Slow cooker green bean casserole is creamy and flavorful with crunchy French fried onions mixed in and on top. This favorite holiday side dish is just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to prep then hands off to free up oven space!
My family has never had a super clear Easter menu.
Not like at Thanksgiving anyway, where we tend to have many of the exact same dishes year after year.
(Classic Thanksgiving dressing is my absolute fave and I just have to have it.)
In fact, some years, we opt to focus on Easter brunch and keep it more simple for dinner.
But of course, there are some must have holiday dishes that you just don’t mess with. And green bean casserole is one of those.
Other must-haves for us are my mom’s classic Southern deviled eggs and roasted carrots. I feel like they all go with anything and everything.
And while we tend to make the classic green bean casserole we all know and love, I sometimes need a hands-off version.
As well as one that doesn’t require the coveted oven space. Or perhaps one that is travel friendly to go to someone’s house or take to a church potluck.
That’s where today’s slow cooker green bean casserole comes in handy.
It’s the same comforting, delicious, classic flavors you know and love from this casserole, but it’s made in the crock pot!
Still just 4 ingredients and about 5 minutes to put together. And the bonus is that it will be out of the way if you have lots of other dishes to fix.
And everyone will be so happy to dig into this. It really just feels like home, doesn’t it?
OK, let’s get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make crock pot green bean casserole. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
- Green beans: Make sure you get 2 of the BIG cans of green beans - the 28 oz. size. Oryou could use 4 smaller cans.
- Soup: The recipe calls for 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup. You could also use a can of cream of celery soup or one of each. And if you want to skip the cans and make the creamy mixture yourself, you definitely can. I have details on that below and in the notes of the recipe card.
- Milk: I use skim milk because that’s what we have on hand. You could also use a 1% or 2% milk or even try an alternative milk. It’s just ⅓ cup so it shouldn’t make a huge difference.
- French fried onions: These crunchy babies come in a container and we’re going for the BIG one here - the 6 oz. can. I mean, extra fried onions can only be a good thing, right? This way, you’ve got some onions scattered throughout the casserole and a nice crunchy layer on the top as well.
OK, as mentioned, you can skip the cans and make a from scratch cream of mushroom soup mixture to use in this recipe.
Here’s the how-to.
Note though, this is for the equivalent of ONE can, so you’ll need to double it for this recipe, where we are using TWO cans.
How to make homemade cream of mushroom soup:
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it's melted and foaming, add 8 ounces of thinly sliced button mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and have released most of their liquids.
- Add ¾ cup of low-sodium chicken broth, ¼ teaspoon onion powder and ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder then bring the soup to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup milk (skim is fine) and ¼ cup all-purpose flour.
- Stir the milk mixture into the soup and mix well. Cook for about 1 minute, until the soup has thickened. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
I’ve done it this way before, but to be honest, the cans are awfully convenient and that’s how I tend to lean these days.
(Especially at a holiday when there’s just so much else going on!)
Last thing, let’s talk about what to do with the leftovers.
Leftover green bean casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The French fried onions tend to soften, however.
You can reheat in the microwave, but that’ll soften the fried onions even more.
If you want to regain some of the crunch, I recommend reheating it in the oven or a toaster oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until heated through.
OK, there you have it!
I would love to hear in the comments what your holiday favorite dishes are (whether that’s Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas or another holiday).
Happy cooking and enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
Yield: 12 servings
Slow cooker green bean casserole is creamy and flavorful with crunchy French fried onions mixed in and on top. This favorite holiday side dish is just 4 ingredients and 5 minutes to prep then hands off to free up oven space!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 (28 oz) cans cut green beans, drained (or 2 16 oz bags frozen cut green beans)
- 2 (10.75 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
- ⅓ cup milk (skim or 2%)
- 1 (6 oz) can French fried onions, divided
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the green beans, soup, milk and half of the onions. Mix well.
- Spray a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or use a liner. Add the green bean mixture and spread into an even layer.
- Cover and cook for 2-3 hours on low (or for 1 hour on high).
- Add the remaining French fried onions and serve hot.
Notes
Green beans: Make sure you get 2 of the BIG cans of green beans - the 28 oz. size. Or you could use 4 smaller cans.
Soup: The recipe calls for 2 cans of cream of mushroom soup. You could also use a can of cream of celery soup or one of each. And if you want to skip the cans and make the creamy mixture yourself, you definitely can. I have details on that below.
Milk: I use skim milk because that’s what we have on hand. You could also use a 1% or 2% milk or even try an alternative milk. It’s just ⅓ cup so it shouldn’t make a huge difference.
Leftovers: Leftover green bean casserole can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The French fried onions tend to soften, however. You can reheat in the microwave, but that’ll soften the fried onions even more. If you want to regain some of the crunch, I recommend reheating it in the oven or a toaster oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until heated through.
How to make homemade cream of mushroom soup:
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it's melted and foaming, add 8 ounces of thinly sliced button mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and have released most of their liquids.
- Add ¾ cup of low-sodium chicken broth, ¼ teaspoon onion powder and ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder then bring the soup to a simmer.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup milk (skim is fine) and ¼ cup all-purpose flour.
- Stir the milk mixture into the soup and mix well. Cook for about 1 minute, until the soup has thickened. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 45Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 198mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 2g
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