Creamy, comforting, flavorful green bean casserole made completely from scratch using only fresh ingredients. The perfect side disk for Thanksgiving!
How did we get here? Seriously. Less than a week away from Thanksgiving. We’re basically into the holiday season— some towns have even done tree lightings already !!!— and that my friends is a bit scary because I have put zero thought into the holidays… until now.
So let’s jump on the Thanksgiving train and pull together a classic side dish but make it a bit healthier without sacrificing an ounce flavor.
By the way, when I mentioned this to Chris, I’m 99% sure he was laughing on the inside. And could probably care less since he hates mushrooms.*
Let’s be real, we all know that green bean casserole is pretty heavy— heavy, creamy yet so comforting. This version is completely from scratch using fresh ingredients and I couldn’t be happier with the results. AND only about 82 calories per serving so you won’t feel guilty when stuffing your face.
Move over turkey, there’s a new favorite in town.
I’ll leave you with the recipe and a few step-by-step photos just to show you how easy this is recipe actually is.
Ugh this casserole is ridiculous. DIG IN!
*PS. The man who hates mushrooms (and was skeptical of this recipe) loved this. Every bit of it.
Healthy Roasted Creamy Green Bean Casserole
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 7 servings 1x
Ingredients
- around 2 pounds fresh green beans, rinsed, trimmed and halved
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 teaspoons salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons pepper, divided
- 1 large sweet onion, slices (halved)
- 8 ounces baby bella or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth*
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk*
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F . After this,Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or foil. Add the green beans to the baking sheet. Now Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle on 1.5 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoon black pepper. Move everything around to ensure the green beans are coated. Bake for 30 minutes. Set aside once finished.
- Start the onions: Over medium-low heat, melt the butter in a large 10-12 inch skillet. Add the sliced onions. Let the onions slow cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring every few minutes to avoid burning. Once the onions become almost caramelized, add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes and remaining salt and pepper. Stir together and let cook for 3-6 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to give off some of their moisture.
- Mushroom sauce: Turn the heat to medium-high and pour in the chicken broth, milk and cornstarch/water mixture. Be sure to scrape up all the bits from the bottom of the pan (flavor, flavor, flavor!) Add the 1 Tablespoon heavy cream. Allow the sauce to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes thick and creamy. The longer you allow the sauce to simmer, the thicker it will get.
- Remove from the heat and add the green beans. Give it a nice big stir, combining the sauce and beans. Enjoy! Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Make ahead tip: The sauce can be made 1-2 days before. Simply follow steps 2 & 3. Cover the finished sauce tightly and store in the refrigerator. When ready, bake the green beans and heat the sauce in a skillet or pan. Then, combine and stir together.
*Low-sodium vegetable or beef stock may be substituted. I find that beef broth is a bit salty (even low sodium) so you may need to reduce the salt in the recipe.
Any milk fat can be used, however the calories will be different.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Healthy dinner
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