Healthy Green Bean Casserole

This creamy Healthy Green Bean Casserole is the absolute best! It tastes just like the classic and is the star of the table. You'd never never guess it's dairy free!

I love healthy Thanksgiving recipes and Thanksgiving loves meeeee!

The food, the chaos, the smells filling up the entire house, the fam time...everything about it is so yummy and nostalgic. I can't get enough Sweet Potato Casserole, Mushroom Stuffing, and Vegan Gravy. Spinach Mushroom Herb Stuffing.

Growing up, Thanksgiving was about eating three servings of Aunt Dee's chocolate pecan pie, endless plates of Grandma's sweet potato casserole with toasted marshmallows, and heaps of classic green bean casserole---french fried onions and all, baby!

And guess what? It still is!

How to make healthy green bean casserole

While there is a bit of prep, this gem comes together fairly quickly, especially if you use pre-sliced mushrooms and trimmed green beans!

1. Make the onion topping: No canned onions here! We're tossing sliced onions with a simple flour, breadcrumbs, and salt mixture then baking to crispy perfection.
2. Boil the green beans: Fresh or frozen works!
3. Make the cream sauce: Cashew cream makes the best healthy stand in for the soupy stuff. Combine it with sautéed mushrooms, white white, soy sauce, and nutmeg for the perfect healthy dairy-free cream sauce.
4. Assemble the casserole: Combine boiled green beans with the cream sauce and some onions. Top it with the rest of the onions and bake!

Key ingredients and tips

Creamy, crunchy, savory goodness with homemade mushroom cream sauce and crispy onions. Hey, it's a vegetable! And it's vegan and easily gluten free, if you can believe it.

• Green beans: Fresh, pre-trimmed for ease or frozen green beans are great. Pre-cut are nice too! Avoid canned because mush is no fun.
• Cashews: The key to a silky smooth cream sauce. Raw unsalted is best for flavor, but roasted will work in a pinch (but it'll have a more distinct cashew taste.
• Onions: For the crispy topping and for flavor in the casserole mixture.
• Mushrooms: A full pound of shrooms to add epic flavor to the green bean mixture. Baby bella, white, cremini, or a mix all work. Use your favorite!
• White wine: We're building flavor here, people. I like Chardonay (def pour yo'self a glass to enjoy while cooking). If you're alcohol-free, you can sub vegetable broth.
• Breadcrumbs + flour: Texture! Any flour works except almond or coconut. You can try an all purpose gluten free blend if needed.
• Soy sauce: A great pop of umami. Use tamari for gluten free.
• Garlic: Essential! Use frozen for ease if you fancy.

Is this recipe healthy?

Yes, very healthy! This recipe serves 8-10 people and is packed with plant power. While the traditional version is more on the heavy side, this veggie side is actually packed with vitamins and fiber versus a bunch of fat. This dietitian loves that a serving boats almost 6 grams of fiber and plant protein!

If sodium is a concern, you could always use reduced sodium soy sauce and season to taste with salt.

Can I make it ahead of time?

Indeed. Assemble it the day before and cook it the next day so you can focus on other dishes!

1. Make the green beans and the sauce up to one day in advance and store separately in the refrigerator. We won't make the onion topping until the day of so it's not soggy.
2. The next day, prepare the onion topping. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce in a large skillet. Combine sauce and beans,  per the step 6 of the recipe instructions.
3. Proceed with the rest of the recipe and bake!

Storage tips

To store: Refrigerate covered casserole for up to four days.

To reheat: Warm in the oven at 350F for crisp topping, or microwave a single portion until hot in a pinch. This doesn't freeze well because the green beans get mushy.

More healthy Thanksgiving recipes

• Cauliflower Stuffing
• Skillet Cornbread
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Pumpkin Pie Bars
• Favorite Cranberry Orange Sauce

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Photos by The Nutritious Kitchen.