Description
Creamy cream cheese and bacon green bean casserole blends classic comfort with rich, indulgent flavors. Cheese-laden green beans and crispy bacon create a delectable side dish that elevates your holiday meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 900 g (2 lbs) fresh green beans, trimmed and halved
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 225 g (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream or whole milk
- 1 cup (100 g) shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 cup (100 g) crispy fried onions
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven and grease a baking dish with cooking spray or butter to prevent adhesion.
- Bacon Treatment: Crisp bacon in a skillet over medium heat until golden and rendered, creating savory crunchy fragments.
- Vegetable Sauté: Utilize residual bacon fat to sauté green beans, stirring to achieve slight caramelization and uniform cooking.
- Sauce Creation: Whisk cream cheese until silky smooth, then integrate remaining sauce ingredients to develop a luxurious, homogeneous mixture.
- Casserole Assembly: Fold sautéed green beans into cream cheese sauce, ensuring complete coating, then transfer to prepared baking dish and distribute evenly.
- Topping Application: Scatter crispy bacon pieces across the surface to provide textural complexity and enhanced flavor profile.
- Baking Process: Place casserole in preheated oven and bake until edges bubble and top transforms into a rich golden-brown hue.
- Finishing Touch: Allow dish to rest momentarily after removing from oven, enabling sauce to set and flavors to harmonize.
- Serving: Present warm, showcasing a decadent side dish that balances creamy, crispy, and savory elements in each inviting portion.
Notes
- Optimize Bacon Sizzling: Select thick-cut bacon for maximum crispiness and richer flavor intensity, ensuring each piece delivers a satisfying crunch.
- Prevent Soggy Beans: Pat green beans completely dry before sautéing to eliminate excess moisture, guaranteeing a perfectly crisp and tender vegetable texture.
- Cheese Smoothness Hack: Bring cream cheese to room temperature before blending to eliminate lumps and create a silky, uniform sauce without aggressive whisking.
- Low-Carb Transformation: Substitute green beans with roasted cauliflower or brussels sprouts for a keto-friendly version that maintains the recipe’s rich, creamy essence.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 34 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg