Green Bean Casserole for the Crockpot

What holiday would be complete without a serving of the green bean casserole we all grew up with? But the original recipe calls for canned cream of mushroom soup which brings along a ton of salt. I found and adapted this recipe on RecipeLion.com and although the prep time is a bit longer it is much better for you. And still allows you to have that treasured dish for the holidays.

Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

1 pound fresh green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter

3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

½ cup unsalted chicken broth

½ cup milk (I use 1% or non-fat)

¼ cup half-and-half

6 to 8 ounces mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 (2.8 ounce) container French Fried Onions

½ cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Coat the inner crock of a 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

2. Add the green beans to the slow cooker.

3. In a saucepan, melt 3 Tablespoons of the unsalted butter over medium heat.

4. Add the flour and whisk until the flour has been absorbed and the mixture turns light yellow with large dry bubbles.

5. Add the broth, milk, and half-and-half and cook, whisking,(about 3 minutes) until the sauce is thick and coats the back of a spoon.

6. In a medium skillet, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.

7. Add the mushrooms and the pepper and cook, stirring frequently until mushrooms have released their liquid and begin to brown. 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

8. Stir the Parmesan cheese into the broth mixture and then stir in the mushrooms. Add 1 cup of the fried onions.

9. Pour into the slow cooker and stir until the beans are coated.

10. Cover and cook for about 4 hours on Low.

11. When ready to serve, melt the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter in a microwavable bowl.

12. Stir in the panko breadcrumbs until mixture resembles wet sand.

13. Add the remaining fried onions.

14. Spoon the topping over the cooked beans just before serving.