Effortless Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole: The Ultimate Holiday Side Dish
Are your hands overflowing with tasks this Thanksgiving? Or perhaps your oven is at maximum capacity, juggling the turkey, stuffing, and all the essential holiday fixings? This year, let your trusty slow cooker step in and handle some of the heavy lifting. Our Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole offers all the heartwarming, classic flavors of this beloved Thanksgiving side dish, but with significantly less effort and without monopolizing precious oven space. Best of all, it features that irresistible, perfectly crunchy fried onion topping that everyone craves!
Simplify Your Holiday Cooking with a Slow Cooker
From Thanksgiving to Christmas and beyond, the holiday season in North America often feels like a festive whirlwind. As soon as the last Thanksgiving turkey is carved and transformed into a delicious leftover soup, we’re already planning Christmas cookie exchanges and prepping for Christmas dinner. It’s a joyful, yet demanding, time of year, filled with countless traditions and delicious meals. While we wouldn’t trade it for anything, finding ways to ease the culinary demands can make all the difference.
This is where our invaluable kitchen companions truly shine! Appliances like Crock-Pots, Instant Pots, and even air fryers have revolutionized how we approach large-scale meal preparation. Honestly, I’m not sure how I ever managed holiday cooking without these fantastic gadgets. They are game-changers when it comes to preparing multiple dishes simultaneously, freeing up your hands, and most importantly, your oven.
A Classic Thanksgiving Side Dish, Made Easy
Green Bean Casserole consistently ranks as one of the most popular and essential Thanksgiving side dishes. Its creamy texture, tender green beans, and crispy topping make it a perennial favorite that easily secures a spot on every holiday menu. This Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole recipe provides the perfect solution for incorporating this cherished dish into your spread without adding to your holiday stress.
By preparing it in your slow cooker, you instantly free up valuable oven space and precious time on the busiest cooking day of the year. Once your casserole is assembled and nestled in the slow cooker, you can focus on roasting the turkey, preparing other side dishes, or simply enjoying time with your loved ones. Your only remaining tasks will be an occasional stir and the simple addition of crispy French fried onions just before serving. It’s truly a hands-off approach to a holiday classic!
Ingredients for the Perfect Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
Crafting this delicious slow cooker green bean casserole requires just a few simple, readily available ingredients. Each component plays a vital role in achieving that comforting, classic flavor profile. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Green beans: For the best results in a slow cooker, I highly recommend using frozen French-cut green beans. Their texture holds up beautifully during the extended cooking time, offering a rustic feel that complements the creamy sauce. If you prefer fresh or canned, please refer to the “Variations and Substitutions” section below for specific preparation instructions.
- Cream of mushroom soup: This is the cornerstone of the classic casserole’s creamy base. You’ll need two standard 10oz cans of undiluted cream of mushroom soup. For a homemade touch, approximately 2 ⅔ cups of a scratch-made version will work perfectly.
- Milk: A small amount of milk helps thin out the thick cream of mushroom soup, allowing the sauce to distribute evenly throughout the green beans and create a velvety consistency.
- Shredded cheese: While many traditional green bean casserole recipes omit cheese, I firmly believe that a touch of cheese elevates almost any dish. I love adding shredded cheddar for extra flavor and richness. Feel free to skip it if you prefer a more traditional, cheese-free casserole.
- French fried onions: This iconic, crispy topping is non-negotiable for an authentic green bean casserole experience. To ensure maximum crunchiness, I strongly suggest toasting them briefly beforehand in an air fryer, a skillet, or under a broiler. This extra step guarantees a perfectly crisp topping every single time, preventing any dreaded sogginess from the slow cooker’s moist heat.
- Pepper: Given the rich, savory nature of the soup, this recipe keeps seasoning simple. A little freshly ground black pepper adds a subtle warmth and enhances the overall flavor profile.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole in a Slow Cooker
You’ll be amazed at how incredibly easy it is to prepare this comforting Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole. This simple method ensures a delicious result with minimal fuss, making it ideal for busy holiday meals. Let’s walk through the steps!
First, begin by pouring the contents of your two cans of undiluted cream of mushroom soup into a medium-sized mixing bowl. This will be the base of your rich and creamy sauce.
Next, add the milk, shredded cheese (if you’re including it), and ground black pepper to the bowl with the soup. These ingredients will help to flavor and thin out the sauce.
Stir everything together thoroughly using a silicone spatula or whisk until the mixture is as smooth and uniform as possible. And just like that, your creamy sauce is ready!
Now, add your green beans to the insert of your slow cooker. You have flexibility here: they can be added directly from frozen, thawed, or even lightly steamed. For ultimate convenience and minimal prep, I typically use them straight from the freezer.
Pour the prepared creamy sauce over the green beans. Gently fold the mixture to combine. If your beans are frozen, distributing the sauce evenly might be a bit challenging at first. Don’t worry, this is completely normal! Just give it a few stirs during the cooking time, and as the beans thaw, the sauce will meld beautifully, coating every green bean in delicious goodness.
Place the lid on your slow cooker and cook on the HIGH setting for 3 ½ to 4 hours. Remember to stir the casserole frequently throughout the cooking process. This is important to ensure even heating, prevent any burning on the bottom, and help those frozen beans thaw completely. You’ll know it’s done when the sauce is visibly bubbly, and the green beans are tender and thoroughly cooked.
How to Add Crispy French Fried Onions to a Slow Cooker Recipe
The iconic crispy topping is what truly completes a green bean casserole. While it might be tempting to simply sprinkle the French fried onions directly from the container onto your slow cooker casserole, for the best texture and flavor, a little pre-toasting goes a long way. The moist heat of the slow cooker can quickly turn unprepared fried onions soggy, losing that essential crunch.
Therefore, it’s best to toast your French fried onions separately just before serving. Here are three excellent methods to achieve that perfect crispness:
- Air Fryer Method (My Favorite!): Place the French fried onions in your air fryer basket and cook at 350°F (175°C) for just 1-2 minutes. This method yields exceptionally crispy results with minimal effort.
- Skillet Method: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the French fried onions and toss them with the butter. Stir frequently, toasting them until they achieve a more golden hue and are perfectly crisp.
- Broiler Method: Spread the French fried onions evenly on a broiler-safe pan. Place them under the broiler for approximately 1 minute. Watch them *very carefully*, as they can burn quickly under high heat.
Once your French fried onions are beautifully toasted and crispy, immediately sprinkle them over the hot green bean casserole. Serve your incredibly crunchy and creamy Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole right away to your delighted guests, who will never guess it was made effortlessly in a slow cooker!
Variations and Substitutions for Your Green Bean Casserole
This Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole recipe is incredibly versatile and can be easily adapted to suit different tastes or dietary preferences. Feel free to experiment with these delicious variations and substitutions:
- With Bacon: For a smoky, savory twist, incorporate bacon into your casserole. Fold ½ to 1 cup of cooked and crumbled bacon bits into the sauce mixture before adding it to the green beans. You can also sprinkle additional crispy bacon bits on top after cooking for extra flavor and garnish.
- Without Cream of Mushroom Soup: If you’re not a fan of canned cream of mushroom soup or prefer a homemade alternative, you have options. You can prepare a classic homemade white sauce (Béchamel) as a creamy base, or use this recipe to make your own version from scratch.
- With Fresh Green Beans: If using fresh green beans, they will need a little pre-cooking. Steam them for 2-3 minutes until they are bright green and slightly tender-crisp. Drain them well before adding them to the slow cooker and proceeding with the recipe as directed.
- With Canned Green Beans: To use canned green beans, substitute the 2 lbs of frozen green beans with approximately 4 (15oz) cans of drained canned green beans. Since canned beans are already cooked, you’ll need to reduce the slow cooking time by 30 minutes to 1 hour to prevent them from becoming overly soft.
- Without Cheese: While I love the addition of cheese, if you prefer a more traditional or dairy-free version of green bean casserole, simply omit the shredded cheddar cheese. The recipe will still be wonderfully creamy and flavorful.
- No French Fried Onions: If French fried onions aren’t your preference, you can still achieve a delightful crunchy topping. Consider topping your casserole with buttered and crushed cornflakes (similar to the topping in my Slow Cooker Funeral Potatoes recipe) or crushed buttery round crackers for a different but equally delicious texture.
What Kind of Slow Cooker is Best for Making Casseroles?
While this recipe can be successfully made in almost any slow cooker, certain types are better suited for casseroles, especially when serving a larger crowd. For optimal results and generous servings, I recommend using a slow cooker that is 6 quarts or larger. The wider surface area of a larger slow cooker allows for more even cooking and easier stirring of a casserole-style dish.
I personally use both an oval-style slow cooker and a rounded rectangle style. Both shapes perform excellently for casseroles, but I find the rounded rectangle shape to be particularly efficient for these types of dishes, allowing for better heat distribution and ensuring that all the ingredients cook uniformly. These are my go-to models for most of my slow cooker recipes due to their reliability and ample capacity.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
To further simplify your holiday meal prep, you can prepare certain elements of this green bean casserole in advance. The creamy sauce mixture (cream of mushroom soup, milk, cheese, and pepper) can be whisked together and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to cook, simply combine it with the green beans in the slow cooker and proceed with the recipe.
Leftover Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. To reheat, you can gently warm it in the microwave or place it in a covered oven-safe dish at 300°F (150°C) until heated through. If reheating in the oven, you might want to add a fresh batch of crispy fried onions for that essential crunch.
More Easy Thanksgiving Recipes to Complete Your Feast:
Looking for more simple and delicious recipes to round out your holiday menu? These complementary dishes are just as easy to prepare and pair wonderfully with your Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole:
- Instant Pot Creamed Corn
- No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Slow Cooker Maple and Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots
- Slow Cooker Funeral Potatoes
- Instant Pot 5 Ingredient Mac and Cheese
Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole
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Ingredients
- 2 10oz cans Cream of Mushroom Soup, undiluted
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 lbs frozen french style green beans
- 2 ½ cups French Fried Onions about ¾ of a 6oz container or 2 (2.8oz containers)
Instructions
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Add the two cans of undiluted cream of mushroom soup to a medium sized bowl.
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Add in the milk, shredded cheese (if using), and ground black pepper. Fold together using a silicone spatula until thoroughly combined.
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Add 2lbs of frozen French style green beans to the insert of a 6 quart slow cooker.
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Pour the soup mixture on top of the green beans, and stir as well as you possibly can to distribute the soup mixture over the beans. Since they are frozen, this will be difficult to do, but will get easier once the beans have thawed.
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Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 ½ to 4 hours, stirring several times to help distribute the soup mixture on top of the green beans and to help thaw any remaining frozen beans.
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Once the casserole is bubbly, hot and cooked through, prepare your french fried onions. You want them to be crispy, so I have three methods for ensuring a crispy French fried onion.
Method 1: Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a medium sized skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add the French fried onions and toss with the butter. Stir frequently, toasting the French fried onions in the skillet. Once they have changed to a more golden hue, spread on top of the casserole and serve immediately.
Method 2: Add the French fried onions to an air fryer and cook at 350F for 1-2 minutes. (This is my favorite method!)
Method 3: Add the French fried onions to a broiler safe pan and place under broil for about 1 minute, watching them carefully to avoid burning.
Alternative: If you would prefer, you can place the French fried onions on top without toasting them or crisping them up, but the results will not be as crunchy! -
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
With bacon: Add ½ – 1 cup of cooked, crumbled bacon or real bacon bits.
Cutting in half: If you are not serving a large crowd, you may cut the recipe in half to feed an average sized family. This would fit in a 4 quart slow cooker, but you can cook it in a larger model if that’s what you have at home.
Nutrition
This Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole is more than just a recipe; it’s a strategy for a stress-free and delicious holiday season. Enjoy the comforting flavors of this classic side dish without the usual kitchen chaos. Happy holidays and happy cooking!
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