipe, but instead of using cream of mushroom soup, it features an amazing bacon roux.
Delicious Twist on a Classic Casserole
The holidays are upon us and you’ve asked time and time again for more variations on traditional Thanksgiving recipes! Which is why we’re pumped to be sharing this delicious green bean casserole with bacon made with fresh green beans and the most scrumptious homemade bacon roux (yes, we said BACON ROUX)!
PS: there is no cream of mushroom soup involved in this recipe because it’s 100% homemade from scratch.
Easy Ingredient Swaps
Our green bean casserole with bacon makes some easy ingredient swaps that are typically in a traditional green bean casserole. These swaps = better flavor, amazing texture, and don’t worry, they truly are EASY:
Canned Green Beans >> canned green beans are easy, obviously, but fresh green beans are so much better. Give them a good wash and snip the ends off with a pair of scissors and you’re good to go!
Creamy Mushroom Soup >> swap out the store-bought creamy mushroom soup for homemade bacon roux. We’ll teach you how to make an easy roux so that you have a thick, creamy bacon gravy.
French Fried Onions >> a bacon and breadcrumb topping! Our homemade topping crisps up when baked giving this green bean casserole with bacon the delicious topping texture you love.
Ingredients – What You Need
For the Casserole
- Fresh green beans: The fresher the better! All of our green bean casseroles on Fit Foodie Finds call for fresh green beans instead of canned or frozen 😀
- Finely sliced white onion: Onion is a flavor powerhouse! We love slicing our onion with a mandolin to get super thin, even slices.
- Bacon: Can’t have a green bean casserole with bacon without BACON. You’ll cut this bacon into 1-inch chunks.
- All-purpose flour: This is used to make the roux AKA the thickening agent for the sauce.
- 2 % milk: This is also used in the bacon roux to add extra amazing creaminess.
- Beef broth: Using beef broth for this green bean casserole with bacon gives it such a rich and savory flavor. But any broth will work!
- Fresh thyme: We love the flavor that fresh herbs brings to this casserole!
- Worcestershire sauce: A little goes a long way. This adds a flavor blast of salty and savory.
- Salt & black pepper: Simple yet effective!
For the topping
- Bacon: You’ll save some of the bacon for the topping!
- Plain bread crumbs and dried spices: Plain breadcrumbs combined with dried thyme, sage, garlic powder and salt give this green bean casserole with bacon topping its iconic Thanksgiving dish taste.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card for a list of ingredients and instructions.
Preheat & Prep
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Then, add the green beans and onions to the baking dish, and set aside for later.
Cook Bacon & Set Aside
Next, heat a large saucepan over medium heat, and add the sliced bacon to the saucepan, being sure all the pieces are separated and not sticking together.
Cook the bacon until golden brown, being sure to stir the bacon occasionally so it doesn’t burn. Then, use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces of bacon from the saucepan and place the bacon pieces in a small bowl and set aside.
Let’s Make a Bacon Roux
Leave the bacon drippings in the bottom of the saucepan (don’t drain or soak up with paper towels!) and turn the heat to low. Then, add the flour to the saucepan with the bacon drippings and whisk the bacon drippings and flour together until a crumble forms.
Turn the heat to medium and slowly add the milk to the saucepan, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Finally, slowly add the broth to the saucepan, whisking until the roux is thick.
What type of broth to use
Technically, this recipe calls for beef broth, but any broth will do, such as vegetable broth or chicken broth. We love using beef broth because the flavor is so rich and delicious.
Remove the roux from the heat and add the fresh thyme, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper to the saucepan and stir all the ingredients together until combined.
Combine Bacon Roux & Green Beans
Pour the bacon roux over the green bean mixture and toss until everything is covered in the bacon roux. YUM.
Add Bacon Pieces to Casserole
Remove ¼ cup of the cooked bacon pieces from the small bowl and set aside. Add the rest of the bacon pieces to the casserole dish with the beans and toss one more time.
Cover & Bake
Wipe the sides of the casserole dish clean and then cover the casserole dish with tin foil and place it in the oven for 40 minutes, tossing the beans after 20 minutes.
Make Breadcrumb Topping
Meanwhile, add the breadcrumbs, sage, thyme, salt, and garlic powder to a small skillet pan and cook over medium heat until all the ingredients are golden brown. Then, remove from the heat and add the remaining bacon to the bread crumbs and toss.
Sprinkle on Breadcrumb Topping
When the green bean casserole is done cooking, uncover the casserole dish and sprinkle the beans with the bread crumb mixture.
Broil
Turn your oven to broil and broil the casserole until the bread crumb topping is crispy.
Let sit & Enjoy!
Remove from the oven and let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving.
More of our Favorite…
Healthy Thanksgiving Recipes
Looking for more healthy Thanksgiving recipes to fill your holiday table with? Check out all of our best turkey day recipes in one spot!
Making this Casserole Ahead of Time
If you are planning to prepare this green bean casserole with bacon ahead of time, we suggest waiting to do the breadcrumb topping until the day of! Follow these simple instructions:
- Make the casserole as is following steps 1-15 in the recipe card for the cooking process. Do NOT prepare or top with the breadcrumbs.
- Let the casserole cool completely and then cover it.
- Place casserole in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF and bake the casserole, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir, and see how warm it is.
- Bake the casserole for an additional 10-15 minutes as need.
- While the casserole is reheating, prepare the breadcrumb topping.
- Sprinkle breadcrumb topping and serve!
Storage
Got leftovers? Transfer your green bean casserole with bacon into an airtight container and seal. Refrigerate for up to 3-5 days.
Reheating Directions
To reheat, you can either microwave on high for 90 seconds to 2 minutes OR add the entire casserole of leftovers into a medium frying pan and reheat on low/medium for 5-10 minutes.
Green Bean Casserole with Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs. fresh green beans rinsed and trimmed
- ½ large white onion finely sliced
- 10 slices medium-cut bacon chopped into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups 2 % milk
- 2 cups beef broth or any kind
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme de stemmed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
Topping
- ½ cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup chopped bacon from above
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add the green beans and onions to the casserole dish, toss, and set aside for later.
- Next, heat a large saucepan over medium heat.
- When the saucepan is hot add the sliced bacon to the saucepan, being sure all the pieces are separated and not sticking together.
- Cook the bacon until golden brown (5-7 minutes), being sure to stir the bacon occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
- When the bacon is golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove the pieces of bacon from the saucepan and place the bacon pieces in a small bowl and set aside.
- Leave the bacon drippings (it should be about 2-3 tablespoons) in the bottom of the saucepan (there should be 1-2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the saucepan) and turn the heat to low.*
- Create a roux with the bacon drippings. Add the flour to the saucepan with the bacon drippings and whisk the bacon drippings and flour together until a crumble forms.
- Turn the heat to medium and slowly add the milk to the saucepan, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to thicken.
- Next, slowly add the broth to the saucepan, whisking until thick. If after 3 or 4 minutes it’s having a hard time thickening, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of flour into the sauce and whisk until thick.
- Remove from the heat and add the fresh thyme, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper to the saucepan and stir all the ingredients together until combined.
- Pour the bacon roux over the green beans and onions and toss until everything is covered in the bacon roux.
- Remove ¼ cup of the cooked bacon pieces from the small bowl and set aside.
- Add the rest of the bacon pieces to the casserole dish with the beans and toss one more time.
- Wipe the sides of the casserole dish clean and then cover the casserole dish with tin foil and place it in the oven for 40 minutes, tossing the beans after 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the breadcrumbs, sage, thyme, salt, and garlic powder to a small skillet pan and cook over medium heat until all the ingredients are golden brown (4-6 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and add the remaining ¼ cup of bacon to the bread crumbs and toss.
- When the green bean casserole is done cooking, uncover the casserole dish and sprinkle the beans with the bread crumb mixture.
- Turn the oven to broil and broil the casserole for 2-3 minutes or until the bread crumb topping is crispy.
- Remove from the oven and let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Do you think this would be ok to make the day before? I was thinking assemble everything but the breadcrumb topping, and do that the day of.
That should be just fine! Then you can reheat it in the AM.
Any suggestions on how to substitute gluten free flour?
Thanks