This Crockpot Green Bean Casserole recipe with bacon is a newer take on an old favorite. So quick to put together, the added bacon takes the flavors over the top. Add to that the ease of assembly and you have a true keeper to make year after year - I believe you'll agree!
A traditional Thanksgiving side dish, green bean casserole is savory, creamy, and always a hit at the dinner table!
Using your slow cooker to make your green bean casserole not only is easier to throw together, it also frees up your oven for all your other delicious Thanksgiving recipes.
More vegetable side dishes to add to your holiday table include my Cream Style Corn, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes and Homemade Turkey Gravy, and Carrot Raisin Salad. Add my Southern Cornbread and Gouda Mac and Cheese to the mix, and you have a feast to go along with your festive turkey!
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💖 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quick to put together - Just like any good slow cooker recipe, all you do is dump and forget for a few hours. Next thing you know, your home will be filled with the wonderful smells of Thanksgiving!
- Reduces demand for oven space - Making this green bean casserole with bacon in your crock pot is just as easy as making it in the oven, but your oven will be freed up for other foods. This is hugely beneficial during the holidays when you're making tons of food.
- Delicious take on old favorite - Adding bacon and herbs and cooking in the slow cooker makes this recipe extra special. Delicious, unique flavors and more convenient to make.
🥘 Ingredients
What You'll Need:
📖 Ingredient Notes / Variations
- Green Beans: Use frozen or fresh green beans. I used frozen for convenience. If using frozen, make sure to rinse with warm water and drain before using. You don't want the excess liquid that comes when frozen beans thaw. With fresh, just make sure to break them and rinse them well before using.
- Cream Soup: The traditional cream soup is cream of mushroom, but you can use whatever cream soup you prefer.
- Broth: I used chicken broth, but you can use beef or vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Herbs: I used oregano, marjoram, and thyme, but you could use an Italian seasoning blend if you have it. Just make sure your blend doesn't have any added salt.
(See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions)
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
How to Make Green Bean Casserole in a Crock Pot:
Step 1: For frozen green beans, rinse with warm water and drain to remove excess water.
Step 2: Add all ingredients, reserving half of the onions and bacon for the end.
Step 3: Mix all ingredients together, cover, and cook on high for 3-4 hours, low for 4-5 hours. Stir and test for doneness after the shortest cook time.
Step 4: Top with remaining onions and bacon and serve hot. Alternately, you can move to serving bowl and add toppings then.
(Scroll down for full recipe and print capabilities)
💭 Expert Cooking Tips
- Cook your bacon before adding to the recipe. You don't want to try to cook the bacon in the crock pot with the beans, as the bacon will remain limp. It will give the beans a good flavor either way, but stove-top-cooked bacon is much better added to the slow cooker. Trust me on this!
- Assemble all the other ingredients in your slow cooker while the bacon is cooking on the stove top and begin the cooking process if desired. The bacon can be crumbled and mixed in once it's crispy.
- Cut up the bacon before cooking or leave it whole and crumble after cooking. Crumbling it once it's cooked and cooled is much quicker, in my opinion.
🧐 Recipe FAQs
I would use either frozen or fresh green beans, as canned green beans are already cooked. If you use canned, this recipe will turn out mushy for this reason. Plus, frozen or fresh green beans have more flavor. The only time I would recommend canned is if your recipe is baked and specifically calls for canned beans.
If your Crockpot green bean casserole turns out watery or soupy, you can leave the cover off for a time while the heat is turned to low. Stir often and allow some of the liquid to steam off. This usually helps. In the recipe above, that's what I instruct. I had to let it "steam off" a bit at the end to help some of the liquid evaporate. If you find that this doesn't help for whatever reason, you can always drain some of the liquid off with a scoop or ladle.
🦃 More Thanksgiving Recipes
If you tried this Crockpot Green Bean Casserole or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
📋 Recipe
Crockpot Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 48 ounces green beans, fresh or frozen (6 cups)
- ½ cup beef or chicken broth
- 2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup (10.5 ounces each)
- 10 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (divided)
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoon dry marjoram
- 2 teaspoon dry oregano
- 2 teaspoon dry thyme
- ½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 6 ounces fried onions (divided)
Instructions
- If using frozen green beans, run under warm water in a colander for a few minutes and then let drain while assembling the rest of the ingredients.
- If using fresh green beans, break them into bite-sized pieces and wash thoroughly in a colander and let drain.
- Add all of the ingredients, except half the bacon and half the fried onions to the slow cooker and mix well.
- Cover slow cooker and turn heat on. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- After 4 hours of cook time on low (3 hours on high), check for doneness by tasting one of the beans. If tender, then the beans are done.
- If serving directly from the slow cooker, add the rest of the fried onions and bacon to the top of the casserole.
- If serving in a serving dish for the table, remove the green bean casserole to the serving dish before topping with bacon and fried onions.
- Serve alongside your Thanksgiving dinner or any dinner of the week. Will keep up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Cook your bacon before adding to the recipe. You don't want to try to cook the bacon in the crock pot with the beans, as the bacon will remain limp. It will give the beans a good flavor either way, but stove-top-cooked bacon is much better added to the slow cooker. Trust me on this!
- Assemble all the other ingredients in your slow cooker while the bacon is cooking on the stove top and begin the cooking process if desired. The bacon can be crumbled and mixed in once it's crispy.
- Cut up the bacon before cooking or leave it whole and crumble after cooking. Crumbling it once it's cooked and cooled is much quicker, in my opinion.
Linda Sloan says
Can you advise how long to cook in crock pot if using canned Italian Cut Green Beans?
Your recipe sounds great!
Thank you.
Sally says
Thanks for your question, Linda. Since your canned green beans will already be cooked, you will only need to heat them through. I would guess that 2 hours on low would be sufficient. Make sure to drain them before adding them to your slow cooker. Let me know how yours turns out!
Sally says
Yes, I could too Andrea! So hearty and filling. Thanks for stopping by!
Andrea Metlika says
These green beans look fabulous! I could eat these all year round with so many different protein choices. Yummy!
Cookilicious says
This looks so good. Saving this for future.
Sally says
It's a great recipe - you'll love it! Thanks for stopping by!
Lisa Huff says
This green bean casserole is perfect for Thanksgiving! Love that you make it in the slow cooker and doesn't take up precious oven space when you're cooking everything else.
Sally says
Lisa - Exactly how I think about it! Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Emily says
This is a delicious take on a classic- love that you can make this casserole in the crockpot!
Sally says
Yes, Emily! Makes it so easy while you may have the oven tied up with other dishes. Plus, fix it and forget it 😉
Krissy Allori says
Yum! I have made this in the oven but never the crockpot. I'm looking forward to giving it a try.
Sally says
It's delicious and easy Krissy! Let me know what you and your family think!