Green Bean Casserole Extraordinaire
The Best Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Green Bean Casserole Extraordinaire is the upgraded, yet easy version of your usual cream of soup green bean casserole. This recipes uses bacon, milk, parmesan cheese, onions, and the secret ingredient: onion rings.
Prep and assemble ahead of time and bake the next day before finishing off with crispy onion rings.
I include directions for making this ahead of time and that will be just fine. That being said, it is always better freshly made.
It is very easy to make and it comes together quickly so you may want to plan to make this fresh on the big day.
There is a full, printable recipe card at the end of this post. There is also a Pinterest button for you to pin this to save it.
You can follow me on Pinterest at The Tipsy Housewife for more recipes and inspiration.
Mushrooms Without The Mushrooms
When I post my green bean casserole recipes I always get questions about how to make it without the mushrooms. The best part of this type of casserole is that mushroom “umami” flavor.
Umami is the flavor you get from soy sauce. I started using this umami powder and it added an AMAZING POP of flavor without whole mushrooms.
It saved time and those that don’t like mushrooms never know unless they have an allergy and then don’t give it to them!
I get this powder on Amazon. I will link it on my Amazon Shop, which means it is on my affiliate page.
*Amazon pays me a small commission from you using the link, which I am required to disclose, but it costs you nothing extra.*
This is made from shitake mushrooms and the pouch does have sodium though it does not have MSG. You are using a tablespoon in this recipe but you can use less if you want to watch your salt.
From my calculations it is a lot less sodium then the usual recipe for green bean casserole since you are not using soup cans and soy sauce.
I think you will be amazed at the depth of flavor it adds. You can also add this to any soups, stews, or gravy for amazing flavor.
Onion Rings Or Bust
The crispy onion rings on this casserole are always a fan favorite. I feel that onion rings add so much more crispiness and flavor with the real onions.
I usually prefer to use the Nathan’s Brand Onion Rings for this recipe but any onion rings will do. This time I tried these beer battered rings and I still prefer the Nathan’s.
These were good too, I just get the Nathan’s at Family Dollar or Walmart and I think they give you the most bang for your buck.
Trust me, after trying this green bean casserole you’ll never want to make it the old way again!
Green Bean Casserole Extraordinaire
Green Bean Casserole Extraordinaire is the upgraded, yet easy version of your usual cream of soup green bean casserole. This recipes uses bacon, milk, parmesan cheese, onions and the secret ingredient, onion rings. This can be prepped and assembled ahead of time and baked the next day and finished off with crispy onion rings.
Ingredients
- 4, 14.5 ounce cans of Whole Green Beans
- 2 cups of milk, at least 2% but can also use whole
- 8 strips of thick cut bacon, cut into a small dice
- 1 medium sized yellow onion, diced small
- 2 heaping tablespoons of white flour
- 1 tablespoon of Shiitake Mushroom Powder *this is optional and there is a picture and a link in the post above this recipe card
- 1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
- black pepper
- 1 14 ounce bag of frozen onion rings
Instructions
- Drain your green beans really well in a colander so they are not watery when added to the recipe. Set aside.
- Dice your bacon strips very small and add them to a skillet. Cook until crispy and golden brown. Remove from skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on some paper towels. Set aside. Drain some of the bacon grease from the skillet reserving about 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the skillet.
- Add your diced onions and sauté until golden brown and soft.
- Sprinkle the two tablespoons of flour over the onions and sauté for a minute or two. Add your 2 cups of milk and whisk on medium heat until the mixture starts simmering. Add your black pepper to taste and your Umami powder (if using) continue to whisk until slightly thickened. It should coat the back of a spoon. If it is getting too thick you can add a tiny bit of milk and whisk to make it less thick. When it is a thicker texture, like a smoother gravy consistency, add in your cheese. Remove from heat and stir until the cheese is melted.
- Make sure to use a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Add the beans, spread them evenly. Pour the sauce over all the beans. Then sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the whole thing. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes in the center of the oven.
- While the beans bake, you can make your onion rings on a sheet pan in the same oven, or do them in your air fryer. When the onion rings are crispy and brown, remove from cooking and carefully chop into bite sized pieces.
- At the 30 minute mark, sprinkle the whole casserole with the onion rings and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. The whole thing will be bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes minimum before serving.
- if you want to prep this ahead of time, you can make your sauce the day before, and the bacon. Then assemble the whole thing when ready to bake and do the onion rings as the same process.
More Holiday Recipes
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