Green Bean Casserole

By pattie_d

"Very Good. I used fresh green beans instead of the frozen french cut and used the French fried onions (purchased in a carton) on top. I also will leave out the buttermilk powder the next time I make it as it adds more of a sour taste...

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 1 medium sweet onion, (half diced, half thinly sliced), divided
• 8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 3 tablespoons dry sherry, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 pound frozen French-cut green beans, (about 4 cups)
• 1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk powder, (see Ingredient Note)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 2 1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, onion powder, 1 teaspoon salt, thyme and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushroom juices are almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle 1/3 cup flour over the vegetables; stir to coat. Add milk and sherry and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in green beans and return to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in sour cream and buttermilk powder. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

Whisk the remaining 1/3 cup flour, paprika, garlic powder and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Add sliced onion; toss to coat. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with any remaining flour mixture and cook, turning once or twice, until golden and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes. Spread the onion topping over the casserole.

Bake the casserole until bubbling, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

EatingWell Green Bean Casserole
Traditionally made with butter, canned soup and canned French-fried onions, this classic is high in calories, sodium and saturated fat. We get an equally delicious result by using fresh mushrooms, low-fat milk and lightly pan-fried sweet onions coated with garlic-seasoned flour. When you taste our version, we’re sure you’ll agree this is one culinary icon that was ready for a re-invention.

HOW WE MADE IT HEALTHIER
We skip the canned mushroom soup (which has plenty of sodium) and instead make our own creamy sauce.
We use frozen green beans instead of fresh - this keeps it easy, but still healthy. Frozen beans are a great option— they're picked at the peak of ripeness when they have plenty of nutrients then frozen right away.

To reduce sodium we call for sherry in this recipe- but don't use cooking sherry as it has added sodium.

Buttermilk powder is one of the "secret" ingredients that makes this so "rich" tasting but still healthy. It adds depth of flavor but not a lot of calories or fat. Look for it in the baking section of your supermarket.