Slow-Cooker Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Oct 15, 2024

Green bean casserole is a Southern classic, and this slow-cooker version makes it even easier.

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Caitlin Bensel

A slow-cooker green bean casserole takes advantage of the kitchen's real estate by freeing up the oven and still producing a creamy, deeply comforting dish. This slow-cooker green bean casserole is a great addition to holiday menus, but it's easy enough to make for a weeknight side dish.

A Crockpot green bean casserole is a bit different from your standard casserole. In place of cans of mushroom soup, we use jarred Alfredo sauce for the same decadent mouthfeel but with a more elevated flavor. Water chestnuts and mushrooms provide a yin-yang of textures: toothsome, a bit crunchy, and a nice contrast to the creamy sauce. You'll still find the classic casserole toppers—French fried onions—because they're quite simply a requirement. But to up the crunch factor (and, of course, make this dish more Southern), we've added some chopped pecans.

Learn how to make this slow-cooker green bean casserole, and if you try it, be sure to leave us a recipe review so we'll know how well you enjoyed it.

Green bean casseroles fill a special place in the holiday meal plan assortment. It's both a vegetable side dish (necessary to balance out all those cakes and pies) and a rich, cheesy casserole (thanks to creamy sauces and loads of cheese). Not only does this slow-cooker green bean casserole check all the boxes for the standard dish—creamy, comforting, and fresh—but also it's made in a slow cooker or Crockpot, saving your oven for other tasks.

The low and slow heat is the perfect way to cook green beans. It warms them gently until tender but doesn't overcook them and leave them mushy or stringy. And because the beans are cooking in the rich cream sauce, they absorb just enough flavor to taste extra rich and creamy, not watered out and bland.

A classic casserole like thi sone requires just a handful of easily accessible ingredients.

Caitlin Bensel

This recipe is made in a four-quart slow cooker. You could double it and make it in a larger eight-quarter Crockpot if you have one:

If you're cooking on low, plan for 4 1/2 hours cook time. You can bump the temp up to high for an hour to shave off some of the cook time, but watch for signs of burning, and turn it back to low after an hour.

If you like the look of this green bean casserole but need it cooked faster, try this Old-School School Green Bean Casserole.

Absolutely, you can cook a green bean casserole two to three days before you plan to serve it. Then, heat it slowly in the oven to get it ready to serve. Save the final layer of pecans and French fried onions until it's nearly time to eat.

Alternatively, you can mix together all the ingredients for this green bean casserole, and store them in an airtight container or the slow cooker crock (covered with plastic wrap) up to 2 days in the fridge. Then, when you're ready to cook the casserole, put all of the green beans in the slow-cooker crock, and cook it.

Check out these favorites that complement any dish:

Editorial contributions by Kimberly Holland.

Caitlin Bensel

2 (16-oz.) packages frozen French-cut green beans, thawed

1 (10-oz.) container refrigerated Alfredo sauce

1 (8-oz.) can diced water chestnuts, drained

1 (6-oz.) jar sliced mushrooms, drained

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 (6-oz.) can French fried onions, divided

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Stir together first 6 ingredients and half of French fried onions; spoon mixture into a lightly greased 4-qt. slow cooker.

Caitlin Bensel

Cover and cook on LOW 4 1/2 hours or until bubbly.

Caitlin Bensel

Heat pecans and remaining half of French fried onions in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 1 to 2 minutes or until toasted and fragrant.

Caitlin Bensel

Sprinkle over casserole just before serving.

Caitlin Bensel

A watery green bean casserole could mean a few things. First, make sure you drain the cans of water chestnuts and mushrooms. The extra water in these ingredients is not necessary.

Secondly, frozen green beans can release some water as they thaw. If you're worried, you can thaw the green beans for about an hour, and then pat them dry before mixing them with the other ingredients to begin the recipe. But the moisture released is usually so minimal it won't create a soggy problem.

Yes, canned or fresh green beans can be substituted for the frozen ones in this recipe. However, keep a few things in mind: If you use canned, be sure to drain them well. You might also need to reduce the cook time because they will be tender and heated through quickly.

If you use fresh green beans, you may need to add a bit more cook time to get them tender. Frozen green beans are blanched before they're frozen, so they've already been partially cooked. That's why we like using them in this recipe—they cook faster. But fresh can be used, too. Just be sure to trim them before mixing them with the other ingredients.