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This smoked green bean casserole takes the classic holiday side dish and kicks it up a notch with country ham, sautéed mushrooms, crispy fried onions, and a homemade gruyere cheese cream sauce – no canned soup in sight! Smoked on the pellet grill, this smoker side dish recipe is creamy, smoky, and loaded with flavor.
Why You Need to Ditch the Canned Soup
Look, I get it. Your grandmother made a fantastic green bean casserole. My mother-in-law makes one too, and she swears by the cream of mushroom soup method. But here’s the thing – we can take that perfectly good dish and make it even better.
This isn’t about reinventing the wheel, it’s about upgrading it. And trust me when I tell you, once you make a homemade cream sauce with chicken stock, heavy cream, and gruyere cheese, you’ll never go back to the canned stuff.
Plus, we’re smoking this loaded green bean casserole on the pellet grill, which adds another layer of flavor that’ll have people asking for the recipe before they’ve even finished their first serving.
The Country Ham Game Changer
Let’s talk about the real star of the show here – country ham. Ditch the bacon in your green bean casserole, because country ham brings a salty, smoky depth that bacon just can’t match. It’s got that distinctive cure that pairs perfectly with the creamy gruyere sauce and the earthiness of the mushrooms.
One critical tip though – country ham is SUPER salty. That’s why throughout this entire recipe, I’m holding off on adding any salt. Even my homemade chicken stock is unseasoned. You can always add salt at the end if needed, but you can’t take it away. Trust me on this one – let the ham do the heavy lifting in the salt department.
Ingredients and Notes
- Green beans – Fresh, canned, or frozen all work great. Use whatever you have on hand. *The biggest tip that I can give you is to drain your canned green beans VERY well before building the casserole!
- Country ham – The star player. Get good quality country ham and dice it up.
- Gruyere cheese – This nutty, melty cheese takes the sauce to another level. Reserve about 25% for topping at the end.
- Mushrooms – Any variety works, but I like baby bellas for their meaty texture.
- Onions – Both fresh onions for sautéing and crispy fried onions for topping.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic, added at the very end of sautéing to prevent burning.
- Butter – For the roux and sautéing.
- Flour – For making the blonde roux, the base of the homemade cream sauce.
- Chicken stock – I use homemade, but you can buy whatever you want. Just remember to use low-sodium or unsalted because of that country ham.
- Heavy cream – For a rich, creamy sauce.
- Fresh cracked black pepper – Your main seasoning since we’re skipping the salt.
- Crispy fried onions – We can’t have green bean casserole without these. Pro tip: they also come in jalapeño flavor if you want to add some heat!
Equipment:
- Large skillet – For sautéing the country ham, mushrooms, and onions, and for making the cream sauce.
- Large cast iron skillet or casserole dish – We used a 12″ cast iron skillet for this recipe. You can use a grill-safe enameled casserole dish as well.
- Pellet grill or smoker
- Avocado oil or butter for greasing the pan
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Crisp Up the Country Ham
Add the diced country ham to a large skillet over medium heat. You want to get it a little crispy, rendering out some of that fat and building flavor. Then remove from the skillet and set aside, but be sure to keep all of that leftover fond in the bottom of the pan – that’s major flavor.
Step 2: Sauté the Mushrooms and Onions
Here’s where we start building real flavor. In the same skillet with all that beautiful ham fat, add about a tablespoon of butter. Toss in your sliced mushrooms and onions, and cook them down.
*Pro tip: The fond that’s stuck to the bottom of the pan after sautéing the country ham is pure flavor. Don’t add water to deglaze – instead the moisture from the mushrooms and onions will naturally deglaze the pan and pick up all those delicious bits.
When the mushrooms and onions are about 75% done, add the minced garlic. Fresh garlic burns easily, so be sure to add it towards the end, and only cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Then add the country ham back to the skillet, and mix with the mushrooms and onions. Sauté briefly, and then transfer to a bowl to make the cream sauce.
Step 3: Make the Cream Sauce (No Canned Soup!)
Time to make that homemade cream sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to your skillet and let it melt. Then add 3 tablespoons of flour, whisking together to make a blonde roux. Cook this for a minute or two – you’re not looking for any color, just cooking out that raw flour taste.
Then add 1 cup of chicken stock. This is your chance to really work all that flavor off the bottom of the skillet – all that fond from the ham, mushrooms, and onions needs to come up. Get in there with your whisk and scrape it all up.
Add 1 cup of heavy cream and plenty of fresh cracked black pepper. Remember – still no salt! Let this come to a boil, stirring constantly. You want your sauce on the thinner side at this point because once you add the cheese, it’s going to thicken up considerably.
Step 4: Add the Cheese
When your sauce is at the perfect consistency (it should coat the back of a spoon), turn down the heat. Add about 75% of your shredded gruyere cheese – saving the rest for topping. The residual heat will melt the cheese beautifully. Once it’s all incorporated, you’re done with the sauce.
Step 5: Assemble the Casserole
Butter your casserole dish or a 12″ cast iron skillet. Then spread the green beans evenly on the bottom of the pan. Top with an even layer of the sautéed mushrooms, onions, and country ham.
Next, pour that gorgeous cream sauce over everything, letting it work down into all the nooks and crannies.
Top with the reserved shredded cheese and country ham. And finally, sprinkle on a generous layer of crispy fried onions.
Step 6: Smoke the Green Bean Casserole
Fire up your pellet grill to 350°F. Once it’s up to temp, place your assembled casserole on the grill and let it smoke for 35-45 minutes. You’re looking for it to be nice and bubbly with a little color on those crispy onions.
Step 7: Rest and Serve
I know it’s tempting to dig in immediately, but let it cool for about 20 minutes. This gives the sauce time to set up slightly and makes serving much easier.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Drain the green beans well – This is the MOST IMPORTANT part of this recipe. If your canned green beans aren’t drained well, then your casserole will be too loose.
- Don’t skip the fond – All those brown bits stuck to the bottom of your skillet are concentrated flavor. Make sure you scrape them up when making your cream sauce.
- Hold the salt – Let me say this one more time: country ham is salty. Really salty. You can always add salt at the end if you need it, but you probably won’t.
- Sauce consistency matters – Your cream sauce should be slightly thinner than you want the final product because the cheese will thicken it up. If it’s too thick before adding cheese, thin it out with a little more stock or cream.
- Try crispy fried jalapeños with the crispy onions – If you want to add a little kick, add some crispy fried jalapeños along with the classic fried onions. It’s a great way to incorporate some spice without going overboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Fresh, canned, or frozen all work great for this recipe. If using fresh, I recommend that you blanch them first to get them slightly tender before adding to the casserole dish.
Yes! Assemble the entire casserole (minus the crispy onions on top), cover with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, add the crispy onions, then smoke as directed. You may need to add 10-15 minutes to the cook time.
Sure can. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. You won’t get that smoky flavor, but it’ll still be delicious.
Gruyere is what takes this from good to great, but if you can’t find it or it’s out of your budget, you can substitute with white cheddar or smoked gouda. Just avoid pre-shredded cheese if possible – block cheese melts much better.
Too thick? Thin it out with a splash of chicken stock or cream. Too thin? Let it simmer a bit longer, or add a little more cheese. Remember, the sauce will thicken as it cools and when you add the cheese.
Smoked Green Bean Casserole
Equipment
- pellet grill or smoker and your choice of wood or pellets
- 1 12" cast iron skillet or grill-safe casserole dish
Ingredients
- 4 14.5 oz cans green beans, very well drained
- 12 oz smoked country ham, diced
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced thin
- ½ large onion, sliced thin
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup crispy fried onions
For the Cream Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz gruyere cheese, shredded, see notes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep – Butter a large casserole dish or 12" cast iron skillet. Set aside. Heat a pellet grill or smoker to 350℉ with your choice of wood or pellets.
- Sauté the country ham – Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced country ham, and sauté about 7-8 minutes, or until slightly crispy and the fat has rendered. Transfer the country ham to a bowl, leaving the leftover fond and brown bits in the skillet.
- Sauté the mushrooms and onions – Add about 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Then add the sliced mushrooms and onions. Sauté until about 75% done, scraping the brown bits off the bottom as you go. When the mushrooms and onions are almost done, add the minced garlic and continue to cook another 1-2 minutes. Then add the country ham back to the skillet (reserving about ½ cup for the top of the casserole), and mix with the mushrooms and onions. Sauté briefly, and then transfer to a bowl.
- Make the cream sauce – In the same skillet, make the cream sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and let it melt. Then add 3 tablespoons of flour, whisking together with the butter to make a blonde roux. Cook the butter and flour for 1-2 minutes. Then add the chicken stock, whisking together and scraping the bottom of the skillet as you go to pick up the fond. Add 1 cup of heavy cream and plenty of fresh cracked black pepper. Let this come to a soft boil, stirring constantly. *The sauce won't come up to its full thickening power until it reaches a soft boil.
- Add the cheese to the sauce – When your sauce is at the perfect consistency (it should coat the back of a spoon), turn off the heat. Add about 75% of the shredded gruyere cheese – saving the rest for topping. Whisk the cheese in until fully melted.
- Build the casserole – Add the fully drained green beans in an even layer to the bottom of the casserole dish or skillet. Top with the mushroom and country ham mixture, nestling down into the green beans. Pour the cream sauce over top, letting it work down into the nooks and crannies. Sprinkle on the reserved shredded cheese and country ham. Top with a layer of crispy fried onions.
- Smoke the casserole – Place your assembled casserole on the grill and let it smoke for 35-45 minutes, or until nice and bubbly.
- Rest and serve – Carefully remove the smoked green bean casserole from the grill, and allow to cool for about 20-25 minutes before serving. *The casserole will continue to thicken as it cools, so a full 20 minutes is needed.
Notes
- Drain the green beans well – This is the MOST IMPORTANT part of this recipe. If your canned green beans aren’t drained well, then your casserole will be too loose.
- For the gruyere – We love this recipe with gruyere, but for a less expensive option, you may substitute white cheddar or gouda cheese.
- Hold the salt – Country ham is salty, so you won’t need much salt, if any. You can always add salt at the end if you need it, but you can’t take it away.
- Cooking in the oven – You can bake this in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly, if you prefer. You won’t get that smoky flavor, but it’ll still be delicious.
- Make ahead instructions – Assemble the entire casserole (minus the crispy onions on top), cover with foil, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes, add the crispy onions, then smoke as directed. You may need to add 10-15 minutes to the cook time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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