Healthier green bean casserole

Green bean casserole is a holiday must-have alongside brown sugar glazed carrots and your favorite stuffing.  The mixture of beans, mushrooms, onions, and delicious creaminess is an expected part of any holiday meal, but the truth is…it is bad for you.  Sure, it has beans.  But it also has a whole ton of cream and fat.  Yuck.  So we set out to make a version that was just as delicious, healthier, and still looked fairly close to the original. Enter this healthy green bean casserole. Okay, healthier.

We ended up with a version of healthy green bean casserole that is even more delicious than the original.

And certainly better for you.  There’s no cream in this recipe (sour cream doesn’t count, because it can be fat free).  There’s no cans of soup.  And there’s no butter.  That’s right, this is a winner.  There are a couple more steps to making this version, but we think it’s worth it.  And if you don’t, you can cut out the homemade french onions and still have a delicious, healthier version…but with a little less work. Or use the homemade french onions  with your traditional base if you like! We want to give you some much-needed options for this holiday favorite!

Homemade French Fried Onion Toppings:

Our fried onion topping is easy to make and very close to the purchased version…but better, obviously! You’ll slice your onion (remember to save about 1/4 of the onion for your cream base if you are doing that part of our recipe), coat it with a simple flour and spice coating, and fry the onions in a bit of olive oil.

One of the key’s to keeping these crispy and not soggy is using hot oil. Be sure to get the oil hot before you put in your onions or you will end up with a soggy mess. Put the onions in and DON’T FLIP THEM for several minutes. Flip them after a few minutes and then repeat on the other side. Last tip you need to know is to take them off the pan and put them on to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Full directions and ingredient amounts are listed below the post.

Healthy Green Bean Casserole Filling:

We recommend using fresh green beans cut into about inch long chunks. But, frozen green beans are perfectly acceptable as well and, of course, faster! Don’t be afraid to pull those out and use them if you need to! You’ll make your cream sauce on the stovetop and add the coated green beans (and milk) to it in the final stages. Coating the green beans with the flour will ensure you don’t get lumpy, gross, flour bits in your casserole (often happens with homemade versions).

Complete recipe and directions below.

Your cream sauce will look (and taste) delicious! Pour it into a greased 9 by 13 pan and top it with your fried onions. Bake it up for about 40-50 minutes or until it’s bubbly and golden on top. If you are using frozen veggies your time shouldn’t have to change…40-50 minutes should still be great!

Complete recipe and directions below the post.

You’ll want a small plate and fork ready when this casserole comes out of the oven. There is no way you’ll leave it alone until serving time! Tip…snitch a bit from underneath and smooth the top back over, no one will know!

This casserole is best served hot. It tastes great warmed up, as well. But nothing beats it fresh out of the oven!

Healthy green bean casserole

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Ingredients

 

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Fried Onions

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp ground thyme
• 11/2 large onion sliced

Mushroom Cream Sauce

• 1/2 large onion diced
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 8 oz pkg sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 lbs of fresh green beans 3-4 cups

Check out our Kitchen Reference Guide for help with unfamiliar terms.

Instructions

• Mix flour, salt, pepper, and thyme together.
• Add sliced onions to the mixture, toss to coat.
• Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into frying pan on med-high heat.
• Add coated onions to the oil when it is hot. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.
• Take off the pan and place the fried onions on a plate lined with a paper towel.
• Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into large sauce pan on medium heat.
• Add diced onions and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
• Add mushrooms, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook another 4 minutes.
• Add the sour cream and wine to the mushroom mixture. Stir and heat through.
• Toss the green beans with the 1/3 cup flour in large bowl (I use the one left from the onions).
• Stir the coated green beans and milk into the sour cream & wine mixture. Heat until bubbling.
• Pour the green beans into a greased casserole pan (I use a 9 by 13) and top with fried onions.
• Bake at 350 for about 40 - 50 minutes or until bubbling and golden on top.

Like this healthy green bean casserole?  You might also want to try:

mashed cauliflower
sugar-free butternut cake
thanksgiving sandwiches
Mushroom soup
Wild rice soup