Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe with Cream Cheese (2024)

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This Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe is the perfect way to cook up green beans for an everyday dinner or a special holiday. Not only does this delicious side dish have loads of flavor, but it's one of those easy recipes that the whole family will love.

Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe with Cream Cheese (1)

Green bean casserole is a favorite side dish for any time of year. Creamy green beans at Thanksgiving dinner are a staple, and let's not forget the rest of the holiday season, too. But this delicious green bean casserole recipe is a new favorite for the summertime months. You can literally make this any day of the week and take a simple meal to the next level of flavor.

What I love about this green bean casserole recipe with cream cheese is that it takes a classic side dish and turns it into a loaded version that includes cheese, bacon, and more. Delicious recipes like this prove that it doesn't take a lot to create.

Be sure to check out thisAir Fryer Frozen Green Beans recipe for another fun way to cook this healthy vegetable and an easy way to add veggies to your daily intake. Find out how to get tender green beans from frozen in no time at all.

Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe with Cream Cheese (2)

Ingredients

Green beans - You can use fresh green beans or frozen green beans. Whatever works best for your needs.

French fried onions - These are the crispy addition to the casserole and on top.

Shredded cheese - You can mix and match cheese options every time you make this dish. We normally use white cheddar cheese.

Crumbled bacon - If you want to cut out some of the fat, crumbled turkey bacon works well.

Cream of mushroom soup - This is the creamy texture that holds everything together.

Sour cream - Adds richness to the dish.

Mayonnaise - You can use light mayonnaise as well.

Cream cheese - This will melt nicely and add a rich creaminess to the cheese sauce in the casserole.

Salt - To taste. You can also add a little black pepper if you want.

​Garlic powder - For flavor. Dried minced garlic also works well.

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How to Make Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe with Cream Cheese

Step One: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8X8 baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.

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Step Two: Mix the ingredients for the sauce (follow the recipe card below) in a large mixing bowl.

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Step Three: Once mixed, fold in the green beans, ½ cup of the onions, cheese, and bacon.

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Step Four: Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

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Step Five: Add the rest of the french-fried onions, bacon, and cheese on top.

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Step Six: Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven and bake the green bean casserole recipe with cream cheese for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Expert Tip: Be sure to let the casserole cool some before serving because it will firm as it cools down.

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Variations

The best thing that you can do for this loaded casserole recipe is to experiment with the flavors. You can up the cheese, lower the cheese, add more spices - anything that you'd like. Any way that you make this casserole dish is going to yield great flavor results and will be a win-win.

Use canned green beans - We really prefer fresh or frozen green beans but if you need to you can use canned. Just use canned green beans or French style beans instead.

Use a different canned soup - Cream of mushroom is my choice, but you can also use cream of chicken soup, too.

Change the type of cheese - You can use sharp cheddar, Monterey jack, white cheddar, pepper jack, or any other pre-shredded cheese.

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Common Questions

Can I make my own homemade crispy onions?

You can! Since the flavor and texture are a great addition to this classic green bean casserole, why not kick up the flavor by making your own? If you slice the onions thin and then cook them in the air fryer, you can make your own crispy onions in no time at all.

This can also happen with crispy bacon, too. Add the bacon in a single layer to your air fryer or deep skillet and cook the bacon until it is nice and crispy. You then crumble and add.

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What else would I pair with this for a holiday meal?

Anything that you want. This traditional green bean casserole would pair well with ham, turkey, and anything cranberry. Did I mention that this not only looks great on the Thanksgiving table, but it tastes great as leftovers as well?

For any time of year try it along with ourUltimate Chicken Casserole Recipe.

How do I store leftovers?

Once the casserole has cooled down, store any leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge. When you are ready to eat, you can reheat for 2-3 minutes or however long it takes to heat the dish all the way through. The crunchy onions will likely no longer be crunchy once reheated, but the flavor and taste will be there.

Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe with Cream Cheese (12)

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Recipe

Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe with Cream Cheese (13)

Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe with cream cheese, cheddar, & bacon takes a traditional green bean casserole to a new level.

5 from 27 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 241.1 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb green beans fresh or frozen, steamed
  • 1 cup french fried onions divided
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese divided
  • 1 cup crumbled bacon divided

Sauce:

  • ½ cup cream of mushroom soup
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup mayo
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8x8 baking dish.

  • Combine the sauce ingredients in a large bowl.

  • Fold in the green beans, ½ cup onions, ½ cup cheese, and ½ cup bacon.

  • Add the green bean mixture to the prepared pan.

  • Top with the remaining onions, cheese, and bacon.

  • Bake on the middle rack for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. If the topping gets too brown cover with foil or move to the lowest rack.

Nutrition

Calories: 241.1kcalCarbohydrates: 7.8gProtein: 8.7gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 3.7gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 42.5mgSodium: 746.6mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 1.6gSugar: 2.6gVitamin A: 678.3IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 107.8mgIron: 0.7mg

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Loaded Green Bean Casserole Recipe with Cream Cheese (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep green bean casserole from getting mushy? ›

Green Bean Casserole Tips

Don't overcook the green beans: Remember when you are blanching the green beans that they will continue to cook and soften while baking in the oven with the rest of the casserole. So it's important to undercook them slightly during this first step so that they don't get mushy in the oven.

How to thicken up green bean casserole? ›

Mistake #5: A Runny Casserole

If you sense it's a little watery, "add a thickener like roux or starch to absorb the additional liquid or cook a little longer," she says. That'll give it that rich, dense consistency you're looking for.

Is green bean casserole better with canned or fresh? ›

Green beans from a can have already been cooked to death right in the can and harbor plenty of sodium that could make your casserole too salty. Frozen French-cut green beans are a better option. They hold their texture better than canned, and you can cook them straight from their frozen state.

Do people still eat green bean casserole? ›

Green Bean Casseroles are served at 20 million Thanksgiving dinners every year.

Should you drain canned green beans before cooking? ›

But if you're someone who needs to watch your sodium intake, it certainly can't hurt to drain and rinse canned beans before using them. Doing so can reduce the sodium by 40%. If you don't want to rinse, consider at least draining them first. Draining alone will “reduce the sodium by a third,” says Reinagel.

How many cans of green beans are 4 cups? ›

Notes: ✿ 4 cups of green beans is about 1½ pounds fresh or 16 ounces frozen or 2 cans (15 ounces each) drained.

Can you overcook green bean casserole? ›

Overcooking the beans won't just drain them of their appealing color, but it will also make them too soft and mushy, resulting in a less appetizing casserole.

What tastes better canned or frozen green beans? ›

"Frozen beans hold their texture and flavor better when cooked, while canned beans can become mushy," says Lauren Allen, the owner and creator of recipe website Tastes Better From Scratch and an Amazon best-selling cookbook by the same name.

Why do Americans eat green bean casserole? ›

How It Became a Holiday Staple. Green bean casserole was considered a perfect dish for holiday entertaining because it was simple, inexpensive, and could easily be made ahead of time. It became known as a "jiffy casserole" because it went from one bowl to one pan.

Is it safe to eat green bean casserole left out overnight? ›

According to the USDA, food that has been left out of the fridge for more than two hours should be thrown away. That's because between 40° F and 140° F (what the USDA calls the "Danger Zone"), bacteria grows incredibly fast and can make you sick.

Did the Pilgrims eat green bean casserole? ›

Of course, we know that isn't exactly accurate. For one thing, macaroni and cheese is definitely not a traditional Thanksgiving food, nor did the Pilgrims and Wampanoag have oven-safe dishes for baking green-bean casseroles.

What to eat with green bean casserole? ›

Roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing—you get the picture. But guess what? You don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to eat green bean casserole. It's also delicious alongside a simple roasted chicken for an easy family meal!

How do you keep green beans from getting mushy? ›

How can you cook green beans so that they do not get soggy or lose their flavor? Steam them! Not too much, either, just to make them enjoyably warm. They'll keep their crunch (I so love that) and their flavor.

How do you keep green beans crisp when cooking? ›

While the beans are cooking, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. As soon as the beans are done cooking, transfer them immediately to the ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve their bright green color. Leave the beans in the bowl of ice water for a few minutes before removing them with tongs.

How do you cook beans so they are not mushy? ›

Stovetop Method

Stir them gently and occasionally, never letting them hit a strong boil; this can burst their skins and make them mushy or unevenly cooked. Depending upon the variety, dried beans will cook quickly (about 15 minutes for red lentils) or slowly (up to 3 to 4 hours for unsoaked chickpeas or lima beans).

How do you fix soggy green beans? ›

Steam them half way. Let them dry on a paper towel, then put into the fridge to dry out even more ( 30 min; lay them flat and not piled on top of each other). Then finish cooking them: pan roast them with a little fat/oil or roast in the oven.

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