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. 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 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:
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 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:
