Smoked Green Bean Casserole With Homemade Mushroom Soup on the Traeger

By James Kimble November 12, 2024 7 mins read 59 Views

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a Thanksgiving table without a classic green bean casserole. It’s a quintessential Thanksgiving dish that everyone knows and loves.

This year, skip the recipe on the back of the soup can and try this green bean casserole instead. It can be made in the oven, but if you want to kick it up a notch, then you can cook it on the smoker for an added smoky punch.

Once you make this green bean casserole, you will never return to the canned style again. But if you want something a little more classic, check out our Easy Smoked Green Bean Casserole.

Green Bean Casserole on the [TAG18]

The key to this recipe is the homemade cream of mushroom soup. While the canned stuff is the traditional choice for this dish, it’s easier than you may think to make from scratch.

Ingredients you’ll need

Green beans – I like to use fresh green beans, but both canned and frozen will work. It really depends on the texture you’re going for. Canned green beans will be a lot softer, but the fresh and frozen options will maintain a nice crunch.
Mushrooms – any type of mushroom will work. I love the flavor and texture of shiitake mushrooms so that’s what I used. They’re a little pricier than some other varieties, so if you want to swap for baby portabellas that’s fine.
Aromatics – onion and garlic add a wonderful aromatic flavor to the cream of mushroom soup.
Cream – I use a combination of half-and-half and heavy cream. You can substitute all half-and-half or all cream, but avoid milk because it won’t thicken the sauce properly.
Crispy onions – this is the one part of the recipe that I don’t make from scratch. I’ve made crispy onions at home before, and you can find them in my Classic Smoked Green Bean Casserole recipe, but I’ve found that nothing quite matches the texture and crunch you will get from store-bought fried onions.
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

green bean casserole ingredients on a wooden chopping board

Equipment you’ll need

Smoker or Pellet Grill – I cooked this recipe on my Traeger Ironwood XL pellet grill, but any grill or smoker that can maintain a steady temperature of 275°F will work fine.
Large mixing bowls – you will need two, one to combine the casserole ingredients and the other to use for the ice bath for the green beans.
Large stock pot
Medium pot
Slotted spoon – or tongs to transfer the beans from the pot to the bowl.
Whisk
Aluminum Pan – or any oven-safe baking dish will work fine. I usually use an aluminum pan as it creates the fewest dishes.

How to make green bean casserole

1. Prep the green beans

While you can use canned or frozen green beans, I really prefer the texture of fresh green beans for this recipe. The prep only takes a few minutes and is worth it. If you are using canned beans, you can skip this step.

You’ll start with 2 pounds of fresh green beans. Wash them, then you can snap off the ends with your hands. You can use a knife if you prefer, but it’s much faster to just snap off the ends by hand.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the green beans for 4-5 minutes. This will start the cooking process and soften them. You don’t want to cook them all the way because they will continue to cook in the casserole.

After the beans have boiled for 4-5 minutes, transfer them straight to an ice bath. The ice bath will stop the cooking process, prevent them from getting soggy, and lock in that bright green color.

Once they’ve cooled fully, you can strain them and set them to the side.

2. Make the cream of mushroom soup

The key to this delicious casserole is the cream of mushroom soup. Most traditional recipes call for canned cream of mushroom soup, but it’s extremely easy to make from scratch in just about 20 minutes. In my opinion, it’s worth every second of effort because the flavor is so much better.

Start by chopping your onions, mushrooms, and garlic. I use shiitake mushrooms for this recipe because I love the texture and flavor. You can alternatively use baby bellas or any white mushrooms you have available.

two white bowls, one with diced onion and the other diced mushrooms

In a medium-sized pot, add half a stick of salted butter and let it melt.

Add the chopped onion and mushrooms. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent, then add the garlic and saute for 2-3 more minutes, until fragrant.

Once all of your veggies are soft, you can add the remaining butter and the flour. Mix it until a roux forms (a thick paste).

Add the half and half along with the heavy cream, and mix it well until a sauce forms. You may need to use a whisk to ensure that the ingredients are well combined.

mushroom soup in a pot with a whisk — As you mix it, the cream will incorporate with the roux and create a thick, soup-like sauce.

Season it to taste with salt and pepper, then add a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce to finish. Bring it to a simmer for about five minutes, and it’s ready to go!

3. Build your casserole

To build your casserole, add the blanched green beans and half the crispy onions to a large mixing bowl. Pour the cream of mushroom soup into the bowl and stir until all of the ingredients are combined.

green bean casserole in a metal bowl — You want each green bean to be well-coated in the sauce and the crispy onions to be evenly distributed throughout.

Once your green beans and onions are fully coated, you can transfer the mixture into an aluminum pan or casserole dish.

Add the remaining crispy onions to the top of the casserole, and it’s ready for the smoker.

4. Fire up the smoker

Preheat your smoker to 275°F.

I smoked this on my Traeger Ironwood XL pellet grill. It’s fantastic for maintaining a steady temperature and adding a great smoke flavor to anything you cook. Plus, it’s big enough to fit multiple side dishes, turkey, and ham on the smoker all at once—perfect for cooking for a crowd!

Once your smoker is preheated, you can place the pan directly on the grates and let it smoke for about 45 minutes.

You want the sauce to be hot and bubbly, and the onion topping should be nice and golden brown. Then you can remove it from the smoker, and it’s ready to enjoy!

cooked green bean casserole in the smoker

What to serve with green bean casserole

Here are some amazing dishes that pair wonderfully with this green bean casserole. It’s perfect for any Thanksgiving dinner, but you can enjoy it all year long as well!

Smoked Green Bean Casserole With Homemade Mushroom Soup Recipe

This homemade Green Bean Casserole takes the classic Thanksgiving side to a whole new level with a creamy, from-scratch mushroom soup and a smoky finish on the Traeger. For a quicker option, try our Easy Smoked Green Bean Casserole with canned mushroom soup! If you loved this recipe, don’t forget to leave a 5-star review and share your thoughts.