This Healthy Green Bean Casserole is a creamy, comforting and seriously savory homemade version of that classic Thanksgiving side (no cans in sight!). Made gluten free, with dairy free options, too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A complete homemade Thanksgiving side without canned green beans or cream of mushroom soup.
- Onions, crunchy topping and mushroom sauce are all made in one pan!
- The green beans and creamy mushroom sauce can be made ahead – getting you one step closer to holiday meal prep.
Ingredients for Green Bean Casserole
This easy Thanksgiving side comes in three parts – green beans, crispy onion topping and creamy mushroom sauce. Let’s take a look at what we need.
Green Beans
- green beans – I like to take use of the abundance of fresh green beans in the grocery store this time of year. Feel free to purchase green beans from the bulk bin or a few packages of trimmed green beans to save yourself a step. I like the thicker American green beans versus the thinner French style haricot verts.
- kosher salt – the amount of salt will vary based on how much water you use to blanch the green beans. Quantity has been noted in the recipe card.
Crispy Onion Topping
- olive oil – I love the fruitiness of olive oil here, but avocado oil is a good sub.
- onion – one large white onion mimics that French onion topping.
- almond flour – for nuttiness and crunchy texture. Gluten free panko breadcrumbs are the next best option.
- Parmesan cheese – pick up a whole block of Parmesan cheese and grate it fresh at home for the best flavor. Nutritional yeast is the alternative route if you are going to make it vegan and dairy free.
- parsley – for bright color and flavor.
- salt – to bring out all that savory onion goodness.
Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- olive oil – we need a touch more oil to get those mushrooms going.
- baby bella mushrooms – make sure to get baby bellas, sometimes labeled crimini mushrooms, rather than white mushrooms. The white button mushrooms don’t have much flavor.
- garlic – for savory goodness.
- fresh thyme – just another fresh herb that takes this casserole over the top.
- gluten-free flour – I like Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour blend. White whole wheat flour can also be used if gluten is not an issue. You could probably sub in 1.5 tablespooons of arrowroot starch for a grain-free version but I haven’t tested that myself.
- milk – use whole milk or go the dairy free route with almond milk, cashew milk or even coconut milk.
- salt + pepper – to enhance and add a little spice.
- nutmeg – this is the secret ingredient that compliments the creamy sauce – grate a whole nutmeg rather than using the ground version for extra flavor.
- yogurt – I used coconut yogurt when I first tested this recipe and I couldn’t even taste the difference. Use your favorite dairy-full or dairy-free yogurt.
- flaky sea salt – for that extra bit of crunch and final garnish.
How to Make Green Bean Casserole From Scratch
I know the steps may look long and tedious, but I can assure you all your effort will be worth it! Just think of all the praise you’re going to get from friends and family.
Prep equipment
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish with olive oil.
Blanch green beans
Bring a very large pot of water to a boil and liberally season with kosher salt (about 1 TBS per quart of water). Prepare an ice-water bath and set out a large, clean kitchen towel. Place the beans in the water and cook just until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking, then drain and transfer to the towel. Lightly pat dry.
Caramelize onions
Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the olive oil, thinly sliced onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, or until they are tender and slightly brown. Remove the onions and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Toast almond flour
Reduce the heat to medium-low. In the same pan you used to cook the onions, add the almond meal. Cook, stirring very frequently, for 2-3 minutes, or until the almond meal starts to turn lightly golden. Careful not to burn. Remove from heat and transfer the toasted almond meal to the bowl with the onions.
Finish onion topping
Stir in parmesan cheese, parsley and salt, then toss the mixture until combined. Set aside.
TIP: Feel free to double the onion recipe if you really want the crunchy, savory topping to shine! To be honest, the onions were my favorite part!
Saute mushrooms
In the same saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add seasonings and flour
Add the garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt, and cook for an additional minute until fragrant, stirring frequently. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour flavor.
Add milk and thicken
Slowly add the milk, whisking to combine until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened.
Stir in yogurt
Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt until combined. Then transfer the cooked, chilled green beans into the pan with the mushroom sauce and toss until combined.
Assemble and bake
Pour the green bean mixture into the prepared baking dish and then top with the crispy onion topping. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and flaky sea salt, if desired. Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Serve it with all the classics, including vegan sweet potato casserole, maple roasted Brussels sprouts, cauliflower mashed potatoes and cranberry orange sauce.
This is a classic Thanksgiving dish that adds a gorgeous pop of color, flavor and texture to your Thanksgiving spread.
How to Store
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat, place in a baking dish and reheat in a 350-degree oven until warmed through. For individual portions, place on a microwave-safe dish and microwave on high in 30-second increments until steaming.
I do not recommend freezing the casserole as the green beans and onions will get mushy.
Make Ahead Tips
- Trim and blanch the green beans up to 3 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge with a strip or two of paper towel to soak up extra moisture.
- Make the mushroom sauce 1 day in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- When ready to assemble, rewarm the sauce over medium heat, adding a splash or two of water to thin it out, if necessary. Stir in the green beans, then transfer to the prepped baking dish.
- I do not recommend prepping the french onion style topping in advance. Making it the day of serving retains the crunch and toasty golden bits.
More Thanksgiving Recipes You’ll Love:
If you make this Healthy Green Bean Casserole recipe, be sure to leave a comment and review on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too! Xx Ashley
How to Make…
Healthy Green Bean Casserole
This Healthy Green Bean Casserole is a creamy, comforting and seriously savory homemade version of that classic Thanksgiving side (no cans in sight!). Made gluten free, with dairy free option, too.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Diet: Gluten Free
- Yield: 6–8 1x
- Scale:
Ingredients
Green Beans
- 2 pounds green beans, trimmed
- Kosher salt
Crispy Onion Topping
- 1 TBS olive oil, plus more for greasing
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- ½ cup almond flour or gluten free breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast + ½ TBS lemon juice)
- 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 8 ounces baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons 1:1 gluten-free flour or white whole wheat flour
- 1 ¾ cups dairy milk, almond milk or cashew milk
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 7 ounces (about ¾ cup) Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt
- Flaky sea salt, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish or casserole dish with olive oil.
- Blanch the green beans: Bring a very large pot of water to a boil and liberally season with kosher salt (about 1 TBS per quart of water). Prepare an ice water bath and set out a large, clean kitchen towel. Place the beans in the water and cook just until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Plunge into an ice bath to stop the cooking, then drain and transfer to the towel. Lightly pat dry.
- Make the crispy onion topping: Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat until hot
- Add the olive oil, thinly sliced onions and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7-8 minutes, or until they are tender and slightly brown. Remove the onions and transfer to a mixing bowl.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. In the same pan you used to cook the onions, add the almond meal. Cook, stirring very frequently, for 2-3 minutes, or until the almond meal starts to turn lightly golden. Careful not to burn.
- Remove from heat and transfer the toasted almond meal to the bowl with the onions. Stir in parmesan cheese, parsley and salt, then toss the mixture until combined. Set aside.
- Make the creamy mushroom sauce: In the saute same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic, thyme and a pinch of salt, and cook for an additional minute until fragrant, stirring frequently.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms, and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute to get rid of the raw flour flavor.
- Slowly add the milk, whisking to combine until smooth. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in the yogurt until combined.
- Transfer the cooked, chilled green beans into the pan with the mushroom sauce and toss until combined.
- Pour the green bean mixture into the prepared baking dish and then top with the crispy onion topping.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley and flaky sea salt, if desired. Enjoy!
Recipes Notes:
Double the onion topping to really amp up the crispy onion layer.
Prep the green beans up to 3 days in advance and the mushroom sauce up to 1 day in advance. Store in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in baking dish in a 350-degree oven or in 30-second increments in the microwave until warmed through. I do not recommend freezing the casserole.
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