This casserole pairs beautifully with classic holiday mains — serve it next to Oven Roasted Whole Chicken or round out the spread with Sausage Stuffing Casserole.
Pull this Bacon Green Bean Casserole with Pork Rind Topping out of the oven and the edges are golden and bubbling, the kitchen smells like bacon and hot cheese, and the pork rind topping has gone properly crispy across the entire surface. The cheese sauce underneath is built from scratch on the stovetop — cream cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella cooked down with chicken broth and sauvignon blanc — coating every green bean and bacon crumble in something genuinely rich.
The whole thing, from frying the bacon to pulling it from the oven, takes about 40 minutes. Green beans get a quick 3-4 minute steam before everything comes together, so they hold their texture through the bake. The bacon does double duty: crumbled pieces go into the green beans, and the reserved grease goes into the sauce. One 8×8 pan turns out 6 servings — the right size for a holiday spread or a weeknight dinner when you want a proper side dish on the table.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Scratch-made cheese sauce. Cream cheese, cheddar, and mozzarella melt together with chicken broth and sauvignon blanc — no canned soup involved.
- The pork rind topping goes genuinely crispy. Finely crushed pork rinds bake golden in 18-20 minutes, crisping up across the surface and around the edges.
- Bacon is in every layer. Crumbled bacon goes into the green beans and the reserved bacon grease goes into the sauce.
- Fresh green beans stay tender. A 3-4 minute steam before the bake means they don’t go soft once everything comes together in the oven.
- Ready in about 40 minutes. The casserole bakes at 350°F for 18-20 minutes once assembled — fast enough for a weeknight, easy enough for a holiday.
- One 8×8 pan, 6 servings. The right size for a holiday table without needing an oversized baking dish.
⏲ How to make this recipe
To a small bowl, whisk together crushed pork rinds, minced onion, and ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.
Fry bacon in large pan until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate to remove excess grease. Reserve 2 tbsp bacon grease. Crumble bacon using hands. Set aside.
Steam green beans over high heat in a steamer basket for 3-4 minutes.
Transfer steamed green beans to large bowl, add crumbled bacon, and mix until well-combined.
To a large pot over medium heat, add sauvignon blanc, reserved bacon fat, and dried parsley, and cook until smell of wine has dissipated, about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir.
Add cream cheese.
Melt cream cheese fully.
Mix in shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella, mustard, ½ tsp salt, and pepper.
Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all ingredients are melted together and well-incorporated.
To bowl of green beans and crumbled bacon, pour in cheese mixture and mix until combined.
Transfer to prepared baking pan and top with crushed pork rind mixture.
Bake until edges are golden brown and bubbling. Serve hot and enjoy!
👉 Easy ingredient swaps
- Sauvignon blanc is what the recipe calls for; any dry white wine works in its place in the same quantity.
- Both cheddar and mozzarella go into the sauce — they each play a role in flavor and texture, so use both if you can.
- The recipe uses 2 tablespoons of bacon grease rendered from the 4 slices of bacon. Fry the bacon fully before draining so you have enough to measure out for the sauce.
✨ Variations
- The recipe makes 6 servings in an 8×8 pan. For a larger group, scale the recipe up proportionally and use a 9×13 baking pan.
- This casserole works just as well for Thanksgiving or Christmas as it does for an everyday dinner — the ingredients are simple enough that you’re not locked into the holiday table.
〰️ How to serve
- Serve hot, straight from the oven — the cheese sauce is at its best right when it comes out.
- It pairs naturally with Boursin Mashed Potatoes and a roasted main for a full holiday dinner.
- For a complete spread, add Jiffy Corn Casserole alongside it.
💬 FAQs
What does the sauvignon blanc do in the sauce?
The wine goes into the pot first and cooks for 2-3 minutes until the smell of alcohol dissipates before the chicken broth and cheeses are added. This step builds a subtle flavor base in the sauce before anything else melts in.
How do I get the pork rinds fine enough for the topping?
Put them in a zip-lock bag and roll over them with a rolling pin, or pulse briefly in a food processor. The recipe calls for 1 cup of finely crushed pork rinds — fine enough that they spread evenly across the top of the casserole and bake up like a crumb topping.
How do I know when the casserole is done baking?
Look for golden brown edges that are actively bubbling — that’s the visual cue the recipe gives. It happens at about 18-20 minutes at 350°F. Serve it straight from the oven while it’s hot.
What pan size do I need, and does it need to be greased?
An 8×8 baking pan, greased with nonstick cooking spray before you add the filling. This size yields 6 servings.
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Bacon Green Bean Casserole with Pork Rind Topping
Ingredients
- 1 cup finely crushed pork rinds, 60g
- 1 teaspoon minced onion
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- 4 slices bacon
- 12 ounces green beans, ends trimmed
- ¼ cup sauvignon blanc
- 2 tablespoons bacon grease, reserved from cooked bacon
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened, cut into small pieces
- 1 ½ ounce shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ ounce shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 8×8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- To a small bowl, whisk together crushed pork rinds, minced onion, and ¼ tsp salt. Set aside.
- Fry bacon in a large pan until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate to remove excess grease. Reserve 2 tbsp bacon grease. Crumble bacon using hands. Set aside.
- Steam green beans over high heat in a steamer basket for 3-4 minutes. Transfer steamed green beans to a large bowl, add crumbled bacon, and mix until well-combined.
- To a large pot over medium heat, add sauvignon blanc, reserved bacon grease, and dried parsley, and cook until smell of wine has dissipated about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth and stir. Add cream cheese and allow to melt fully before mixing in shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella, mustard, ½ tsp salt, and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all ingredients are melted together and well-incorporated.
- To the bowl of green beans and crumbled bacon, pour in cheese mixture and mix until combined. Transfer to the prepared baking pan, top with crushed pork rind mixture, and bake until edges are golden brown and bubbling, about 18-20 minutes. Serve hot and enjoy!
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