Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole w/Cauliflower Sauce

Make your green bean casserole in the slow cooker! Fresh green beans & a homemade cauliflower sauce replace canned items in this healthy spin on a holiday classic.

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Updated 2018

A Healthy Version

If you’re looking for a healthy green bean casserole recipe to serve at your next holiday dinner, here you go. I tried to clean this up as much as possible without loosing the flavor. I started by using fresh green beans rather than canned. Cream of mushroom soup? NEVER on this blog. Instead of cream of mushroom soup, an easy homemade cauliflower sauce provides the creaminess. I mean it when I say that it’s easy.

fresh green beans

homemade cauliflower sauce

Homemade Cauliflower Sauce

The cauliflower sauce makes or breaks the recipe in my opinion. The homemade sauce is both paleo and whole30 friendly. While creating your own cauliflower sauce might seem daunting, it seriously only took me 20 minutes. And the creaminess and garlic/ghee flavors in the sauce paired perfectly with the fresh green beans. You can cook your cauliflower the way you want to, I chose to steam mine in my use my food steamer. Then add everything to a food process or blender and process until smooth. Taste your cauliflower sauce. Need more salt? Ghee or garlic? Add it. Everyone’s taste buds are different. Plus I’m known to under salt according to my husband.

before

Make This Paleo or Whole30

This is one of those recipes that be as healthy as you make it. If you follow a paleo or whole30 lifestyle then simply omit the french fried onions or if you’re feeling fancy you can even make your own version. I used store-bought french fried onions so this isn’t paleo or whole30 compliant.

after

This might not look like much when it’s initially done cooking (see above pic) but trust me. Stir it up, add more french fried onions on top.

Bake In Oven

If you have a Crock-Pot brand slow cooker then you can put the base in the oven. YES, you can cook your Crock-Pot base! I cannot speak to other brands but this is the case with Crock-Pot. You cannot broil your Crock-Pot but it can go in the oven to a maximum temperature of 400. Add your french fried onions to the top and pop your slow cooker in the oven to crisp them up! If you have another brand of slow cooker, you’ll have to check with the brand to see if this is possible.

put your Crock-Pot in the oven

If you don’t have a slow cooker that you can put in the oven, you can transfer the casserole to an oven-ready dish or you can just add the french fried onion to the top and not crisp them up.

To make this vegetarian side dish vegan, use a vegan-friendly butter replacement.

I used a  3.5-quart slow cooker for this recipe.

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Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole w/Cauliflower Sauce

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• Author: Shannon Epstein
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 3 hours
• Total Time: 3 hours 20 mins
• Yield: 8 serving 1x

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Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed & snapped
• 1 1/3 cups fried french onions

Sauce:

• 1 large head cauliflower, trimmed, chopped, and cooked (approx 24 ounces)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup almond milk or vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp butter or ghee
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

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Instructions

Slow Cooker

1. Spray slow cooker lightly with cooking spray. Add green beans to the slow cooker.
2. Add  sauce ingredients to a food processor or blender. Pulse until it smooth. Add additional almond milk or broth until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. If needed, add more salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour sauce on top of fresh green beans. Add 2/3 of the fried french onions. Stir to mix well.
4. Cover and cook 2-3 HIGH or LOW 4-6.
5. Stir. Top with remaining french fried onions before serving.

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