It’s totally possible to have a real food Thanksgiving dinner, and this recipe is here to help. I took the standard Green Bean Casserole recipe, "real foodinized" it for you, and the outcome is just delicious! I've even included French Fried Onions on the top.
It’s totally possible to have a real food Thanksgiving dinner, and this recipe is here to help. I took the standard Green Bean Casserole recipe and “real foodinized” it for you, and the outcome is just delicious! I am not going to promise it will taste exactly like the original recipe you’ve made in years past, because I think this one will actually be even better than before.
It’s really hard to beat wholesome, pure ingredients that are lovingly put together in a homemade dish like this one. And just for the record, this is now one of my 6-year-old’s favorite vegetable recipes. She gave it a huge thumbs up and has already asked me to make it again! So holidays aside, this may very well be our new standard way to eat green beans. :)
More Real Food Holiday Recipes
- Whole-Wheat Garlic Cheddar Drop Biscuits
- Whole-Wheat Biscuits
- Chestnut and Prosciutto Stuffing
- Pesto Cream Cheese Bake Appetizer
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Whole-Grain Corn Bread
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Brown Rice Risotto
- Salad Inspiration
- Shortcut Chocolate Pecan Pie
Green Bean Casserole with French Fried Onions
It’s totally possible to have a real food Thanksgiving dinner, and this recipe is here to help. I took the standard Green Bean Casserole recipe, "real foodinized" it for you, and the outcome is just delicious! I've even included French Fried Onions on the top.
Print Recipe
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
Casserole Ingredients
- 2 pounds green beans trimmed, cut in half, and steamed (8 to 10 minutes or until tender and easily pierced with a fork)
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces mushrooms diced (Shiitake is a great choice, but button mushrooms are good as well)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Onion Topping Ingredients
- 1/2 onion peeled, cut in half, and sliced very thin
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Casserole Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook while stirring for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes, being careful not to let the flour burn. Stir in the salt and pepper.
- Carefully whisk in the milk and soy sauce while scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring to a light boil. Whisk and cook until the sauce thickens to the consistency of a really thick soup, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Mix the sauce with the (previously steamed) green beans in a casserole dish and toss to combine. Bake in the oven until bubbly, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with French Fried Onions (instructions below).
French Fried Onion Topping Instructions
- While the casserole is baking, spread the flour out on a large plate, carefully separate the onion pieces, and dredge them in the flour until they are evenly coated.
- Melt the butter for the topping in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Shake the excess flour off the onions and add them to the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Depending on the size of the pan you may need to cook them in batches. If cooking more than one batch, be sure to wipe out the pan in-between to prevent the residue from burning.
- Once the onions are golden brown on the bottom (after about 1 to 2 minutes), carefully flip them over to brown the other side. Add extra butter to the pan if they begin to look dry. The onions do cook quickly, so keep a close watch!
- Transfer the onions to a paper-towel lined plate and generously season with salt.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Green Bean Casserole with French Fried Onions
Amount Per Serving
Calories 256
Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Cholesterol 45mg15%
Sodium 437mg19%
Potassium 453mg13%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 5g21%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 1345IU27%
Vitamin C 15.2mg18%
Calcium 143mg14%
Iron 1.7mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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Green beans look good…Will try this soon…
Made this for Thanksgiving today and it was wonderful!! Best green bean casserole I’ve ever had. I should’ve made more onions though because they were so good, I wanted to snack on them! I will NEVER make this with gross, canned, processed soup again.
This was honestly amazing! I’ve never had anything so good. Even my husband and kiddos loved it. I made extra onions to put inside AND out, but I’ll make more next time because everyone wanted to eat them!!
I tried to give it 5 stars but it wouldn’t let me.
So I cheated and used some all natural fried onions but made everything else. This came out amazing and I kind of feel like using the sauce recipe to make a mushroom soup in the future, it was that good. I substituted whole quinoa flour and it gave it a nice nutty flavor.
I made this two weeks ago and it was wonderful! It didn’t take an excessive amount of time and was so tasty. I don’t like mushrooms, but loved the cream of mushroom base. I might make it to eat as soup, add more milk and puree (don’t like the texture of ‘shrooms) My daughter liked the onions so much she has decided to make them as a snack. I do think this could be made ahead with these adjustments: slightly under cook the beans and bring to room temp before baking. I’m not sure about preparing the onions ahead of time as they may become soggy.
Oops forgot to rate it with the stars….easily six or seven stars!
I’m wondering about making this ahead of time (the day before, like today)? Any suggestions?
I was gonna try that too. I’m thinking I’ll steam the beans, make the sauce, then refrigerate them separately and put it all together in the morning and pop it in the oven. I’ll make the French fried onions in the morning too, so they’re fresh. Hopefully this will work, and I hope that helps! Happy Thanksgiving!
I am wondering the same thing, I might just make the soup ahead and prep the beans tonight. Do everything else tomorrow. Made it last year and it was delish!
I’ve read the comments and am convinced to give this a try but I really don’t want to be frying onions at the last minute before Thanksgiving dinner. I see the advice about possible ways to make it ahead, but I kind of want to hear from someone who has actually tried it. How did it turn out? Best method? Thank you!
Possibly silly question: do you mean to cut the beans in half across or lengthwise (like French cut beans)?
Hi Beth. Cut them across the middle, not lengthwise.
Has anyone tried baking these onions vs sautéing them? I’m just looking for a way to make them crispier this time around.
Sorry if this has been asked before, but what kind of milk? Whole, 2%, etc.? Does it matter?
Hi Anne. Lisa always uses whole milk. ;)
Is there a substitute for the soy sauce to make it soy-free?
Hi Erin. You could use a rich salted broth/stock instead.
This was very good!
It must have just gone away, it was there earlier…trying to make it for dinner right now!
Sorry, but all is working now.
Is it just me? I can’t see the recipe on this page?
No, it’s not just you. I can’t see it, either! And I need to start making a grocery list….
Yep, it was a brief case of the disappearing recipes. All is well now. :)
I put the turkey in at 12am. Cook all night, morning. Then in the morning you cook the sides.
Hi! What type of onion would work best in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi there. I always use a yellow onion. ;)
I have no room in my oven on Thanksgiving for anything except the turkey (seriously, how do you all do it?). Has anyone tried this in a slow cooker?
Hi Beverly. I am sure you can make it in a slow cooker. You might refer to this for cooking instructions: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-green-bean-casserole/. ~Amy
Could rice or almond flour be subbed in without changing flavor for us gluten free folks?
Hi Ann. We’ve not tried making this recipe gluten free but I imagine it would work. ~Amy
This recipe looks good! My lil sister was just asking for greenbean casserole and I told her no specifically because of the yucky canned cream of mushroom soup that’s traditionally used! I’m gonna try this!
What would traditionally be a can of cream of mushroom soup is being replaced by what sounds like a plain gravy with mushrooms/garlic added in. Do you think it would work to make a large batch of that kind of gravy and can it to preserve it? or even a way to freeze it? I know at my house chicken dressing is popular, and it calls for cream of chicken soup which I want to omit, but until right now, didn’t really have a good option. Was thinking the gravy with chicken in it might be an option? Would love to make it ahead, though. thoughts?
i can’t see why you couldn’t freeze it – it’s similar to a soup. Maybe try it with a single batch and see? Nothing ventured, nothing gained!
http://addapinch.com/cooking/homemade-cream-of-chicken-soup-recipe/
Will this recipe work with the mushrooms omitted? It sounds like a delicious alternative to the highly processed version, but a few family members (myself included!) can’t tolerate the taste of mushrooms. Thank you!
Becky – why not try it and report back here as to the outcome……
Hi Becky. We’ve not tried the recipe without the mushrooms but I think you could omit them. ~Amy
this was awesome!!! I am gonna make it for my whole family this year!!!
Thought I’d stop back to print this out because it’s already been requested for Thanksgiving dinner this year ;-)
Made this today as part of a Thanksgiving/Christmas in July (err, August) meal since we had to finish up a turkey purchased earlier this year. We decided to skip the onions this time but sprinkled some bread crumbs sprayed with olive oil on top for the crunchy texture and it came out great!
This is so good! Haven’t had green bean casserole for so long because I didn’t want to eat the typical ingredients in it. It was a little more effort but not too bad and well worth it.
I want to rate it 5 stars but my phone isn’t letting me.
I am having a hard time getting my flour to stick to my onions…any suggestions? Maybe wetting it with water first??? Thank you!! I already tried the green bean casserole without the onions on top and it is delish!
Hi Christy. A little brush of liquid will not hurt. Also, I sometimes grind my flour more finely which can help. ~Amy
spray them with olive oil
Just made this for the first time and it was a huuuuuge success! Thank you 100 days of real food!
Hi Kristina. We’ve frozen the casserole as a whole and the onions freeze fine. ~Amy
When freezing, did you have to thaw the casserole before baking? And how long did you bake it?
Hi again. I do thaw first and bake for about 20-25 minutes. ~Amy
Can the French fried onions be frozen in the freezer for later use? Not sure if anyone asked this already or if some one has tried it. Thanks.
WONDERFUL! Did not disappoint!
Would you consider the soupy mixture to be a substitute of sorts for cream of mushroom soup? Just wondering if I could make batches of that and use it in place of the canned stuff when a recipe calls for that. Thanks! Making this casserole right now and we’ll be having it in a few hours for dinner. The soup mixture smelled delicious, and now I can’t wait to try the whole casserole!
Hi Marlana. Lisa has a cream of mushroom recipe: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/12/23/recipe-homemade-cream-of-mushroom-soup/. :) ~Amy
Wonderful! Thanks so much.
Really an amazing dish. It looks absolutely different. I want to eat it right now.
I made this with gluten free flour since 3/5 of our family are celiac. So good. Thank you so much for all the amazing recipes.
Made this for Christmas dinner, it was a hit even though my fresh beans were not the greatest (really what can one expect of fresh beans in December?). Thanks for the recipe, this will be our recipe going forward, just have to find better beans next time.
This was just ok for us. I am pretty sure I did everything according to the directions, but it turned out kind of bland and very runny. Maybe because I made it the night before…? The onions were awesome though.
I can’t even tell you how amazing this was! My 18 month old ate it up and my BF (who barely eats veggies) couldn’t stop commenting on how great it was! Thank you – this is becoming a family classic!
One thing my husband has been missing in our less processed eating is canned cream of mushroom. He loves to put it on egg noodles & pork. After making the green bean casserol for thanksgiving dinner and realized how easy & fresh it was i decided to make the cream of mushroom part of this receipe the other night to add to our dinner. My husband liked it and was thrilled. Im wondering if this can be done ahead of time or in bigger batches & frozen so we have it on hand (the cream of mushroom part).
This was incredibly shocking how close to the classic version with condensed cream of mushroom soup, canned green beans, and dried onion rings. I made this for Thanksgiving and it was fantastic! Thank you!
Do you have a real food version of the typical broccoli rice cheese casserole??
Hi Kristi. Nope, sorry. :)
Hi all! We use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce in recipes because of soy allergies. Didn’t see it mentioned here (sorry if it was and I didn’t see it). It comes in a bottle and I found mine at the vitamin shoppe but I think I’ve seen it at whole foods or sprouts. Hope that helps!
Lisa, I’ve been meaning to thank you!! I made this for Thanksgiving and my mother in law, who loves the traditional green bean casserole with canned everything, loved this more. She even asked for the recipe.
Thanks for sharing.
Sarah
this home made version is delicious and doesn’t take long at all to prepare. I made the cream soup without mushrooms because my family doesn’t like them and it was still really good. And my niece age 15 that doesn’t like onions loved them! She helped me flour and cook them then we put them in the oven to crips them a little more. I used a sweet onion and added season salt to the flour even the baby liked them, this is a new Thanksgiving staple and will also be used in my tater tot casserole. No more buying cream soups.
I made this for Thanksgiving today. I’m not a huge fan of green bean casserole, but I make it because my husband loves it. THIS WAS SO AMAZING. I wanted to spoon-eat tbe cream of mushroom mixture. So so so good! The onions are time-consuming to make, but so so worth it and way tastier than the store bought ones. My husband LOVED IT too and said it’s the best he’s ever had. YUM YUM YUM. H
Holy cow this was good!!! Made this today for my family and turned out awesome. Tons better than the processed one. I made the onions right before serving and admit I just did a traditional flour, egg, panko (with s&p and garlic) breading and fried them in coconut oil. Will definitely be making this next year for our big family Thanksgiving. DEEEEEE-LICIOUS!!!!
Made this tonight for our thanksgiving dinner and it turned out delicious! I couldn’t have been happier with it! All guests loved it. Thank you! Will definitely make again!
Thank you for this! I didn’t think it possible but this was better than ever! A ‘real food’ T-day HIT! My family and I loved it!
Made this for Thanksgiving dinner and it was a hit!
I am sensitive to soy and since it was such a small amount–I found a little recipe on google and mixed a little maple syrup, ginger, and salt…I hope it turns out good. :)
What was the recipe you found dawnda? Did it turn out ok?
What type of soy sauce do you use for this recipe? Is there any type that is more healthy than the normal kind? Thanks!!
Hi there. Always buy a certified organic (non-gmo) soy sauce. ~Amy
SO excited to make this! Do you think the whole wheat flour could be subbed with white rice flour to make it celiac friendly? Or maybe organic cornstarch?
I will be using this for Thanksgiving. Thanks for the recipe! :)
Hi Amanda. Other readers have suggested buckwheat flour. ~Amy
Wondering if the flour actually sticks to the onions or if you need to wet them or use an egg wash?
Hi Patti. Lisa did not use an egg wash and the flour stuck well. ~Amy
My husband made this for us tonight, a trial run of one of our thanksgiving sides and it was DELICIOUS! So much better than the “traditional” kind we thought we loved. Another 100 days recipe to add to our rotation :)
If you make both the grean bean mixture and the onions ahead of time, do you just keep them separate in the frig, then put the onions on before throwing in the oven to reheat? Can I just leave out the mushrooms?
Hi Cassie. Keeping them separate and reheating them should work just fine. You will lose some flavor if you leave the mushrooms out. ~Amy
Can you make this recipe without soy sauce. I am allergic to soy so I was wondering if you thought it would taste the same? Thank you!
Tamari is a good alternative to soy sauce.
Terri, I would like to know this also. Tamari is also may with soy so would be safe for a soy allergic individual.
Sorry, it would NOT be safe for a soy allergic individual.
Hi all. This might help: http://www.thekitchn.com/soy-alternatives-180103. ~Amy
I am going to make this recipe for Thanksgiving to serve at a dinner that is usually highly processed. This family is very picky so I want to do canned green beans(GMO/MSG Free). I’m easing them into this clean eating. How many cans should I get?
You could do frozen and it would be a bit healthier, and crunchier. They *may* not notice. I would think if you still want to do cans, 3-4 cans for the amount of soup that is produced.
Hi Rachel. Alissabeth is right on with her amounts if you are using 14 oz cans. :) ~Amy
So, I made this last night and refrigerated. It was fairly easy to put together, and at 1045 at night I was thankful! From start to fridge it took about 20 minutes with cleanup. This am I heated it at 375, for about 20-30 minutes. It wasn’t piping in the middle but very warm. I really enjoyed the tastes that I sampled! I fried the onions in 3 batches, using 2 forks to flip. I think the best way might be to use a large electric skillet so you can do them in one go because the 2nd-3rd batches just didn’t get as crispy. They were delicious though! Can’t wait to hear the reviews, but I’d say this is 5 stars!
Alissabeth, 20 minutes from start to finish including clean up? Including making the 3 batches of onion crisps? What is your secret to such speed?
Yes, I’d love to know your secret. It took me 20 minutes just to trim and cut all my beans. I’m not the quickest with a knife but I think 20 minutes is very optimistic for most people. However, this was delicious and a hit at my Thanksgiving potluck. People liked the crispness of non-canned beans. I do think my onions could’ve been crispier on top, maybe next time I’ll try more butter for frying.
Ok, I misled you all (not intentionally, just didn’t clarify things)! Ha, sorry!
I bought precut and washed organic green beans from the produce dept., threw them in the steamer for 12 minutes. My mushrooms were already sliced, so I just had to chop them up a little more and throw them in. It was 20 minutes prep to pan, but not including the heating and onions the next morning. ;-) It took me 30 minutes to heat and do the onions while it was heating. Definitely worth it though! I think they key to the crispiness is the butter, but I really hate to use 2 sticks of butter for the 3 batches I did!
I did get some leftovers and I have to say this is the closest thing to the ‘traditional’ recipe that has all the junk. It was mostly gone except for a few spoonfuls.
I also actually didn’t cut them in half until they were cooked (missed the step), which actually worked well, because the ‘soup’ was ready and I just cut them in 1/3’s and mixed them right in the soup.
Wow, great recipe! I actually detest the regular cream soup type casserole, but your’s looks good enough to try. Though I’ll be using frozen green beans, since fresh local ones are no longer available. Plus, since the beans are lightly coated and not gloppy, my girls might eat it. It is hard to get my oldest to eat bland grocery store produce now that the “good” stuff is no longer in season at the farmer’s market.
Can you freeze this dish and bake it another time?
Hi Heidi. I’m sure you can but you would need to adjust your bake times for a frozen dish. ~Amy
Do you think it would work if you cook off the onions the day before and reheat that they would recrisp? Looking to see if this can be become a full or partial make ahead dish.
thanks
Hi Sharon. I think they would crisp up somewhat if you heat them in the oven as well. ~Amy
I have a couple of Gluten-free people in our family … do you think you could use coconut or almond flour instead of wheat? I’m thinking git might work on teh onions, but do you know if it would thicken the sauce?
thanks so much!
I’m going to try buckwheat flour.
I would try arrowroot starch/flour. Arrowroot flour thickens much like cornstarch, but is gluten free. Read the label when you purchase it, as many brands are part cassava(tapioca)starch or potato starch.
http://www.the-gluten-free-chef.com/arrowroot-flour.html
Thank you Jennifer & Kristin!
Thank you! Thank you! I asked for a real food version of green bean casserole and yours is great! Definitely a keeper!
Could this be made ahead and then baked a few hours later or do you think it would get soggy and gross? Also, any chance it could be made with almond milk? I am thinking no, but wanted to check. Thanks!! I love your website :) :)
I would try coconut milk…it still has enough fat to give a creamy consistency. I know some people hate coconut, and I don’t love it either but I swear I cannot taste it when I use coconut milk or oil. My husband says he can, but I sure can’t.
Did you use coconut milf in the can or a carton along with almond milk.
I always use unsweetened, full fat coconut milk in the box (non refrigerated)when cooking with it. I use So Delicious brand, it’s in a green carton (not the refrigerated cartons).
Hi Jennifer. It could be made ahead of time and baked a bit later. We’ve not tried any substitutions with this recipe. ~Amy
Could I use frozen green beans?
Hi Stephanie. I think so. I would thaw as to not have to adjust the cook time. ~Amy
I’ve used frozen green beans forever in my GBC. You can thaw them quickly by running warm water over them and then draining them real well with a bit of squeezing. Never had a problem!
Hi again! I just asked the same question about your Sweet Potato Casserole-so do you think I could make this the day before, minus the french fried onion topping, refrigerate, then bake the next day with the french fried onion topping?
Hello. I think that will work. :) ~Amy
I’m wondering the same thing! This is the dish I want to bring to my Mom’s for Thanksgiving and I’d like to have it all ready just throw it in the oven before dinner…
Thanks so much! :)
Trying this tonight, will let you know! Hubby has a Thanksgiving luncheon tomorrow at work.
Can you make the onions ahead of time?
HI Michelle. I think that will work fine. ~Amy
I was just trying to make a healthier version of the original casserole today. I used Greek yogurt with some braggs liquid aminos… instead of the traditional cream of mushroom soup. my fingers are crossed that it isn’t disgusting!
I’ve made a few other homemade versions that do not include all the processed stuff. The best one I made was just substituting homemade cream of mushroom soup and making a shallot/breadcrumb topping. It was good! Always nice to have another version on hand, and I will be making this later in the week for my husband’s Thanksgiving luncheon at work. I had originally intended on just making the traditional version with canned stuff, etc. (I know, that’s awful), but can’t even muster up the desire to buy that junk for other people to eat. Can’t wait to see what they think of this!
What would you suggest to replace the wheat flour in the green bean casserole?
I’m trying to avoid all wheat products, and anything non organic , or GMO
The casserole looks delish!
I’m going to try buckwheat flour. It’s a good sub for whole wheat flour.
you could try brown rice flour. :)
Sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to try it!! Do you think the onions could be made in advance, to save time?
Hi Shawn. I think that should work okay. ~Amy
Could you leave the mushrooms out? Is there a good substitution for them?
Hi Mandy. There is no real substitute for mushrooms but you could try to add a bit of broth. ~Amy
This so much better than the processed version . Even the leftovers were terrific!!
This is DELICIOUS. I just made it as part of our dinner tonight. My husband loves green bean casserole (the processed version) and I am sure he will love this!! You are right, this is much better than the “original’ casserole, and I always really liked it!! New spin on an old favorite holiday dish!!! Thank you!!!
I made this tonight and added pieces of cooked chicken and served it over brown rice. It was delicious!
So glad to find this! This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving foods and now I don’t have to feel guilty for eating it!
YES! You soooo made my day with this! W live in Mexico and certain canned foods (especially for thanksgiving meals) are so hard to find (or non existent!) . Tis year will be a 100% home made Thanksgiving, from this green bean casserole to the pumpkin for the pies. Soooo glad you postd this, was wondering how to copycat the french onions.
Yay! This is my first food challenge, and I am cooking Thanksgiving. So glad to have this. :-)
I’m from the States, but my husband and I live in France right now and I’ve been practicing a few classic Thanksgiving dishes to make sure I have them down for the big feast! I couldn’t find pre-made French Fried Onions like I was used to back in the States and finally made them myself. It’s sad that I honestly never would have even thought of doing them myself back home. It makes it “easier”(because there aren’t many processed options) to eat clean here, there’s less processed stuff and I am thankful! I don’t even have the temptation of “I don’t have time, I’ll get the packaged stuff” because it’s non-existent!
My husband is going to thank you!
I use cashew cream in place of all “cream of whatever” soups. It’s easy to make–1 cup raw cashews plus 1 cup water–Blend until smooth and creamy. (if you don’t have a powerful blender, just let the cashews soak for an hour first). You can use this instead of the flour, butter and milk. It thickens just like a traditional cream sauce. It is an amazing dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan way to make things creamy and delicious!
I have used vegetable blends or soy milk/almond milk in the recipe or you can also use the coconut oil. I use almond milk, coconut oil rather than butter and I use coconut flour rather than wheat flour for the onions. I dip the onions in the milk, shake then dredge in the coconut flour. You can fry them in the coconut oil or you can spray them with organic olive oil. Bake them in the oven at about 375 until brown then flip – about 5 – 10 minutes each side depending on thickness. Just keep an eye on them or it is not a pleasant smell if they burn. I prefer the baking – less greasy. Also a way to make GREAT onion rings. I do add some seasoning but then again, I like that.
It WILL be on the table this year for those who have or choose to be GF and/or dairy free.
Yum!!!!
Thanks for the recipe! Trying it later this week.
This is one of my favorite holiday recipes, thanks for reminding me I will make it this Thanksgiving.
How about salt,that would do it.As as for the unami taste there is unami paste that does not contain soy or flour.Chefs buy it from chef stores,I think Williams Sonoma has it,or did….
You read my mind! When I saw your post about the french fried onions, I was planning on coming up with a recipe for a healthier green bean casserole, since it is my favorite Thanksgiving dish and is so unhealthy. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely try it :)
Lisa,
Wanted to comment on a recent post so you’d see this. I’ll come back another time and read more about the G. Bean casserole…looks like a winner that I can feel good about making for the big family gathering. We NEVER use cream of chemical soups – so good to see an option.
The reason for my comment is that I googled ” Top 10 Foods for Teens”….and here’s what came up as the FIRST option:
https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/07/08/top-10-feeding-mistakes-parents-make/
How cool is that – Your (guest) post is the #1 link someone would see on what to feed a teenager! Awesome!
I help lead a High School small group at church, and we’re always looking for new ideas to “feed” them.. I “try” to avoid the bad stuff..but our youth pastor doesn’t usually buy “real food”. He’s cool with me voicing my convictions about healthy eating…but that’s just not always what we end up with :-)
That is very cool – thanks for sharing! And good luck with feeding your group well :)
Made this tonight! Had all the ingredients with the exception of the mushrooms and it was delicious without them! Even my two year old loved it. Thanks for sharing. Definitely adding it to the Thanksgiving menu!
Yay – victory! So glad to hear that. :)
Going to try these!
Can the French fried onions be cooked earlier and stored to minimize prep time on the casserole?
I can’t wait to try – this casserole has always been one of my favorites!
Cassidy – You could, but I don’t think they would be quite as crispy (although they will still have a great flavor).
Anyone tried using almond flour as a sub to make this paleo-ish??
Julie – I asked my friend Carrie with the Deliciously Organic blog (who eats Paleo) and this is what she said:
“I would use 1 tablespoons of coconut flour or 2 tablespoons arrowroot in place of the flour in the soup mixture and replace the soy with coconut aminos. As for the onions, you could just leave the flour out completely and make sure and get the onions nice and crispy.â€
I have never heard about coconut aminos before, so I quickly googled it and stumbled over the page http://www.coconutsecret.com
Ingredients of coconut aminos: certified organic raw coconut sap – naturally aged and blended with sun dired mineral-rich sea salt
According to their webpage, the coconut sap is tapped and then transferred by an unknonw aging process into coconut aminos. It is supposed to be the sam sap as the one for sugar production. They also give a table with the amino acid contents of the sap, and amino acids sum up to an astounding 80.79 % – that would be quite a protein source. Now add to that the sugar content and the coconut sap has a dry matter of more than 100 % – in other words, coconut sap must be solid. There is something wrong here. My take, the coconut aminos as produced by that company is a hoax.
This looks so good!! Did you use fresh organic green beans for this? I cant find any organic ones….
thanks
I honestly can hardly find organic ones either (unless they are in season at the farmers’ market).
I found fresh, organic, produced in the USA green beans at Trader Joes yesterday.
I wonder what the recipe was like before someone ‘conveince foodized’ the recipe to begin with
I did a quick google search and it confirmed what I had already suspected, there is no original non-convenience version. It was invented by Campbell Soup Company ;-)
http://www.ibtimes.com/green-bean-casserole-history-behind-classic-comfort-food-thanksgiving-staple-370464
What could be used in place of the whole wheat flour to make this paleo friendly?
Emily – I asked Carrie with the Deliciously Organic blog (my Paleo friend!) and this is what she said:
“I would use 1 tablespoons of coconut flour or 2 tablespoons arrowroot in place of the flour in the soup mixture and replace the soy with coconut aminos. As for the onions, you could just leave the flour out completely and make sure and get the onions nice and crispy.”
Good luck!
Thank you! We are trying to eat less processed foods and will definitely try this. I enjoy reading your blogs! Keep up the great work and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!
Good for you Tam and thank you! :)
If I wanted to prepare this ahead, does this reheat well? Or should is it okay to put together but don’t bake it till I’m ready to serve it? Looks delicious!!!
Charlotte – I think you can get away with making the casserole ahead of time, reheating it the day of, and adding freshly made onions on top. I would not make the onions ahead of time. Good luck!
I wonder how a stone-ground mustard would work in place of the soy sauce.
I know it’s not listed as an “official” replacement … but in thinking about flavor combinations, it might just give it those nice ‘layers of flavor’ we all expect in traditional green bean casserole.
I’ve used LePerrins worstershire sauce in it in the past (vs Soy) .. .. but the ingredients have changed in that also, much like everything else.
Interestingly enough, “Nathan’s” Brand Deli Style Mustard meets my personal 4-ingredient rule.
You could certainly experiment with that (or even leave the soy sauce out all together)…let us know how it turns out!
I make a cream of mushroom soup very similar than this that used thyme instead of soy sauce. Might give it a try. Also the soup mixture freezes well. You can thaw it to mix with the green beans the day of cooking. I frequently use frozen green beans instead of fresh because fresh can be difficult to find where I am.
What’s your recipe for cream of soup? I have one that I froze and it ended up so chunky from all the flour….was NOT good, lol!
Looks good!!
I will be subbing the wheat flour with rice flour.
You could probably use almond milk instead of milk, coconut oil instead of butter,
And either omit the soy all together or sub a little liquid aminos.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Is there any substitute for soysauce? I was so excited when I read this because I just knew I could make it for my brother since there would be no cream of any soup in it (which he cannot eat) but he is allergic to soy. Thanks in advance :)
You can use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. They give the same umami taste as soy sauce, without any soy or wheat. It is available at health food stores and online.
I make a similar version but mine has no soy sauce (frankly that just sounds weird.) Mine has a 1/2 tsp of thyme instead. So yummy!
I use Braggs liquid aminos. You can get at most groceries or health food store. Ive seen it at stop n shop. It tastes exactly like soy sauce.
Liquid Aminos is soy sauce. Please don’t serve someone allergic to soy this Braggs sauce. Just lad to let you know! Sorry. Just use some salt instead.
Coconut aminos — they are soy free and gluten free.
I’m wondering about substituting for the butter, milk and wheat flour. Any suggestions?
If I were to experiment, I would try a combo of coconut oil and olive oil for the butter, homemade almond milk for the milk, and oat flour, or millet flour for the wheat flour. I have not experimented with it, so if you do, post back and let me know what works! :-)
I just happen to have all of these ingredients. I can’t wait to try this out! Goodbye canned cream of mushroom soup!