Healthier Green Bean Casserole Recipe
Healthy Green Bean Casserole Recipe. No one will miss the canned soup or fried onions thanks to this healthy alternative. Made entirely from scratch, this Green Bean Casserole is rich, creamy, and super easy to prepare.
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
For the Onions
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 medium onions peeled and sliced
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
For the Green Bean Casserole
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 pounds fresh green beans trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoon butter or olive oil, divided
- 16 ounces mushrooms sliced
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated pepper
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 1 ¼ cup milk of choice (see notes)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Onions
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté for 8-12 minutes, or until onions are soft and just starting to caramelize. Stir often.
- As the onions cook, combine the Panko breadcrumbs, salt, and parmesan cheese in a bowl. Mix well to combine.
- Transfer the cooked onions to a clean plate and sprinkle with the Panko, salt, and cheese mixture. Gently toss well to combine and set aside.
For the Green Beans and Mushroom Sauce
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Don't forget this step- Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to the water. Once boiling, add the prepared green beans to the pot and blanch for approximately 4-5 minutes. Drain immediately and transfer the green beans to an ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain again and set aside.
- Heat the same skillet used to cook the onions over high heat. Melt one tablespoon of butter and add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper, mixing well. Cook the mushrooms, stirring often, for approximately 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to release their moisture. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute more.
- Reduce heat to medium and sprinkle the top of the mushrooms with 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and stir until just combined. Slowly add the chicken broth and simmer for approximately 3 minutes, stirring well to combine.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and gently whisk in your milk-of-choice. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened to your preferred consistency (approximately 5 minutes.).
Assembly
- Remove the skillet from heat and stir in the drained green beans, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, and approximately 1/3 of the onions. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- If the sauce turns out too thick, slowly whisk in more milk. Conversely, if the sauce is too thin, slowly add in more Parmesan cheese, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Smooth out the top of the green beans and top with the remaining onions. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake for approximately 10-15 minutes, or until edges are bubbly. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Milk: The milk you use is entirely up to you. I have used both whole milk and fat-free half-and-half (which I thought was regular half-and-half at the time of purchase). The creamier the milk you choose, the creamier your casserole will be.
Baking dish: If you prefer to bake your green bean casserole in a baking dish, transfer the creamy mushroom sauce to a large casserole dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Add the blanced and drained green beans, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, and approximately 1/3 of the onions. Mix to combine and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Smooth out the top and sprinkle with remaining onions before baking.
Leftovers: store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer to a microwave-safe dish and microwave at 30 second intervals until heated through.
Originally published September 19, 2018
Nutrition
Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 474mg | Potassium: 570mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1075IU | Vitamin C: 17.7mg | Calcium: 259mg | Iron: 2.2mg
