Description
Cream Cheese and Bacon Green Bean Casserole gets a rich, smoky upgrade! My personal recipe for a creamy, savory side dish that everyone at the table will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- The Green Bean Base:
- 1.5 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Creamy & Dreamy Sauce:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1.5 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Flavor Bombs:
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Crispy Topping:
- 1 cup crispy fried onions
Instructions
- Prep the Beans:: First things first, get those green beans ready. Trim the ends, give ’em a good rinse. Then, blanch them in boiling, salted water for about 3-4 minutes, just until they’re bright green and tender-crisp. Don’t overcook them, please! Nobody wants mushy green beans. I always taste one right out of the pot to make sure they’re perfect. Drain them well and plunge them into an ice bath if you want to stop the cooking and keep that vibrant color. This is where I always forget to salt the water, oops!
- Crisp the Bacon:: Next up, the bacon! Chop your thick-cut bacon into small pieces and cook it in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat until it’s perfectly crisp. This usually takes me about 8-10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside, but leave about 2 tablespoons of that glorious bacon fat in the skillet. That fat is liquid gold for our sauce, hon. Don’t you dare pour it out!
- Build the Creamy Sauce for Cream Cheese and Bacon Green Bean Casserole:: Now for the good stuff! Add your chopped yellow onion to the bacon fat in the skillet and cook until it’s softened, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until it smells amazing. Whisk in the chicken broth and heavy cream, bringing it to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and, this is key, add your *softened* cream cheese. Whisk constantly until it’s completely smooth and melted into the sauce. This step smells so rich and comforting!
- Combine & Season:: Once your sauce is silky smooth, stir in half of your cooked bacon (save the rest for topping!) and half of the shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Let it melt into the sauce, stirring until it’s all happy and combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remember, the bacon is salty, so go easy at first. I always taste a tiny spoonful here to make sure the flavors are just right. Sometimes I add a pinch of smoked paprika too, just for an extra layer of yum.
- Add the Green Beans:: Gently fold your blanched green beans into the creamy sauce in the skillet. Make sure every single bean is coated in that dreamy, savory goodness. This is where it gets a little messy, but that’s part of the fun, right? I usually use a big spatula for this, trying not to smash the beans. My kitchen counter usually ends up with a few rogue beans, but that’s just real life!
- Bake to Golden Perfection:: Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheeses over the top of the green bean mixture, then scatter those crispy fried onions evenly. Pop the skillet into a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the Cream Cheese and Bacon Green Bean Casserole is bubbly, golden brown, and those crispy onions are fragrant and slightly darkened. The final result should look like a warm, inviting hug in a dish!