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I have never been one for the “traditional” Green Bean Casserole. Who wants soggy green beans in a sauce made of canned soup? Not me! (I do want the French fried onions, though.) But this casserole here is a green bean casserole I can get behind. It still has those French fried onions, but it also uses fresh and vibrant green beans and pairs them with a from-scratch sauce that’s not only creamy, it’s cheesy too. And since cheese is the way to my heart, this casserole has my heart. And a prominent place at my holiday table.
What Ingredients Do You Need for Cheesy Green Bean Casserole?
You’ll need:
- Two and a half pounds of fresh green beans.
- A pound of bacon.
- Butter.
- Onion and garlic.
- A touch of flour.
- Milk and heavy cream.
- Paprika.
- Cheese: cheddar, Monterey Jack, and parmesan.
- French fried onions. A must.
No cans here, my friends!
How Do You Make Cheesy Green Bean Casserole?
It takes longer than the canned version but it’s by no means hard. To start, you need to prep those green beans by trimming the ends off. If they’re long, you can snap them in half too… it makes eating less messy. Blanch them in some boiling water for just a few minutes, then plunge them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. You want to take the edge off their crunchiness but you don’t want them to get mushy in the oven later.
Then you cook the bacon (you’ve probably done that before) and build the sauce.
The sauce starts with some onion and garlic that get softened in butter. Flour goes in next — that’s your thickener — and milk rounds it out. Once it comes to a bubble, the sauce will thicken and you can remove it from a heat and stir in those three cheeses, a touch of heavy cream, and half of the bacon and French fried onions. (We want them everywhere, okay?)
Those three cheeses are sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and parmesan. It’s a great combo for flavor and meltability. But! You can switch them up depending on your preferences or play with the ratios. It’s cheese, so it’s all delicious.
After 25 minutes in the oven, you’ll top it off with the rest of the French fried onions and bacon and get it back in the oven just long enough to brown those off. Then, it’s time to dig in. And that’s the best part!
Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs fresh green beans
- 1 lb bacon, chopped
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 cups French fried onions
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Trim ends of green beans and cut beans in half, if desired. Set aside.
- Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch the green beans by cooking them briefly, just 3-4 minutes. Transfer beans to the ice bath to halt cooking process. Drain and pat dry.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Set aside.
- Wipe grease from skillet, then add butter. Return to medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Pour in milk, while stirring constantly. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Remove from heat, then stir in heavy cream, cheddar, and Monterey Jack. Stir in half of the bacon and half of the French fried onions.
- Arrange green beans in prepared baking dish, then pour sauce over them and stir to combine. Bake 25 minutes.
- Top with remaining bacon and onions and bake until onions are golden, about 5 minutes more. Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Baker by Nature.