Ditch the canned mushroom soup and processed fried onions this Thanksgiving! Make this Healthier Green Bean Casserole from scratch with fresh mushrooms, green beans, and onions. This easy recipe has the creamy and crunchy textures of the original classic dish, but the taste does not compare! 

I did not grow up with green bean casserole as a Thanksgiving staple. In fact, I had never heard of it or tried it until I was in college and had Thanksgiving dinner with Tom’s family. I don’t recall if his family made it with frozen or canned green beans. I’ve had both versions and am definitely not a fan of the canned green bean version.

Tom and I have made it a few times over the years, but haven’t had it in a long time. Dorcas Reilley, who worked for Campbell’s Soup Company, created the original recipe in 1955. (Your fun fact of the day!) Since it is such an American classic, I thought I’d come up with a healthier spin. 

Tammy’s Tips For Healthier Green Bean Casserole

Can I make it ahead of time? – You can make the green beans and the mushroom sauce ahead of time. Follow the steps in the recipe until you get to the crispy onions. I would make the onions just before you are ready to put the casserole in the oven so they will stay nice and crispy.

Sliced Toasted Almonds – I added sliced almonds for an extra crunch, but you can omit them if you’re not feeling it.

Milk – Both whole milk or plant-based milk work in this recipe.

Coco Aminos – The Campbell’s recipe calls for soy sauce. I use organic coco aminos instead of soy sauce because it has 73% less sodium than soy sauce. Coco aminos are made from the fermented sap of the coconut palm and sea salt and make a great substitute for soy sauce.

You won’t find any MSG, refined oils, or artificial flavors in this recipe. What you will find are fresh ingredients and amazing flavor that tastes so much better than the original! Your friends and family will love it! Although, I’m sure Campbell’s prefers Reilley’s recipe. 😉

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Healthier Green Bean Casserole

Ditch the canned mushroom soup and processed fried onions this Thanksgiving! Make this Healthier Green Bean Casserole from scratch with fresh mushrooms, green beans, and onions. This easy recipe has the creamy and crunchy textures of the original classic dish, but the taste does not compare!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted optional

Mushroom Sauce

• 1/4 cup butter
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp coco aminos can use low sodium tamari or low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup mushroom broth can sub your choice of broth
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk can sub plant-based milk

Crispy Onions

• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 cup butter

Instructions

Green Beans

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

   Cook green beans in large pot of salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add green beans to a large bowl and set aside.

Mushroom Sauce

1. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Mix in garlic, thyme, coco aminos, and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add 1/2 cup of flour and stir until thoroughly combined.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Whisk in broth and milk and bring to a light boil. Continue to stir until sauce thickens, about 4-5 minutes.

3. Add sauce and almonds to the green beans, reserving 2 tbsp of almonds for top of casserole. Stir to coat. Transfer to a casserole dish.

Crispy Onions

1. Mix flour, salt, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Add onions and toss to coat. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions in even layer and cook for 1-2 minutes. Flip onions and continue cooking until onions are browned. You may need to do this in 2 batches adding more butter if needed.

2. Arrange onions and reserved almonds over green bean mixture. Bake, uncovered until bubbly, about 30-35 minutes.

Recipe Notes

We recommend using organic ingredients whenever possible.

You might also enjoy this recipe for Green Bean Salad with Balsamic Glaze.