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Baking dish with green bean casserole topped with crispy fried onions.

Gourmet Green Bean Casserole with Bacon, Gruyère, and Caramelized Onions

Ashley Manila
This Gourmet Green Bean Casserole is loaded with Bacon, Gruyère, and Caramelized Onions!
4.91 from 11 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Inactive Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds Fresh Green Beans, ends trimmed
  • 6 slices Bacon, Cut Into 1/4 Inch Pieces
  • 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 whole Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • 4 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour
  • 3 cups Whole Milk
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
  • 2 teaspoons Salt, or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional, but it breaks up the richness quite nicely)
  • 8 ounces Gruyère, Grated
  • 1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs or french fried onions

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
  • Trim the ends of both sides of the green beans; cut them in half if you prefer the pieces to be bite-sized.
  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rapid boil. Blanch the green beans by dropping them into the boiling water and allowing them to par-cook for 4 minutes. Remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and immediately emerge them into an ice bath (a large bowl of ice cold water) to stop the cooking process. Drain the green beans once they're cool; pat them dry; and set aside.
  • Add bacon pieces to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon for 3-4 minutes, or until it's cooked through but not crispy; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add the olive oil, thinly sliced onions, and brown sugar to the same pan the bacon was cooked in. Cook over medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the onions have deepened in color and caramelized; about 25 minutes. Stir in garlic and bacon and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
  • In a separate skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Once it's completely melted sprinkle the flour into the pan and whisk immediately, evenly mixing it into the butter. Cook for a minute or two, then pour in milk and heavy cream. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the sauce thickens up; about 2 minutes. Stir in salt, pepper, cayenne, and gruyere. Stir constantly until cheese has melted completely into the sauce, then remove pan from heat. Stir the bacon/onion mixture into the cream sauce, mix well to combine.
  • Pour sauce over green beans and stir gently to combine. Pour the mixture into an oven-safe casserole dish, then top with panko bread crumbs.
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling and panko crumbs are golden.
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