Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole
Ah, the holiday staple, green bean casserole. I admit that I was never a huge fan of this dish. What I did love were those crispy onions that I could eat by the can full if allowed! But because those onions and that gloopy soup from a can don’t fit with my gluten free and mostly paleo diet, it’s been quite a number of years since I’ve enjoyed this dish.
Last year, I discovered Mom’s Place Gluten Free (not sponsored) and ordered a bunch of different items to try. There are all sorts of breads and bread-like items and most of those are just ok, in my opinion. But what I really do love are their soup mixes. They make cream of mushroom (used here), cream of celery, cream of chicken and onion soup mix. These mixes are not paleo because they do contain some grain flours and many also contain milk powder, but they are certified gluten free and add so much flavor to many dishes. With these little packets of seasoning in my cupboard, I often add a teaspoon or two to recipes that I think just need a little something extra.
The mushroom soup does come in a dairy free version if you prefer that. And if you don’t have time to place an order, but you do have a Trader Joe’s nearby, they offer a Umami Seasoning Blend that would make a good substitute. Perhaps there are other versions of that seasoning blend at your grocery story, but I don’t know of any. If you do, please leave a comment and let us know!
If you’ve been missing green bean casserole since changing your diet, I hope this recipe will bring back great memories and satisfy that craving!
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. green beans cleaned and trimmed
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepepr
- 1 lb. bacon cooked and crumbled
- 3 Tbsp. reserved bacon fat
- 6 Tbsp. Mom's Place Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix see note
- 2 cups almond milk or other dairy free milk of your choice
- 1 cup chicken broth
Topping
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil or butter
- 2 medium shallots
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, add your green beans and cook about 10 minutes, or until bright green. Remove from the boiling water and plunge beans into a bowl of ice water. Once cool, drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat the 2 Tbsp. of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are soft and have given up much of their liquid.
- While the beans and mushrooms are cooking, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble it and set aside. Reserve the drippings for making the sauce.
- Once the mushrooms are soft, remove them from the skillet, add to the bowl with the drained green beans.
- To the skillet, add the bacon grease and melt. Add the soup seasoning and whisk. This will make a thick roux. Once that mixture bubbles, slowly begin adding the milk and broth, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for a couple minutes.
- Mix the sauce in with the mushrooms and green beans. Pour into a greased 9×13 baking dish.
- Bake casserole for 45 minutes. While the casserole is baking, prepare the shallot topping by heating the remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Thinly slice the shallots and cook, stirring constantly, until shallots are crisp, but not burned. Remove from the heat and set aside. Combine with the crumbled bacon.
- After 45 minutes of baking, remove the casserole from the oven, top with shallots and bacon and return to oven for 15 more minutes or until ready to serve.
- This casserole can be baked at slightly different temperatures and for a little more or less time. It's very flexible so works well with a big holiday feast!