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Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole

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I’ve said this before (see Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs) and I’ll say it again, I love my Instant Pot. I’m frequently surprised at what it can do. When I heard about the classic Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole dish ala Instant Pot, I knew I had to see if it was the real thing or too good to be true. I decided to try it out today instead of on Thanksgiving in case it failed miserably. I discovered that was completely unnecessary.

First of all, I don’t want you to think you have to run out and buy an Instant Pot. You can very easily make this recipe on the stove. Instead of using an instant pot, simply follow the recipe to cook in a skillet on the stove and you’ll get the same results. Times will obviously vary, but you should get the same results.

I did my prepping first: measured out the ingredients, diced an onion, shredded some cheese, and trimmed/cut up my green beans. Honestly, green beans are a high maintenance vegetable. I would make them more often if I didn’t have to trim the ends. I didn’t take a short cut this time and use bagged, trimmed green beans, but that route was starting to sound like a good thing after trimming a pound and a half of green beans. That was a lot of beans.

In your Instant Pot (or skillet if you choose), saute chopped onions in butter until they are soft, which takes about 5 minutes. I would have loved to show you some pictures of this, but the lightening was not cooperating (aka the sun was going down, casting a yellow hue) and the onions kept steaming up my lens. I really need to rethink how I take pictures.

BTW, because of the mushroom haters in my family (and let’s be clear, I’m not a hater), I skipped them. Feel free to saute about 8 ounces right now if you can’t live without them.

Season, add broth, and stir in green beans.

At this point, pressure cook the beans on LOW (not high) for 3 minutes.

While this is going on, combine butter, Parmesan cheese, and flour. I was sort of questioning this step. And then I was sort of impressed. It makes a really nice compote to thicken the sauce. Just be sure to use room temperature butter or you’ll struggle mixing it together.

When your beans are done cooking, release the pressure and set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the butter mixture, let it melt, and then mix, coating the green beans completely. Pour in the cream and cook until thickened.

Serve in a large bowl topped with toasted fried onions. Just to let you know, I recommend this recipe. It was oniony, creamy green bean goodness that you must have on Thanksgiving. You can find the original at The Food Network, minus a few of my tweaks.

Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole

Instant Pot Green Bean Casserole

Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 pounds green beans trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup crispy fried onions
  • 2 tablespoons butter at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Set a 6-quart Instant Pot® to saute and heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and melt. Add the diced onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the broth and green beans. Stir until coated. Turn the pot off.
  • Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on manual LOW pressure for 3 minutes. After the pressure cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release and wait until the quick release cycle is complete. Be careful of any remaining steam and unlock and remove the lid.
  • While the beans are cooking, toast the fried onions on a baking sheet in a 350 F oven for 5 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, mix together flour, butter, and Parmesan cheese with your hands until completely combined.
  • Set the Instant Pot to saute. Stir the butter mixture into the hot green beans. Add the cream. Stir until all the butter has melted and the cream has thickened the sauce, about 2 minutes.
  • Pour into a serving dish and top with crispy fried onions.