Wholesome Inexperienced Bean Casserole – Slender Kitchen

Wholesome Inexperienced Bean Casserole is a lighter, extra trendy twist on the unique. As a substitute of the standard cream of mushroom soup and canned crispy onions, we make our personal mushroom gravy and crispy onions!

I’ve by no means been a fan of the normal inexperienced bean casserole due to the mushy inexperienced beans. However this more healthy model made me convert to a full on fan! This model is something however mushy. The inexperienced beans are vibrant inexperienced and nonetheless have some crunch. The crispy almond, onion, and breadcrumb topping is addictively scrumptious. Then there’s the wealthy, mushroom gravy. This dish can be successful on any vacation desk.

Add it to your Thanksgiving desk with a Crockpot Boneless Turkey Breast, cranberry sauce, roasted vegetables, and stuffing.

Why You may Love This Basic Thanksgiving Facet Dish

This casserole will rapidly develop into one in every of your favourite aspect dishes for the vacations. Right here’s why:

• Contemporary: My model does not use any canned soups, which can lead to a mushy casserole. As a substitute, I exploit recent inexperienced beans for a little bit crunch and a wealthy home made mushroom gravy that provides tons of taste!
• More healthy: Creamed and canned soups can add further energy, which everyone knows is not an issue through the holidays! This recipe retains issues gentle with out skimping on taste.
• Straightforward to throw collectively: This recipe solely has round 10 minutes of prep time, so you possibly can rapidly throw it collectively with out the stress!

Elements and Substitutions

Right here is every little thing you want for this tasty home made inexperienced bean casserole:

• Contemporary inexperienced beans: As a substitute of conventional canned inexperienced beans, this recipe makes use of recent inexperienced beans. Trim the ends and select inexperienced beans which can be vibrant inexperienced and agency.
• Butter: Butter provides richness to this dish and can be a key ingredient in making mushroom gravy. You may swap in olive oil, but it surely will not have the identical wealthy taste.
• Shallots: Shallots exchange the normal French fried onions. Shallots have a milder onion taste and a few sweetness. You might additionally use crimson onions or yellow onions when you like.
• Panko breadcrumbs: So as to add some crunch, Panko breadcrumbs are good. Conventional or gluten-free breadcrumbs can be used.
• Sliced almonds: So as to add some extra crunch, I like so as to add sliced almonds to the topping as nicely. Skip them for a extra conventional topping.
• Cremini mushrooms: As a substitute of canned cream of mushroom soup, this recipe makes use of a home made gravy made with sliced mushrooms. Swap in child bella mushrooms, sliced white mushrooms, or a mixture.
• Garlic cloves: Garlic provides a number of taste to the mushroom sauce. Contemporary is finest, however garlic powder or minced garlic can be used.
• White entire wheat flour: Flour acts as a thickener for the mushroom sauce. Any kind of flour, together with gluten-free, will work to make the roux and thicken the sauce.
• Decreased fats milk: To imitate the creaminess in canned mushroom soup, milk is used within the sauce. Use entire milk or cream for a richer sauce. Use unsweetened almond milk or soy milk for a dairy-free choice.
• Vegetable bouillon cubes: So as to add wealthy taste and umami to the sauce, bouillon cubes are an excellent choice. Use hen or vegetable cubes. If you do not have bouillon or choose to not use it, season the sauce with soy sauce, tamari, coconut aminos, salt, and pepper.

How to decide on inexperienced beans?

This recipe will get a whole lot of taste from the recent, crisp inexperienced beans. When selecting inexperienced beans within the retailer, ensure to search for inexperienced beans which can be vibrant in coloration with out brown spots or bruising. They need to be agency with out wrinkling. Additionally when you snap one in half, it must be a crispy break. Keep away from soggy or limp inexperienced beans.

To organize them for cooking, begin by washing them nicely to take away any dust and particles. Then trim off the ends and minimize any further lengthy beans in half for simpler consuming. For a shortcut, search for inexperienced beans which have already been trimmed.

Can I exploit canned inexperienced beans as a substitute?

Whereas I like the crunchiness and taste that recent inexperienced beans add to this casserole, you should use canned inexperienced beans in a pinch. Make certain to empty and rinse them totally earlier than including them to the casserole. Additionally, canned inexperienced beans are softer than recent ones, so you will not get that very same crunch.

In the event you like, you should use frozen inexperienced beans as a substitute of canned for a bit extra crunch. Simply ensure to defrost them fully earlier than including them to the casserole!

What is the secret to the most effective Wholesome Inexperienced Bean Casserole?

My go-to secret is utilizing bouillon cubes or paste to make the mushroom gravy. Bouillon delivers wealthy, umami taste with out requiring hours of cooking or extra fats! Not all bouillon is created equal, so I like to recommend selecting choices which can be MSG-free and decrease in sodium, like Higher than Bouillon or BOU cubes. Home made variations are nice, too!

Find out how to Make Inexperienced Bean Casserole

This inexperienced bean casserole is tremendous straightforward to make! Listed here are some fundamental steps to get began:

1.Steam the inexperienced beans

To verify the inexperienced beans are vibrant inexperienced and tender-crisp, they have to be parboiled for 3-4 minutes. Make certain to place them in an ice bathtub after so they do not proceed to cook dinner.

2.Make the mushroom sauce

Subsequent comes the mushroom gravy. It begins with cremini mushrooms sautéed in a contact of butter and plenty of garlic. As soon as they get good and tender, it’s time to make the gravy utilizing low-fat milk, entire wheat flour, and hen or vegetable bouillon.

The bouillon provides that wealthy, savory taste that makes the gravy style indulgent with out utilizing all of the butter and heavy cream historically utilized in inexperienced bean casserole. That is tossed with the inexperienced beans.

3.Make the crispy onion topping

To complete issues off, you possibly can’t have inexperienced bean casserole with out the crispy onion topping. For mine, I at all times begin with shallots, since they’ve loads of onion taste with out the chew.

These are cooked down in butter after which tossed with toasted Panko breadcrumbs and sliced almonds. The almonds add nuttiness and are at all times a good suggestion with inexperienced beans.

4.Assemble and bake

Pour the inexperienced beans and mushroom gravy right into a baking dish and prime with the onions. In 25 minutes, you will have probably the most wonderful, lightened-up, flavor-packed Inexperienced Bean Casserole!

It must be on each vacation desk, for my part.

What to Serve with Wholesome Inexperienced Bean Casserole

This inexperienced bean casserole is ideal for a healthy Thanksgiving served with these predominant dishes:

Make Forward Suggestions

Listed here are our greatest suggestions for prepping this recipe forward of time:

Because you need the inexperienced beans to be recent with some crunch, I don’t suggest making this forward of time. Nevertheless, you possibly can blanch the inexperienced beans and make the mushroom gravy 1-2 days prematurely. Retailer the inexperienced beans and sauce individually within the fridge. Then, simply assemble and bake.

Recipe Concepts and Suggestions

The following pointers will take your inexperienced bean casserole to the following degree:

• Nutmeg: Kick up the vacation taste with some recent nutmeg within the mushroom gravy.
• Extra onion taste: For extra onion taste, use crimson onion or candy Vidalia onion instead of the shallots.
• Add herbs: Add recent herbs like thyme or rosemary.
• Gluten-free: For a gluten-free choice, use gluten-free breadcrumbs and flour.
• Vegan: For a vegan choice, use plant-based milk.
• Add cheese: In the event you love cheese, take into account including some Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb topping and mushroom gravy.
• Change up the vegetable: This recipe additionally works nice with Brussels sprouts or broccoli. Don’t neglect to parboil them earlier than assembling the casserole!

Storage and Reheating

Storing and reheating this recipe is tremendous straightforward! This is how we do it:

• Storing: If you’re storing this dish after it’s cooked, ensure to maintain it in an hermetic container. It should final 3-4 days within the fridge.
• Reheating: Reheat the inexperienced bean casserole within the oven at 350 levels till it’s effervescent barely and warmed by means of. Cooking time will rely upon how a lot you’re reheating. It can be reheated within the microwave, however it could lose some crunch.