The Cozy Cookbook is here! This homemade Green Bean Casserole recipe from Paula Deen is an easy make-ahead side dish idea for holidays and family dinners. It’s full of simple ingredients and is all topped with warm, melted cheese. (And it’s Crock Pot Friendly!)
Love easy side dish ideas? Be sure to try Paula Deen’s Corn Casserole recipe next!
Ingredients for Paula Deen’s Green Bean Casserole
- Onions- If you have picky eaters, you can substitute 1/2 tsp onion powder instead.
- Fresh Mushrooms- Mushroom haters: feel free to omit.
- Garlic– Freshly minced garlic at home is best. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder may also be used.
- Salt/Pepper- You may choose to omit salt.
- Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup– Click the link for my homemade version
- Chicken Broth
- Fresh Green Beans
- Butter- Consider using non-salted.
- Cheddar Cheese– Grate your own at home from a block for best flavor and consistency.
- French Fried Onions
PRO TIP: After baking, I like to sprinkle roughly chopped bacon on top for added flavor and color. You can reserve 2 Tablespoons of bacon drippings to saute the onions and mushrooms in instead of butter.
PRO TIP: I like to omit 1/4 of the can of mushroom soup and replace it with sour cream.
Using Canned or Frozen Green Beans
While I recommend using fresh green beans for the best results, frozen is the next best option, followed by canned:
Using Frozen Green Beans:
- Frozen green beans may also be used. They should be thawed and patted dry.
- Cook them in chicken broth just as you would with fresh.
Using Canned Green Beans:
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can of green beans (drained) may be used instead of fresh.
- No need to cook in them chicken broth, simply mix it in with the other ingredients after draining. Note that canned green beans are already salted.
☝️ The quickest way to cut green beans is to line ones of similar size next to each other and cut all the stems at once with a long knife.
You may also prefer to cut the green beans in half.
Boiling the Green Beans
- I recommend boiling the green beans for 8 minutes instead of 10 for a slightly firmer consistency, especially because they’re going to bake in the oven for 30 more minutes.
- Don’t add the green beans to the chicken broth until it has reached a boil.
- The salt in the chicken broth will not only season the green beans, but will help them to maintain their color.
Make Ahead Method
This casserole can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time. Cover it tightly and and store in the fridge until ready to bake:
- Assemble the casserole as instructed but don’t mix in the crispy fried onions until you’re ready to bake.
- Shred the cheese and store in a Ziploc bag until ready to bake.
- Let it sit out for 15-20 minutes prior to baking.
Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole
This recipe is great in the Crock Pot, I recommend doubling the recipe and following these tips:
- Cook the green beans. Drain and combine with the other ingredients as noted in the original recipe, but leave out the French Fried onions.
- Cook on low for 5 hours.
- Top with cheese and cover until melted.
- Top with French Fried Onions and serve, (no further heating required).
👉This is the Crock Pot that I have, I love that it automatically switches to warm once the cooking time is up. You can also sear meat in it on the Stove!
Try These Next!
-
- Roast Chicken
-
- Mashed Potatoes
-
- Easy Brown Gravy
-
- Buttermilk Biscuits
-
- Corn Casserole
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Did You Make This Recipe?
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Paula Deen's Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/3 stick butter
- 1/2 cup diced onions
- 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups sliced green beans
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 10.5 oz. cream of mushroom soup
- ½ cup French-fried onions
- Salt/Pepper, to taste
- 1 cup grated Cheddar
Instructions
- See notes for Crock Pot version.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the fresh garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
- Boil the chicken broth in a large pot and add the green beans. Cook for 10 minutes and drain.
- In a large bowl, combine the onions, mushrooms, garlic, green beans, mushroom soup and French-fried onions. Add any salt/pepper if desired, refrain from adding too much salt.
- Pour into a greased 1 ½ quart baking dish. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Top with the grated cheese and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Notes
- ½ teaspoon onion powder can be added for non-onion lovers.
- The mushrooms can be omitted for non-mushroom lovers.
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder can be used instead of fresh garlic if necessary.
- Here is a homemade version of condensed cream of mushroom soup.
• 2 cups frozen green beans may also be used. They should be thawed and patted dry.
• Cook them in chicken broth just as you could with fresh.
Using Canned Green Beans:
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can of green beans (drained) may be used instead of fresh.
• No need to cook in them chicken broth, simply mix it in with the other ingredients after draining.
Crock Pot Green Bean Casserole:
- Cook green beans, drain, and assemble as instructed, but omit the French Fried Onions.
- Heat on low for 5 hours.
- Top with cheese and cover until melted.
- Top with French Fried onions and serve. No further heating required.
Nutrition
Source: PaulaDeen.com
How many does this recipe feed?
Hi Missy, this makes 4 servings.
Turned out great, family really enjoyed it. My new go to recipe .
That’s so great to hear Chery, thanks so much for the great comments and review!❤️
What kind of grated cheese parmesaen or grated cheddar
Hi Patricia, it’s 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese. 🙂
I’ve made this before several times, and I add chopped cashews, diced ham or bacon. Today, however, I tried something different all together and I cooked this on the pellet smoker. Smoked at 200°F for 45 minutes, then cooked at 350°F as per recipe directions. Definitely doing it again and again and again.
Hey Suzie! That sounds like such a great way to make it, thank you so much for sharing! So glad that you loved how it turned out!! -Stephanie
Absolutely delicious!
Thanks so much Julie!😃 This is one of my go to side dishes!