Thanksgiving Green Bean Casserole
This casserole originates from a traditional recipe calling for canned mushroom soup, canned green beans, and a highly processed canned fried onion rings. When I was a kid, Thanksgiving dinner was not complete without this kid-friendly casserole. Creating a healthy version was easy, and it has become special in our home because the onion rings are made in-house. The onion rings require a bit more time, but it’s well worth the effort-that is, if you can manage to not eat all the onions rings before they make it to the top of the casserole!
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Onion Rings:
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1 1/4 cups whole grain flour (gluten free if necessary)
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 large white or red onion, sliced into ¼ inch thick rings
Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened plant-based milk
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Veggies:
- 12 ounces fresh mushrooms (any variety), sliced or chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons dry white wine, for sautéing
- 1 (24-ounces) package frozen French-cut or green beans or whole green beans, thawed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Line up three shallow bowls. In the first bowl, put the milk. In the second bow, put the flour. In the third bowl, combine the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt (optional).
- Coat the onion rings first in the flour then in the milk, and then in the bread crumb mixture. You can do several onions rings at once.
- Place the breaded onions on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Turn the oven temperature down to 375°F.
- Meanwhile, combine all the sauce ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, sauté the mushrooms in the wine over medium-high heat for 6-8 minutes or until tender.
- Transfer the mushrooms to a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and mix in the green beans. Pour the sauce over the vegetables, distributing it evenly. Top the casserole with the baked onion rings and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.