Easy slow cooker green bean casserole with frozen green beans recipe is the best to serve as an Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish! How to make it the perfect texture with cream of mushroom soup and crispy fried onions on top.

Looking to save room in your oven this holiday season? Try our slow cooker green bean casserole this year. Using frozen vegetables is key to perfection. Try this and many other easy Crock pot recipes on our site. (affiliate links present)

Green Bean Casserole in Slow Cooker

We have made this oven baked easy green bean casserole with bacon for years and years. I am sure you remember this dish at every holiday. It’s probably always been baked in the oven though huh? Well this year should be different.

Easy is the name of the game right? It’s a pain rotating all those dishes in your oven and worrying that your Cheesy Green Bean Casserole with frozen green beans will get cold. There’s just no way of ensuring it all comes out at the same time, and sometimes dinner lasts a long time. We have a solution for that if you use some countertop appliances. Here’s how you avoid that.

Green Bean Casserole in Slow Cooker
- Which is better in green bean casserole canned or frozen?
Ingredients
- Crockpot Green Bean Casserole with Bacon
Can you mix up green bean casserole the night before?
How long does green bean casserole last?
Does green bean casserole freeze well?
How to Make Crockpot Green Bean Casserole with Cream of Mushroom
- How to Serve
- How to make this faster

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

A floral design slow cooker with a white base and lid sits on a kitchen countertop, perfect for whipping up a 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe.

Which is better in green bean casserole canned or frozen?

That depends on whom you ask but the harder they are to begin with the less they will fall apart so I like frozen. Totally opposed to that? Okay, well then grab some fresh in your produce section and use those instead. Just stay away from canned unless you like a REALLY soft texture to your food. This is what was used below:

For all the varieties I share on The Typical Mom I recommend frozen green beans for sure. The texture holds up so much better. Nobody wants mush next to their slices of slow cooker turkey or Crockpot ham. It is also a cheaper way to go. Get them already cleaned, the ends cut off and sliced in half typically.

No, there isn’t a ton of variation to this dish on the whole. Beyond adding bacon and whether you want to make your own crunchy onions it remains the same. BUT there is a difference when it comes to the beans you use.

We live in a small town too so there aren’t always fresh available in the Wintertime so this option is a must. Like I said though even if I had the choice of both I would go with frozen bagged because the texture when it is done is so much better. Trust me and try them this way, then decide for yourself.

Ingredients

Fresh or frozen green beans – I prefer the latter
Cream of mushroom soup – cream soups in the can are fine or make it homemade if you prefer
Milk 2% or whole is best to keep it nice and thick
Parmesan cheese may be a bit different than other versions but a great add in for Thanksgiving dinner
Salt and black pepper and any other seasonings that are a must in your book

Crockpot Green Bean Casserole with Bacon

If you wanted to add more flavor and texture you can do so with diced bits of meat. Ham and bacon are the most common favorites. I also recommend adding crispy fried onions to the top which you can make yourself or use canned. They are amazing if you have the time to make these fresh or the night before.

Once you have the ingredients you just throw it all in and stir to coat each piece. Then it’s ready for take off. Like the original version “back in the day” you leave most of the crunchies for the top!

The biggest difference for this version is they won’t get browned, unless you take out the liner and broil for a few minutes. If you are serving brunch you could just leave a bowl of them on the side for people to top as they like.

Can you mix up green bean casserole the night before?

That would be a hard NO from me. For one thing the beans would no longer be frozen and would soften too much while cooking. Secondly the onions would be icky. It literally takes 5 minutes so just do it the day of.

How long does green bean casserole last?

If you do have leftovers you should transfer them (once room temperature) into airtight containers. They will last about 3 days and reheated later to enjoy. Same goes for sweet potato casserole and mashed potatoes. I will say the next day is best for sure. Remember that the texture will change and it will get softer over time.

Does green bean casserole freeze well?

It does. I personally feel like the texture does get altered if you do though. It will last at least 3 months if frozen vs. storing it in your freezer. For reheating you’d need to let it defrost though, then microwave and stir every 30 seconds.

If you know you won’t eat what’s left in the next 2 days or so I would opt for this option. I like to use smaller containers that are 1 serving size so you can just take out and warm for one meal at a time. It will make them last longer.

There is a full list of ingredients with amounts needed below in the printable recipe card. You can adjust with precooked bacon bits, slices of mushrooms or even some red pepper flakes if you want some heat. Below is a quick step by step though so you can get the idea.

How to Make Crockpot Green Bean Casserole with Cream of Mushroom

Spray inside of slow cooker with non stick spray.
Then dump soup, beans, milk, cheese and salt and pepper (could use trimmed fresh green beans if you don’t like canned or frozen) inside.
EXCEPT keep 1 cup of your fried crispy onions for the top (so only add 1/2 cup into the mix).
Mix together until combined.
Cover and cook on high for 5 – 6 hours cooking time.
Before serving sprinkle the rest of your french fried onions on top of each plate.

We rarely have any of this part of the holiday meal left. In fact I make a double batch because it is my husband’s all time favorite thing to enjoy. You will need a larger than a 5 quart pot if you wanted to make more than listed below. There isn’t a huge time difference if you do this.

How to Serve

Oven baked ham is a game changer with this bourbon glaze.
For faster service try this Ninja Foodi ham recipe.
Not a fan of either? Try the best brisket here with a dry rub.
We just baked sweet potato cubes in the oven once and will be making those on the big day.
Of course our air fryer vegetables are served year round.
Instant Pot corn is super cheap and only takes a few minutes to cook.
And we can’t have a get together without this Jiffy corn casserole recipe.
If this is for the holiday season you could combine these two favorites to make green bean mashed potato casserole too.

Honestly, in 2020 when it was just the 4 of us we made a turkey breast to share with just a bunch of easy side dishes. Those are what we wanted anyway.

How do you save your leftovers? This actually saves quite well so you can enjoy it the next day. I am sure you will have some meat left so don’t get rid of any of this, they go really well together.

Just store in airtight containers or bags in the fridge. Reheat for about 1 minute in the microwave stirring halfway through. You could use an air fryer pot and put some in there too. At 380 for about 6 minutes that will do the trick too. Top with new crispy onions on top for the last minute and it won’t be as mushy as without.

How to make this faster

Want to make this faster? You can make this into Instant Pot green bean casserole too. If you need it done quickly this may be the answer. If I had a choice I prefer that it cooks low and slow all day in my Crock.

Yes there is a slow cooker function on Instant Pots and other pressure cooker brands but to be honest it doesn’t work that well. I am not sure why this is other than the fact that the pot inside isn’t as wide but others agree with me too. It’s better just to go back to your “old fashioned” porcelain pot.

If you’re making this for your family during the holidays, enjoy my friends. I love this time of year so we can all enjoy good food and reminisce on good times in the past.

5 from 1 vote