Let's take that old-fashioned family favorite side dish and fancy it up with crispy bacon, creamy cheese sauce, and zesty Ranch seasoning!
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- Perfect combination of cheesy sauce and a crunchy toppings makes this an easy (yet decadent and delicious) side dish recipe
- Tastes as great for a holiday meal as it does any day of the week.
- Reheat leftovers in the air fryer to get the topping crisp again.
Loaded green bean casserole is a staple on Easter and Thanksgiving tables, but it also makes a great addition to your weekly dinner menu rotation!
With crunchy french fried onions, crispy bacon, and lots of cheddar cheese, this classic side dish is loaded with all the good stuff.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- You can use fresh green beans, but you'll have to blanch them, first. Let them boil for 2-3 minutes in a pot of water, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the beans to an ice bath (a large bowl of ice water.)
- Instead of bacon, experiment with pancetta or prosciutto. You can also omit the meat if you need a vegetarian dish!
- Out of cream of mushroom soup? Swap it for the cream of celery or cream of cheddar varieties.
- TOO creamy? Cut back to 1 can of soup.
- Stir in some fresh mushrooms, minced garlic, or extra diced onion to amp up the texture and flavor.
- Make homemade french-fried onions to really impress your guests.
- Like it extra crunchy? You can add crumbled Ritz crackers in addition to the crispy fried onion topping.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Microwave soup, buttermilk, and cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl until you can whisk the mixture smooth.
- Whisk in the Ranch and cheese.
- Mix with the green beans and bacon and add to the dish.
- Top with crispy onions and bake.
🎥 Video
🥫 Storage
Like a traditional green bean casserole, this loaded version is easy to store. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for three days.
Spoon any extras into an airtight container, or cover the casserole dish with a tight layer of plastic wrap.
Of course, the crispy onions get a little soft the longer they're stored. You can microwave leftovers, but it's best to reheat the casserole in the oven if you've got a little extra time.
To do so, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the uncovered loaded green bean casserole leftovers for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through. If the onions get too dark, loosely lay a piece of aluminum foil overtop.
Casserole times and temps
Sometimes you need to bake two things at once - here's how to adjust the time and/or temperatures of your casserole!
These times are only an estimate. Be sure to check your casserole often. It's done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165F when stuck in the middle of the casserole.
| Temperature | Time | Time From Frozen |
| 300F | 55 minutes | Do not freeze |
| 325F | 45 minutes | Do not freeze |
| 350F | 30 minutes | Do not freeze |
| 375F | 25 minutes | Do not freeze |
| 400F | Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes | Do not freeze |
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Spritz the blade portion of your cheese grater with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray to prevent the cheese shreds from sticking to it! They'll fall right off instead of clumping together.
- Drain the green beans well before mixing them into the casserole. Sometimes I'll lay the beans on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to dry.
- Be sure to use a powdered Ranch dressing mix, rather than liquid dressing from a bottle.
- Top leftover green bean casserole with shredded Rotisserie chicken and pre-made mashed potatoes for a quick shepherd's pie dinner!
- This works with leftover Thanksgiving turkey and mashed potatoes, too.
- Make holiday time a little easier by prepping this easy green bean casserole recipe in advance. Assemble the casserole up to step nine (pouring everything into the prepared baking dish) and refrigerate. Top with the onions and cheese just before baking.
👩🍳 FAQs
Sure thing! Just let them thaw and drain, before stirring them into the loaded casserole and baking as directed.
This recipe uses a thick cheese sauce made from cream cheese and canned soup, so it's never watery! Just be sure to drain the green beans well and you'll be good to go.
Nah, I don't recommend it. The green beans and crunchy topping get a little soggy, and sometimes the cheesy sauce tastes grainy after thawing.
📚 Related recipes
More great holiday sides -
- With tender asparagus, ultra-creamy sauce, and a buttery, crisp Ritz cracker topping, this Asparagus Casserole is always a winner!
- Broccoli Casserole has so many different textures and delicious flavors that it converts vegetable skeptics into veggie lovers!
- Great as a make-ahead side, Broccoli Cauliflower Salad is loaded with crunch and creamy flavor. It's a classic!
🍽️ Serve with...
Buttermilk Brined Roast Chicken is perfect for a small Thanksgiving dinner or Sunday dinner with the family.
Whipped Sweet Potatoes are soft and oh-so-creamy. They're just slightly spicy for a deliciously unique Tex-Mex flavor.
Zingy and light, Old-Fashioned Lemon Meringue Pie tastes as good as it did when you were a kid!
🫶 Restless Chipotle recommends
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📞 The last word
I do love that old fashioned classic green bean casserole but sometimes it's nice to have ALL the flavor. Something a little over and above.
Like this loaded green bean casserole.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Loaded Green Bean Casserole
Print Pin Recipe Save RecipeIngredients
- 21 ounces condensed cream of mushroom soup, 2 cans - don't dilute!
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cut in 8 pieces
- 1 ounces dry Ranch salad dressing mix, do not used the bottled dressing
- 58 ounces green beans, four 14.5 ounce cans, drained
- 2 cups cheddar cheese , shredded from a block - divided use
- 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 6 ounces French fried onions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with no-stick cooking spray.
- Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside.
- Whisk together the buttermilk and the soup until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the cubed cream cheese.
- Microwave in 20 to 30 second intervals until the cream cheese is very soft and can be whisked into the soup mixture smoothly.
- Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar cheese and the Ranch.
- Add the green beans and cooked bacon to the cheese mixture.
- Pour in prepared pan.
- Top with remaining cheese and crispy fried onions.
- Bake for 30 minutes, or until casserole is heated through - 165°F on an instant read thermometer.
Notes
- Spritz the blade portion of your cheese grater with a little bit of nonstick cooking spray to prevent the cheese shreds from sticking to it! They'll fall right off instead of clumping together.
- Drain the green beans well before mixing them into the casserole. Sometimes I'll lay the beans on a paper towel-lined baking sheet to dry.
- Be sure to use a powdered Ranch dressing mix, rather than liquid dressing from a bottle.
- Top leftover green bean casserole with shredded Rotisserie chicken and pre-made mashed potatoes for a quick shepherd's pie dinner!
- Make holiday time a little easier by prepping this easy green bean casserole recipe in advance. Assemble the casserole up to step nine (pouring everything into the prepared baking dish) and refrigerate. Top with the onions and cheese just before baking.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
First published March 19, 2023. Last updated for editorial improvements and to add video November 6, 2023.
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