Healthy Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

Published 10/31/2023 This is a favorite Fit Foodie Finds Thanksgiving side dish. You all have been making it and love it for years! One of my all-time favorite Thanksgiving recipes is green bean casserole. Growing up, my family used to make it the old-fashioned way with canned green beans, Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, and crunchy onions (or Funyuns). While there’s nothing wrong with that version, we wanted to give this classic Thanksgiving side a Fit Foodie upgrade with healthy, better-for-you ingredients. Meet our healthy green bean casserole! It’s just as creamy and still topped with crunchy onions, but everything is homemade with real ingredients. The casserole portion features a from-scratch mushroom gravy that we combine with fresh green beans. The crispy onions bake in the oven and are wonderfully seasoned with parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. When combined, this oven-baked green bean casserole has so much savory flavor and is much lighter than the classic. This is a welcome addition to any holiday dinner menu!

What You Need for Healthy Green Bean Casserole

Fresh green beans Mushrooms Butter + milk Flour Broth + salt

Crunchy Onion Topping

Ditch the can of crispy fried onions and top this casserole with real baked crunchy onions. Toss sliced red onions in an egg wash (egg + water) and coat the slices with breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. They’ll crisp up as they bake. For maximum crispiness, we recommend broiling them for a few minutes before using them to top the casserole. Don’t skip this step!

Green Bean Casserole Variations

Use our casserole recipe as a starting point and customize it to your liking! Here are a few swaps and substitutions to try: Mushrooms: Instead of cremini mushrooms, use the same amount of any kind of white mushroom. Gluten Free: For a gluten free green bean casserole, use certified GF breadcrumbs and GF flour. Add Bacon: Before serving, sprinkle the baked green bean casserole with cooked, crumbled bacon for a savory twist (similar to our green bean casserole with bacon). Vegan: Make our vegan green bean casserole for a completely vegan side dish.

Storage

If you have any leftover green bean casserole, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Thanksgiving Sides

Green Beans Almondine From Scratch Cornbread Dressing Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Roasted Delicata Squash Crockpot Mashed Potatoes

Make Ahead Healthy Green Bean Casserole Directions

If you plan to make this green bean casserole ahead of time, prepare the mushroom gravy and toss with the uncooked green beans in the casserole dish. Tightly cover the casserole dish for up to 2 days – when ready to bake, follow the instructions in the recipe below. For best results, wait to make the onions until immediately prior to serving so they are perfectly crunchy! We don’t recommend freezing green beans casserole.

Serving Suggestions

It’s not Thanksgiving without green bean casserole! Add this healthy version to your menu this year – serve it alongside other favorite sides like sweet potato casserole (or mashed sweet potatoes), crockpot mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, and roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon.