I want to start off by saying thank you to all of our veterans, past, present, and future. It’s only because of what you do that we are able to live the lives we do and I am forever grateful for this life!
And it being Veteran’s Day also means that we’re just barely two weeks away from Thanksgiving already. Can you believe it? I sure can’t Wasn’t it just Labor Day??
And in the hustle and bustle of holiday prep, menu planning, and then the inevitable after-holiday crash dieting, I thought maybe I’d share a healthier version of a Thanksgiving favorite.
Now, don’t go quoting me that this is the healthiest thing ever, ever. It’s just healthier than traditional green bean casserole. And, if I’m honest, I liked it better than most that I’ve ever had. I usually don’t put this on my Thanksgiving plate. Maybe because it usually has mushrooms? I don’t know.
But for a newsletter that my office puts out, they wanted to do a healthy recipes section, and they asked me if I would make and photograph a few things for it. Of course I said yes!! I let them pick the recipes, and then I got busy in the kitchen. This was the first thing I made. It was easy, didn’t take me much time, and most importantly, it turned out to be super delicious. J loved it.
I made a few minor adaptations to the recipe they gave me, because 1) we don’t do mushrooms in our house. Blech. 2) I don’t use margarine (real butter, please), and 3) my grocery store didn’t have the French onion cheese wedges. I think the garlic and herb swiss cheese wedges were way better than French onion would have been anyway. Just sayin’. I also used almond milk because…that’s what we have at our house. Shrug.
All of that rambling to say that, in the midst of all the holiday food and temptations, you can make this favorite and gobble it down without the side of guilt that sometimes comes with all holiday food. Or, maybe you are one of the blessed who can eat all the foods without a worry. That’s ok – you can still make this, because it’s delicious and you’ll never miss the old ways of making it.
And you have plenty of time to substitute this into your menu. 2 weeks early. See how nice I am to share?? You’re welcome. So. very. welcome.
Healthier Green Bean Casserole
Adapted from American Diabetes Association – My Food Advisor
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms, diced (or not…I left these out)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ½ cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tsp corn starch
- 2 tsp cold water
- 4 Laughing Cow, Creamy Swiss Garlic & Herb cheese wedges
- 1/4 cup 1% milk (or almond milk)
- 2 -14.5 oz cans of cut green beans, drained (or 4 cups fresh cut green beans, blanched first)
- 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 1.5 quart baking dish with cooking spray (I used a 9-in pie dish and it worked fabulously!)
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté 2-3 minutes, until slightly softened. Then add the butter and stir until melted. Add mushrooms, if using, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 more minutes.
- Pour chicken broth into pan and simmer for 1 minute.
- In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and water, then add to the pan and stir for 1 minute.
- Add cheese wedges to pan and mix well, until mostly melted. Add milk to pan and stir to incorporate. Cook additional 2-3 minutes until thick.
- Remove from heat and stir in green beans. Pour green bean mixture into baking dish.
- In a small bowl mix together the Panko and melted butter. Sprinkle on top of the green bean mixture, and baked for 15-20 minutes, until casserole is bubbly and Panko is lightly browned.
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