Frying With Finch sent me their gluten-free universal breading to try. All opinions are my own.
Can you make green bean casserole healthy? That was my challenge this year, and I think I pulled it off.
The classic version is green beans drowned in a can of cream of mushroom soup, topped with a can of fried onions. It’s nostalgic, but it’s also heavy, salty, and not gluten-free, since both the soup and the onions have wheat in them. With smoked turkey and mac and cheese already on our table, I wanted a green bean dish that tasted like the casserole but ate like a vegetable.
So I kept what everybody loves and lost the rest. The beans are blanched and shocked in ice water so they stay bright green and snappy. Instead of cream soup, they’re tossed with sautéed shallots and just a splash of whole milk. And the crunchy topping is homemade: shallot rings tossed in Frying With Finch gluten-free universal breading and fried until golden.
Everyone at the table can eat it, gluten-free or not, and it’s done on the stovetop in about 30 minutes, which frees up your oven on Thanksgiving.
A Little Green Bean Casserole History
Green bean casserole was invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly, who worked in the home economics department at Campbell’s Soup Company in Camden, New Jersey. She was asked to create a quick, easy dish for an Associated Press feature using ingredients most American kitchens already had: green beans, cream of mushroom soup and crispy fried onions. Campbell’s printed it on its soup cans as “Green Bean Bake,” and it took off. Today Campbell’s estimates it shows up at about 20 million Thanksgiving dinners every year, and Reilly’s original recipe card now sits in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio.
Why This Works
- Blanch and ice bath. A quick boil and a plunge into ice water keep the beans bright green and crisp-tender, not army-green and mushy.
- Shallots two ways. Sautéed shallots give the sauce a sweet, oniony base; fried shallots replace the canned onions on top.
- A splash of milk instead of a can of soup. Just enough to coat the beans and carry the shallot flavor, with far less fat and salt.
- Gluten-free breading on the shallots gives a light, crisp coating, so the whole dish is gluten-free.
- Stovetop only. No baking, so your oven stays free for the turkey and sides.
How It Comes Together
1. Bread and fry the shallots
Slice the shallot into thin rings, separate them, and toss them with the gluten-free breading by hand. Fry in avocado oil until deep golden, then drain on a paper towel and salt them right away.
2. Blanch and shock the beans
A 2–3 minute boil in salted water, then straight into ice water. This is what keeps them that bright green.
3. Toss with shallots and a splash of milk
Sauté the chopped shallot in olive oil, add the beans, then just a scant quarter cup of whole milk to coat. Pile the crispy shallots on top right before serving.
Green Bean Casserole FAQ
Can you make green bean casserole without cream of mushroom soup?
Yes. This version uses sautéed shallots and a splash of whole milk for a light, creamy coating, with far less fat and salt than the canned soup.
Is regular green bean casserole gluten-free?
Usually not. Canned cream of mushroom soup and canned fried onions both typically contain wheat. Here, the shallots are coated in gluten-free breading and there’s no soup, so the whole dish is gluten-free.
How do I keep green beans bright green?
Blanch them briefly in salted boiling water, then plunge them into ice water right away. That stops the cooking and locks in the color.
Can I make it ahead for Thanksgiving?
Yes. Fry the shallots and blanch the beans ahead, then do the 5-minute final toss and topping right before serving.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
Classic casserole or lightened up? Tell me in the comments which side of the Thanksgiving table you’re on.
The Recipe
Healthier Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
Crispy shallots
- 1 small shallot, sliced into thin rings and separated
- 3 tbsp Frying With Finch gluten-free universal breading
- ¾–1 cup avocado oil, for shallow frying
- 1 pinch salt
Green beans
- 8–10 oz green beans, trimmed and halved
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- scant ¼ cup whole milk
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bread the shallots. Put the shallot rings in a bowl, sprinkle the breading over them and toss with your hands until every ring is coated.
- Fry them. Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add the shallots and fry, stirring, until deep golden, 2–4 minutes. Lift them out with a strainer onto a paper towel and salt them right away.
- Blanch the beans. Boil the green beans in well-salted water for 2–3 minutes, until bright green and just tender. Move them straight into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then drain.
- Sauté the shallots. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped shallot in the olive oil until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Toss it together. Add the beans and toss to warm through. Pour in the milk and stir until it coats the beans and bubbles slightly, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
- Top and serve. Spoon into a serving bowl and pile the crispy shallots on top just before serving so they stay crunchy.
comments – I answer every one.