Healthy & Wholesome Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Why trade flavor for health when you can have both?

Spoiler alert: this recipe doesn’t call for fried onions or cream of mushroom soup. It takes longer to make, but it's wholesome!

This recipe calls for quality ingredients. We recommend practicing portion control and pairing this delicious side dish with a lean protein source, such as roasted turkey breast, for a balanced, nourishing meal.

Dairy Free. Serves 15 people.

Ingredients

2 ½ lbs Green Beans
½ lb Cremini Mushrooms (Baby Bellas)
3 Small Onions
1 Tbsp, 2 Tbsp Avocado Oil
2 C Coconut Milk (Or milk of choice)
1 C Chicken Stock
2 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme
3 Tbsp, 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Flour (Choose brown rice flour for a gluten free option)
Optional: Panko Brown Rice Crumbs

Directions

If you’re preparing this dish for an event such as Thanksgiving dinner and want to save time the day of the event, you can break this recipe up into two separate days. Prepare the onions, green beans and mushrooms the day before the feast and keep them in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the casserole. On the day of the gathering, assemble the casserole, build a roux and heat the casserole in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

Caramelized Onions

Clean onions, cut in half from root to root, slice off the root ends, and slice thin.
Add 2 Tbsp avocado oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the onions and allow them to sizzle for a moment. Turn heat down to low-medium when caramelization begins. Do not season yet.
Stir often and cook until golden brown (approximately 1 hour total).
At about 45 minutes add a small amount of water to the pan (1 Tbsp). The color of the onions will darken and the water will deglaze the pan nicely. This will help in the caramelization process.
Lightly season with salt and pepper when finished cooking.

Blanched Green Beans

Prepare an ice water bath with a large bowl and ice water.
Bring a pot of water to a simmer and add salt.
When water is simmering, add green beans for 3-4 min, depending on desired tenderness.
Remove green beans from the simmering water and immediately place in the ice water bath to halt the cooking process.
Remove from the ice bath, drain, and lightly season with salt, pepper and 2 tsp olive oil to taste.

Sautéed Cremini Mushrooms

Clean mushrooms with a paper towel.
Slice mushrooms to desired size and thickness.
Heat 1 Tbsp avocado oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
Sauté for 10 minutes.
Lightly season last with salt and pepper to taste.

Casserole Assembly

Preheat oven to 350°F
In a baking pan, assemble blanched green beans, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms.
Build a roux: in a pan over medium heat, combine the extra virgin olive oil and flour. Whisk constantly in a figure-eight motion for even cooking for about 3 minutes. The roux should be light in color and should puff slightly.
As the roux begins browning, add chicken stock, coconut milk, and fresh garlic to desired thickness.
Pour mixture over the green beans, caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms.
Optional: sprinkle Panko brown rice crumbs on before baking for an added crunch.
Bake for 10-15min.