This classic green bean casserole is made completely from scratch with fresh green beans, creamy sauce and crispy fried onions. The perfect easy homemade Thanksgiving side dish.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Add the green beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Strain the green beans and immediately put on ice to stop the cooking process.
Cook the bacon and onions
In a large skillet preheated over medium heat, add the diced bacon and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until its just starting to brown.
Remove the bacon from the pan and set it on a paper towel lined plate.
Add the diced onion to the same pan and sauce 5 to 7 minutes, until softened.
Add the garlic, paprika, dried mustard, and cayenne pepper and cook 30 seconds longer.
Spoon the veggies into a bowl.
Make the sauce
In the same pan, deglaze the pan by slowly adding in the chicken stock, scraping up and brown bits stuck to the bottom.
Add the heavy cream and cream cheese and bring to a low simmer over medium-low heat.
Add the onions back into the pan and half of the cheddar cheese.
Stir until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is thickened 5 to 7 minutes.
Combine and bake
Once the sauce has thickened, add the green beans and bacon to the mix and toss to coat.
Spoon into a 9x10 baking dish and sprinkle with crispy onions.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.
Keep and eye on things, and cover with foil after 10 minutes if the top is getting too browned.
Carefully remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
We omit the mushrooms from the sauce (for picky eaters), but if you love the old-school texture and taste of mushrooms, add a 1/2 cup of sliced baby bella mushrooms when you're sauteeing the onion.
If crispy onions aren't your thing, feel free to use crushed pork rinds instead! You'll still get that nice crunchy topping to finish off the dish.
Let your green bean casserole come to room temperature before reheating to ensure even cooking.