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Freeze! Before you make your last run to the grocery store for Thanksgiving, give this Paleo Green Bean Casserole a look.
Healthy Green Bean Casserole (Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Are Green Beans Paleo?
Okay, the paleo purists will argue that green beans aren’t paleo … I put them into the “okay” column of borderline vegetables. I’m especially okay with them because Green Bean Casserole is my all time favorite holiday dish. I was the weird little kid going back for 3rds … of veggies.
Green Bean Casserole Ingredients
What’s involved in this paleo casserole? Glad you asked! We’ve got some homemade paleo French’s fried onions (baked & probably the best part), fresh green beans (goodbye canned), bacon (duh), and an awesome paleo gravy.
The paleo gravy combined with the delicious sauté of shallots, bacon, garlic, and mushrooms subs for the typical can of mushroom soup used in the American classic green bean casserole.
Can you make Green Bean Casserole ahead of time?
You can make this dish a day … or two … ahead or make and serve right away.
I get to spend this year’s Thanksgiving with my boyfriend’s family! I sure hope they think this looks tasty 😉
Gus and I are headed North/West equipped with this casserole and my Grandmother’s Apple Pie (not paleo). After all, what’s Thanksgiving without a little apple pie?
I wish you all a safe, blessed, and filling Thanksgiving Holiday!
Much love & many thanks,
Cassandra & Gus
Just for You
Veggie Recipes
Want more recipes like this?
Ingredients
Version 1:
- 1 lb Fresh Green Beans – I prefer Haricot Vert
- 8 oz Roughly Chopped Mushrooms
- 4 oz Bacon about 5 large strips
- 1 cup Thinly Sliced Yellow Onions
- 1/2 cup Finely Chopped Shallots
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- ½ cup Almond Meal
- 1.5 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 3 tsp Sea Salt
- 2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
- 2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil EVOO
Version 2:
- 1 medium yellow onion cut into 1/4 inch discs
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 cup pork rinds powdered
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans cleaned and ends trimmed off
- 2 tablespoons butter ghee, or bacon fat
- 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspon ground black pepper
- 1 pound bacon crispy & roughly chopped
Instructions
Version 1:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Aluminum foil is an acceptable substitute.
- Drizzle 1 Tbl EVOO on the thinly sliced yellow onions and sprinkle with 1 tsp sea salt. Massage the EVOO and salt evenly into the onions with your hands. Spread the onions out on the baking sheet evenly.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350F, removing from the oven and stirring/flipping every 10 minutes. You’re looking for a brown/crispy texture. [Note: cook for an additional 5+ minutes if they aren’t crispy enough].
- Put a large pot of water and salt on high heat and bring to a boil.
- Roughly chop the bacon and add to a sauté pan on high heat. Lightly crisp the bacon then add the chopped shallots. Once the shallots are slightly clear, add the minced garlic. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms and continue to stir on medium/high heat.
- Cut the green beans into half and add to the water when it starts boiling. Boil for 5 minutes then remove from the water and place in a bowl. When the mushrooms have cooked down and have a golden color, remove the entire bacon/scallion/garlic/mushroom mixture and place aside in a separate bowl.
- With the heat on medium/low, add 1 Tbl EVOO and 1 cup of the almond milk and stir with a metal whisk.
- Add half of the almond meal and whisk until it dissolves. Carefully add the rest of the almond milk and almond meal, whisking the mixture together over a medium simmer. Add 2 tsp sea salt and the 2 tsp pepper. Whisk until the gravy thickens slightly to the texture of heavy cream. Reduce the heat and add the bacon/mushroom mixture then stir.
- Add the green beans to the sauté pan and stir. Pour the entire mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil & the lid (if you have one) and bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
- Remove the foil/lid and sprinkle the dried onions evenly on top.
- Place back in oven for 5 minutes at 350F uncovered. Enjoy!
Version 2:
- Break apart the onion discs so that you have rings. Toss them in the beaten egg and then coat each onion in the powdered pork rinds. Lay them out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake at 300 for 30 – 45 minutes (or until they start to brown and look crispy). Remove from the oven and set aside and roughly chop up when cooled.
- Put the trimmed green beans in a large soup pot and cover with water. Set over medium heat and once it comes to a simmer, set the timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, drain and dunk in some cold or ice water to stop the cooking process.
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they’re reduced in size and browning.
- Add the coconut milk then whisk in the 2 tablespoons of arrowroot.
- Stir in the salt and pepper and let simmer, stirring continuously, for about 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, toss the green beans with the mushroom gravy and chopped bacon.
- Pour into a 9×13” casserole dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
- Remove from oven, toss the chopped onions on top and return to the oven again (uncovered) at 350 for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve warm.
michelledvk says
You’re dog is so stinkin cute!
fedandfit says
🙂
GiGi Eats Celebrities says
You & Your Pup = AMAZINGLY ADORABLE… Your Green Bean Casserole = AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS LOOKING! I am celebrating Thanksgiving with my family TODAY… About to start prepping the butternut squash, oh my, my stomach is soo soo excited 🙂
fedandfit says
Thank you so much! Butternut Squash sounds delicious. Enjoy your Thanksgiving!!
paleoinpdx says
Perfect revamp of the original recipe!
fedandfit says
Thank you!
Chikachef says
This is a fantastic replacement for the other version. Thank you!!!
Gus is adorable!
fedandfit says
Thank you!
Fitness Wayne | Paleo Diet and Exercise says
Your pictures are great, what kind of camera do you have? My pictures never turn out all that great when I take photos of my cooking.
fedandfit says
Thanks, Wayne! I use a Nikon D90. Truthfully, I take hundreds of photos and post the few that turned out well. Natural lighting and a stool to stand on helps tremendously. Happy cooking!
Whitney says
in your picture you show shallots but labeled them scallions. just wondering which one. i’m trying this today. it looks delicious.
fedandfit says
Great catch, Whitney!! You’re correct – they’re shallots. Thank you and I hope you like the dish!
Haley says
OMG your dog is so cute!! how old are you if you don’t mind me asking? Just wondering because I’m 19 and I love seeing that I am not the only young person in this universe that follows Paleo lol
fedandfit says
Thanks, Haley!! I’m 26 and will be 27 in the Spring. Good for you on the paleo! Keep it up 🙂
Haley says
Thanks and same to you 🙂
Michael P says
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a hit! Thanks for it!
fedandfit says
I’m so glad, Michael! Thank you for stopping by to let me know!
srose16 says
OMG this actually tastes WAY better than the regular. My non paleo family agrees! Thank you! And I love your dog, is he a pyranees? my dog is half pyranees half newfoundland
fedandfit says
What an awesome puppy mix! Yes, Gus is a Pyrenees. We also have a Newfie in the family! Both great dogs. I’m so glad you and your family liked the dish!!
sassyandpaleoish says
Reblogged this on sassyandpaleoish and commented:
Just in time for the holidays! Can’t wait to try!
Michelle says
this looks delicious! definitely a trade off for my thanksgiving dinner!
fedandfit says
I hope you love it!
Barbara says
Has anyone tried to make and freeze ahead of time? Thanks!
Andrea says
looking forward to making this …my non-dairy family thanks you for a new twist on a family favorite……Happy Thanksgiving!
fedandfit says
It’s my pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving, friend.
tamihagglundTami says
How would you recommend adjusting the cooking time if I get this ready except the baking part, and it’s coming from a cold fridge?
fedandfit says
If it starts off cold, I would recommend putting it in the oven at 350 F for about 15-20 minutes. Hope y’all love it!
YumPaleo says
Delicious!!! But prep time was MUCH more than 20 minutes….as with all Paleo dishes. 😉
fedandfit says
That’s good feedback! How long would you propose for the prep? I’m happy to update 🙂
Sherri Byers says
I made this for Easter 2014. Wow! It was the highlight of the dinner for everyone! The almond meal kept the taste rich & pure. I added a bit to much oil to the onions so they were not as crunchy as they should have been, but it was fantastic! Thank you!!
Cassy says
I’m so glad you liked it!!
Caitlin says
Hi! I was curious if subbing heavy cream for the almond milk would work well still?!
Cassy says
Absolutely! Sounds delicious.
Ali says
I just made this for Freindsgiving tomorrow- looks soo yummy!!! I already cooked it and everything. How would you recommend reheating it tomorrow?
Cassy says
I know I missed you, but I would pop it back in the oven (covered) at 350 for 15-20 minutes 🙂
Carmel says
Made this to go with our Thanksgiving meal this year and everyone was giving thanks for it – it was a hit!! Delicious! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Cassy says
Awesome! Thanks, Carmel!!
Jacki Duncan says
Ok Cassy just finished making the green bean casserole and it looks great! This took an hour for prep with all the cutting and chopping and measuring. Also I recommend cutting the bacon into bite size pieces as that is easier to eat. I’m also taking this to my sisters house in2 days for Christmas dinner so decided to bake it there. Wrapping the onions up in a Baggie to add after heating. Looks like it will be good. Thank you again.
Jacki
Jules says
Hi! Do you know if this will work with Coconut milk or cream instead of almond milk, I tend to like cooking better with CM than almond. Thanks!
Kelly says
Hi Jules! I would think coconut milk would work just fine. In fact it would make it a little creamier and thicker. Cassy also has an updated recipe for paleo green bean casserole in her Holiday Feast 2015, which is amazing (I made it last year so I can attest to it haha). The eBook has 50+ recipes for the holidays if you are interested in that. It can be purchased here: https://fedandfit.com/shop/
Colleen says
Can I use almond flour as opposed to almond meal?
Kelly says
Hi Colleen, yes that would work just fine. Hope you like it!
Erica says
Green beans aren’t paleo.
Kelly says
Hi Erica. Yes Cassy stated that in the beginning of the post. If your body can tolerate them, then I say it would be okay to eat them once in awhile, especially on a holiday like Thanksgiving.
Amy says
Hi Cassy!
This looks so yummy! Love your pic! How crucial is the almond meal? I’m trying to limit the nuts this year (well, except for the family/guests! LOL)! 🙂
Kelly says
Hi Amy! The almond meal helps thicken the sauce so you would need to replace it with something else. If you are trying to avoid nuts, I would suggest arrowroot, tapioca, or coconut flour. It wouldn’t be a 1:1 sub for the almond flour though, so you would need to add it slowly until it thickens up to your preference. I hope that helps some and it give it a go!
Amy says
Thanks, Kelly for answering my question! 🙂 I would probably give arrowroot a try…perhaps starting with a tbsp. and going from there. What do you think?
Kelly says
Yes, that sounds perfect and is exactly what I would do. Let us know how it turns out!
Sharla says
I just wanted to tell you I discovered this a few years ago and make it every year! Its delicious!!! Thanks for a great recipe!!!
Kelly says
Yay, that makes us so happy!! Thank you for trying and loving it Sharla 🙂
Grace says
OMG. I am a salt freak, but this recipe turned out too salty even for me! Also once my gravy was heavy cream consistency I proceeded as directed and in the end it was watery… ugh!
Marie says
In your narrative you mentioned French’s onions yet they are not listed in the ingredients. Are the roasted onions the substitute for them?
Kimberly says
I really want to make this for family Thanksgiving next week. one of our family members can not eat Garlic (so she says) so curious if would still turn out well without the garlic or if you have suggestion on alternative to keep the flavor?
Rachel says
Hello! Do you have suggestions for replacing the almond meal and almond milk? I have an allergy to tree nuts.
Christina says
I made this yesterday for a Boxing Day feast and it was fantastic! I love green bean casserole, but I haven’t been able to find a good paleo recipe for it… until now! This was the best green bean casserole I’ve ever had! Thanks for a great recipe.
Sarah says
I made this tonight with pork loin and red potatoes. I’m doing a whole 30, but I’m afraid tonight I definitely over-ate this side!! It was so good! I used coconut milk instead of almond milk. delicious!!!
Cathy says
I just made this tonight and it tastes amazing! My husband just found out he is diabetic, and we are going to a low carb diet, and this was just perfect, and does not sacrifice an ounce of taste or deliciousness, and is so satisfying and gives you all the flavor you want in a green bean casserole, but even better. You really outdid yourself with this recipe thank you!
Jamie says
Instead of using almond milk and almond meal to make a non-dairy cream sauce, would using Coffee Rich or another non-dairy heavy cream work?
Cassy says
It could!
Andrea @ French Pressed Kitchen says
I made this but subbed 1 Tablespoon of arrowroot powder for the almond meal. I ended up adding a little add a little more almond milk and it turned out great!! Would definitely make again and didn’t even miss the dairy!
Cassy says
I’m so glad you liked it, Andrea!
Shannon says
I have made your recipe numerous times and always come back to it for reference. However, the current recipe that’s posted (using pork rinds and coconut milk and arrowroot powder) is NOT the one that I have gotten from here in the past. I just hope I have a copy of the original one so I can continue to make it.
Kimberly says
I made this recipe a few weeks ago to try it out for Christmas… it was delicious! I came back to make a list of what I need and the recipe has changed. Is there any way I can get the original recipe? I loved it with the shallots and garlic and almond meal… I really don’t want to change it. Thanks!
Katie says
I made Version 1 of this and it was amazing! A big hit, even with my not-so-paleo extended family. Even my, “Does it at least have swiss cheese in it?” sister liked it ha!
One thing, though- is 2 tsp of pepper a typo maybe??? It seemed like a ton to me, so I only used about a teaspoon and a half, and it was still very peppery. I’ll probably just use 1 teaspoon or 3/4 next time. Perhaps because I used ground pepper instead of cracked..?? I guess cracked would take up more space and thus end up being less. Hmm. Might’ve just solved my own conundrum there 😀
Megan says
I made this last year for Thanksgiving and it was A HIT!! I’m so excited to bring it back again. Thank you for this great recipe!
Paige says
Hello! I was wondering if you think this would still taste OK without the mushrooms? I am allergic 🙁
Amber Goulden says
Yes, it’ll be fine without the mushrooms!
Becca says
I first made this recipe a few years ago, and it was a hit with everyone! I’m making it again this year, and am wondering if I can make the “base” of the recipe — the green beans with the gravy — the day before, then bake it and make the crisp onions the day of?
Amber Goulden says
You absolutely can Becca!
Becca says
After spending over an hour doing all of the prep, I’m so heartbroken that the instruction to add 2 tsp of sea salt to the gravy base totally ruined the whole dish — it was so insanely salty as to be inedible. Please consider changing the directions to add maybe 3/4 tsp sea salt and add more from there based on taste. I see I’m not the only commenter who had this experience! Thanks!!