Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole

April 17, 2019
Can you make green bean casserole in the crock pot? - Yes!  Follow our tips for making Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole that tastes every bit as good as the traditional baked version, all while saving that oven space.
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Serving Spoon of Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole Image

Is there anyone out there who doesn't love green bean casserole?  Well, as I shared not too long ago in my Classic Green Bean Casserole post, indeed there is - my husband.

At least, he didn't used to like green bean casserole ... not until he tried my version, which won him over simply by switching out the type of green beans in it.  I'm happy to say he's now a newly-minted green bean casserole fan.

He likes it so much, he's now even asking that green bean casserole be on our Easter dinner menu!

Knowing that many of us make this dish at times like Easter and Thanksgiving dinner when oven space is a hot commodity, or when large groups are getting together like at a church dinner potluck or family gathering ... we got to thinking about this dish and its preparation.

Follow our tips for making Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole that tastes every bit as good as the traditional baked version, all while saving that oven space.

Specifically, we asked ourselves, can you make green bean casserole in the crock pot?

Crock pots offer such convenience when feeding a crowd because you can generally make a pretty big batch of stuff.  And they offer the convenience of not taking up oven space, too, for those special occasion meals when you have lots of stuff clamoring for oven time.

Intrigued by the idea of a slow cooker version of green bean casserole, my husband and I did a little research.  We found lots of different recipes out there for crock pot green bean casserole, so we had at least an inkling that it was possible.

Our concern?

Lots of those crock pot green bean casserole recipes came with "warnings" of them turning out bland - a result we certainly did not want.

After a couple of tries or so, we indeed did land on a tasty result we're happy with.

Plate of Green Bean Casserole Image

So how do you make green bean casserole in the crock pot, especially without it turning out bland?

We have four tips we discovered during our tries for making this happen.


Tip #1:  Add a chopped fresh onion

When making green bean casserole in the slow cooker, keep the ingredients essentially the same as the original baked version ... except, add in a finely chopped fresh onion.

To me, slow cookers tend to "steal" some of the flavor from dishes.  Adding a chopped onion into the mix helped keep the casserole's flavor amped up. 

Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole Ingredients Image


Tip #2:  Don't skip the French's Fried Onions

We all know these fried onions, right?  When it comes to green bean casserole, they're pretty much a staple ingredient.


Traditionally, green bean casserole recipes call for some of these fried onions to be mixed into the casserole itself, and then for more to be sprinkled on top.  However, many of the crock pot green bean casserole recipes we found omitted them altogether.

What did we learn in our recipe trials? - Do not omit the fried onions.

While they do indeed become quite mushy in the crock pot version of green bean casserole, French's Fried Onions are essential to the flavor of this dish.  Without them?  You got it - the casserole turns out on the bland side.

What did we learn in our recipe trials? - Do not omit the fried onions.

Tip #3:  Sprinkle French's Fried Onions on the top right before serving

You know how with the traditional oven-baked version, you sprinkle the fried onions on top before baking?

Well, don't do that with the crock pot.

Even with just 30 seconds or so of time inside the closed crock pot, those beloved crispy onions turn to complete mush.  And that's certainly not giving the casserole that nice little bit of crunch on top as intended.

Instead, sprinkle the fried onions on top of the finished casserole right before serving.  That way, they retain their crunch as they're supposed to.  They'll warm up from the heat of the piping hot casserole below them.

Sprinkling French's Fried Onions on Top of Green Bean Casserole in a Crock Pot Image

But what if you want the crispy fried onions to have the golden browned, crunchier result like in the baked version after baking?

My answer - Toast them.

I indeed wanted my fried onions to have more of the golden brown color and the crunchier texture like in the traditional baked green bean casserole.  So I decided, much like you can do with coconut, to toast them in a skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes.  Then I sprinkled them on the crock pot green bean casserole just before serving - and it worked perfectly.

Toasting the crispy fried onions is totally optional, but a nice effect if you're so inclined like me.

The texture of crock pot green bean casserole is a little softer and mushier than the baked version - but the flavor is spot-on!

Tip #4:  Surprisingly, reduce the amount of black pepper

I don't at all profess to know why, but it seems like the crock pot somehow intensifies the taste of the black pepper.

To keep a nicely balanced flavor that's not overpowered by pepper, I reduced the amount of black pepper in the crock pot version by half.  That seemed to do the trick!



So in response to our question, can you make green bean casserole in the crock pot? - The answer is a resounding "yes."  Some care just needs to be taken to be sure the flavor doesn't turn out bland.

And we'll be up front, the texture of crock pot green bean casserole is a little softer and mushier than the baked version - but hey, the flavor is spot-on!

Check out these other tasty slow cooker side dishes:
Green Bean Casserole On a Plate Topped with French Fried Onions Image
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Side Dishes
Yield: 10-12 servings

Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole

Can you make green bean casserole in the crock pot? - Yes! Follow our tips for making Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole that tastes every bit as good as the traditional baked version, all while saving that oven space.
prep time: 10 Mcook time: 5 hourtotal time: 5 H & 10 M

ingredients:

  • 1 (16 oz.) package frozen French cut green beans, thawed & well-drained
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 (10 ½ oz.) can cream of mushroom soup
  • ½ c. milk
  • 1 tsp. soy sauce
  • 1/16 tsp. pepper
  • 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 1/3 c. French Fried Onions, divided

instructions:

How to cook Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole

  1. Thaw green beans completely and drain very well.
  2. Place green beans, chopped onion, and 2/3 cup French’s Fried Onions in the crock pot. Stir to combine.
  3. In a mixing bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, pepper, and garlic powder. Stir until well combined. Pour over green beans – DO NOT stir. (The soup mixture will scald on the bottom of the crock pot if you stir everything together.)
  4. Cover and cook on LOW setting for 4-6 hours.
  5. Just before serving, sprinkle the top with the remaining 2/3 cup French’s Fried Onions.
TRACEY'S NOTES
  1. If you'd like the French's Fried Onions to have the golden brown color of the traditional baked Green Bean Casserole, toast them in a small skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes, much like how you would toast coconut. Stir them very frequently in the skillet, as they can burn on you pretty quickly.
  2. My crock pot can very easily handle a double batch. So if you're cooking for a crowd, feel free to double up!
Created using The Recipes Generator

You might also enjoy these other side dish favorites:







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5 comments

  1. Oh my goodness, my mouth is watering! Love the idea of making the green bean casserole in the crock pot - less to clean up. I always use crock pot liners and they make it so much easier. Thanks for sharing this! Found you on Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop!
    xo,
    Kellyann
    www.thisblondesshoppingbag.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole will be perfect for holiday meals and special events. Thanks so much for sharing your post with us this week and hope you have a very special weekend!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tracey, I had never heard of this being done in a crock pot! My daughter loves making this recipe at holiday-time... I'll have to pass this on to her! Thanks for sharing at Homestyle Gathering... Hope to see you each week!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi!
    Are there mushrooms in that picture because it looks like it. I would LOVE to add mushrooms to my own version of your recipe this year. What would be the best way/time to add these in? Thank you so much for your time and your delicious recipe 😋

    ReplyDelete

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