BARLEY CASSEROLE
Barley Casserole is a traditional side dish at our house during the holidays. My Grandmother from Mississippi made this Barley Casserole whenever she entertained friends and family in her home. We have carried on her tradition and serve it during the holidays every year. My family loves this unique dish!
Barley Casserole Ingredients Needed
Butter
Quick cooking barley
White or Yellow Onion
Slivered almonds
Dehydrated onion soup, we use Liptons
Chicken broth
Canned Mushroom slices (reserve liquid)
Can of Water chestnuts
This dish is different but wonderful and honestly it wouldn’t be our holiday without it. It’s one of the only dishes we serve at both Thanksgiving and Christmas. We all agree it is wonderful with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. Something about the taste of this dish goes great with cranberry sauce. Full printable recipe below in recipe card.
“I made this with pearled barley and it was GREAT! Every loved it and agreed that it was definitely a keeper. Even better as leftovers.” – Patti
“I added browned ground beef to make it a main dish, and left out the mushrooms and water chestnuts because some of the kiddos don’t like them. We loved it, and will be adding it to our meal rotation!” – Terra
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Barley Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter or margarine or 1 stick or 8 tablespoons
- 1 cup quick cooking barley
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1 2 oz. pkg dehydrated onion soup
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 3 oz. can drained mushroom slices (reserve liquid)
- 1 5 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
Instructions
- Heat butter in saucepan, add barley and onion and saute till golden color. Add almonds, dry onion soup and chicken broth. Saute mushrooms a few minutes in a little butter and add to barley along with water chestnuts and liquid drained from canned mushrooms.
- Stir well, turn into a greased casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour adding more liquid if needed.
Notes
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I am going to try this for Thanksgiving. No one here in Texas in our family has had this!
Always looking for something new to try! Thank you!
YAY!! I so hope you love it! It’s so good with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce, it compliments them so well!
I would like to make this in a 4qt slow cooker. Any hints or ideas would be great! Need to free up the oven for the roast.
Thank you & Merry Christmas.
I have never tried it in the crock pot, you would have to make sure it has enough heat and enough liquid to cook the barley.
Do you think one could substitute quinoa for the barley so as to make this gluten-free?
Yes, I think you could. I am not sure of the cooking time, it may not need as long.
I was intrigued by this because I have never come across a barley casserole, let alone tasted one and I love barley. Had to modify slightly (used reconstituted dried mushrooms and their liquid, used some lager in addition to stock etc) but it was absolutely as delicious as I hoped it would be. Winner winner , it will be a part of many dinners in the future. Thanks!
YAY!!! SO glad you tried it, we have this every holiday as it’s one of our absolute favorite dishes. So glad you liked it!!
Because I’m to watch my sodium I was wondering if you had any suggestions to replace the dehydrated onion soup?
Thanks!
Love your recipes!!
You can make your own and make it lower sodium: https://thesouthernladycooks.com/make-your-own-onion-soup-mix-2/ Thank you for the kind comment!
I live in an Australian and recently the geo politics were that a previous overseas buyer stopped buying Australian Barley to the consternation of the growers.
I cant understand why I cant get Rolled Barley like oats or why our Australian master-chefs did not publish new recipes using barley to encourage more local use. “Apart from Barley bread, yours is the first recipe I have ever seen- apart from throwing a tablespoon is soups. I love barley and sometimes prefer it to wheat; I definitely use it in my personal muesli because the nutrition is different to other grains. Thank you for this Barley Casserole, I can hardly wait to try it.
Best wishes, Grace.
Hope you love this recipe it is one of our favorites and has been for MANY years!
I’m in the UK and love, love, love so many of your / US recipes
I try many and save many more for future use !
Always a great choice parties, bbqs etc
Thank you !!!
We are thrilled you enjoy them!!
Just love all of your unique, traditional, and special recipes. Soothing to the soul.. even if it’s just reading all about them.
This is on “the list” of must makes from your site.
I think you will love this recipe!
I added browned ground beef to make it a main dish, and left out the mushrooms and water chestnuts because some of the kiddos don’t like them. We loved it, and will be adding it to our meal rotation!
I made this with pearled barley and it was GREAT! Every loved it and agreed that it was definitely a keeper. Even better as leftovers.
Thank you so much Patti for trying the recipe. It has been in our family for years. So happy you liked it and thank you for the great rating.
What if you don’t have instant barley?
You have some amazing recipes. My mom used to make tomatoe gravy for dinner. She used to make home made bread and my dad would butter the bread and slather in butter and add tomatoe gravy. What a meal!
Thank you so much, Marty. Here is a link to my Tomato Gravy recipe in case you want to check it out: https://thesouthernladycooks.com/2011/08/22/tomato-gravy/
Thank you for the tomatoe gravy recipe. It is very close to what my mom made. My dad was from Ohio and after they were married I am sure my grandma taught my mom how to make it. I always liked it on mashed potatoes. I love all your recipes
I Love seeing all that good GOOD FOOD
this sounds scrumptious! i’ve been looking for ways to add more barley to my family’s diet – they’re not as found of soup as i am. thanks for this!
Judy – that’s so interesting. I’ve never heard of such a side dish up here in the North (Ohio=). Thanks for sharing this great idea and recipe.
well….guess who else has this one ‘archived’ also for MANY years! She left us some good ones, didn’t she?!! Haven’t made it for awhile, have to do that SOON!! Got a great Sourdough Chocolate Cake recipe over the holidays…send it too you if you don’t have one!!! Have a good day!!! Karen