Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

• 6 ounces bacon
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 3 medium cloves garlic, optional, minced
• 2 (10.5-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 4 (14.5-ounce) cans cut green beans, drained or 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans, cooked
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded and divided
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups crispy fried onions

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and position a rack in the center of the oven.
2. Lightly grease a 2 1/2-3-quart casserole dish.
3. In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat, fry the bacon until crisp, about 8-10 minutes.
4. Drain the crisp bacon on paper towels to cool.
5. Crumble the crisp bacon and set aside.
6. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the pan and increase the heat to medium.
7. Add the onions to the bacon drippings and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.
8. Add the garlic to the onions and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
9. Add the cream of mushroom soup, the green beans, 1/2 of the cheddar cheese, the milk, and all but 2 tablespoons of the crumbled bacon to the onion mixture.
10. Season the green bean mixture with the salt and the pepper. Stir to combine.
11. Transfer the green bean mixture into the prepared casserole dish.
12. Evenly top the casserole with the remaining cheese, the remaining bacon, and the fried onions.
13. Bake until the fried onions are golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 25-30 minutes.
14. Serve.