Green Bean Casserole

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword green-bean-casserole, green-bean-casserole-parmesan

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 35

Rest time 10

Servings servings

Calories 319kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

2 12 oz packages frozen whole green beans i.e. Steamfresh Whole Green Beans or similar
5 slices bacon diced
1 medium sweet onion diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon pepper or black pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp herbs de provence OR dried thyme
1 14 .5 oz can low sodium chicken stock
1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
1 cup baby portabella mushrooms sliced
1 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
Topping:
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 slices bacon chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1/4 cup sliced almonds for garnishing
spray oil or cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Place the frozen green beans into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes until crisp tender. Drain well then set aside to cool slightly.
In a large skillet, cook the diced bacon and onion together. Season with salt and black pepper to your taste.
Cook over medium-high heat until browned and fully cooked. Add 1/2 cup all purpose flour to the pan. Stir until it resembles a paste. If needed, add chicken broth, additional butter or bacon fat to thin. Add salt, lemon pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder and herbes de provence.
Slowly pour in the chicken stock and milk, stirring constantly until the flour is dissolved and no lumps remain. The sauce will immediately begin to thicken. Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper to your taste.
Add the green beans, mushrooms and 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Stir until evenly coated. Pour green bean mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Parmesan Cheese Bacon Topping: Finely dice the bacon by hand or in a food processor. [Partially frozen bacon makes this task much easier.]
Toss with the panko breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.
Sprinkle evenly over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.
Spritz the top lightly with cooking spray or spray oil. Place into the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Lay a piece of aluminum foil on the top to prevent over browning, if needed.
Let stand on the counter for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

- Mushroom Substitution: You can adapt the fresh mushrooms using canned mushrooms, if desired. Drain them well then proceed with the recipe.
- Garlic: You can add three or four minced cloves garlic and sauté with the onion in place of granulated garlic.
- Alternate Topping: If you'd like to go old school, you can add French fried onions to the breadcrumb topping or skip the breadcrumbs and use french onions, instead.
- Butter the Breadcrumbs: You can toss the breadcrumbs with one or two tablespoons of melted butter to the crumbs in lieu of bacon.
- Bacon: The bacon in the casserole is cooked. The bacon for the topping will cook in the oven while baking.