CrockPot Green Bean Casserole

Day 161.

It's day 2 of Retro Week!

That is not a picture of dog barf. It's green bean casserole. I've never actually had green bean casserole. It's on the table, lots, during the holidays, and I'm sure I've put some on my plate, but I don't actually eat it.

I don't like canned green beans. My grandma makes a 3-bean salad that uses canned green beans, and I like that. But that's it.

I kind of could go on and on about why I find canned green beans icky. But I'm not going to, because they are staple in a lot of homes, and I should be nice.

Canned green beans are not my cup of tea.

I really like fresh green beans, though, and in honor of Retro Week decided to make a new-and-improved green bean casserole. In the crockpot.

The Ingredients.

--1 lb fresh green beans

--2 cups homemade cream of mushroom soup.

--1 cup General Mills Rice Chex cereal (make sure the label is marked Gluten Free if you are gluten free. There are still some old boxes on shelves)

--1/2 t onion powder

--1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

if you would like the recipe using the canned cream of mushroom soup, it is here. This recipe calls for 4 cups of cooked green beans. Since you're going to be using your crock, the fresh will cook nicely, and you can put in raw beans.

The Directions.

Wash and trim the green beans. If you feel the need to cut the green beans so they are all the same length, go for it, but they will cook fine left uneven.

Add the frozen soup, or canned soup and the milk that the canned soup version asks for. Mix the green beans with the liquid.

Put the rice chex in a ziploc and smash to desired crumbiness. Add the onion powder and the parmesan to the bag, and shake to mix.

Pour evenly over the top of the beans.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 2-3.

The Verdict.

I liked this much better than the canned green bean casserole. The green beans still had a crunch, even after being slow-cooked. The topping wasn't as crisp as it would have been if I had used the french's fried onions, but the flavor was there, and the cheese added a nice salty flavor. The homemade cream of mushroom rocks, and was quite flavorful.

The brown chunks of mushroom were really unnerving, though. It felt like we were eating dog food. Or puked-up dog food.

But it tasted good. I don't know what to think of this. It worked, it tasted good, and if you like green bean casserole, you'd probably like it. I think I like lightly steamed green beans better with a squeeze of lemon. or stir-fried with some chili oil. or baked with salmon. or in a stew.