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 options, too.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A complete homemade Thanksgiving side without canned green beans or cream of mushroom soup.
• The 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.
• A healthier version of a traditional recipe.

Ingredients for Green Bean Casserole

This easy Thanksgiving side comes in three parts – green beans, crispy onion topping and creamy homemade mushroom sauce. Let’s take a look at the fresh ingredients and kitchen staples 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. You can also sub in some heavy cream for a rich sauce.
• 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 Greek yogurt, Skyr or dairy-free yogurt.
• flaky sea salt – for that extra bit of crunch and final garnish.

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 skillet 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.

Sauté mushrooms

In the same large sauté 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 blanched green beans into the pan with the mushroom cream sauce and toss until combined.

Assemble and bake

Pour the green bean mixture into the prepared baking dish (9×13 of 2-quart casserole dish works) and then top with the crispy onion topping. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, black pepper and flaky sea salt, if desired. Enjoy!

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

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