There’s no question that the traditional green bean casserole was my absolute favorite dish on the Thanksgiving and/or Christmas table. I know for many, it was either a fave or they hated it ….there was really no in between. I actually know a family who didn’t like it at all but thought it should be on the table because it was the “thing to do” and it rounded off the food spread in terms of traditional foods. For me, cranberry sauce was “that food” that always made its way to the table but pretty much ended up in the trash (although now I have a spicy cranberry recipe that I love and take it every year to our Thanksgiving potluck dinner).
After years of going without the green bean casserole, I finally decided to dabble in the kitchen and get one on our table this year, without canned soup and fried onions from a container. And I accomplished just that! I’m not gonna lie – I pretty much ate the entire dish while “testing” it out. I did manage to save some for my husband so I could get the thumbs up or down on this recipe. I’m happy to report that he gave me 2 thumbs up and like me, found it hard to stop eating it.
I honestly don’t know if that makes this recipe a good or bad thing. I’m all for loving a food but then again, loving it so much that you overeat may not be the best thing …..right??!? Whatever – it’s not like I’ll be whipping this up on a weekly basis. I personally like to keep dishes like this, strictly made around the holidays so it’s special and becomes tradition.
Alrighty guys ….I’ll let you have at the recipe. Please let me know if you give it a try and how it goes. I don’t know about you but I don’t like to let my family in on my “secrets” when it comes to paleo-ifying a recipe until AFTER they eat it. So I look forward to hearing their reactions as well as yours!
- 12 oz green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 8oz package of sliced mushrooms
- 2 tbsp ghee + 1 tbsp
- Sprinkle of salt and garlic powder
- 1/2 large onion
- 1/3 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup cashew milk
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 2 tbsp tapioca flour
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Remaining of 1/2 onion, sliced and roughly chopped.
- 1/3 cup cashew milk
- 1/4 cup almond flour
- 1 tbsp tapioca flour
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (If you do not have a double oven and cannot use broiler and oven at the same time, head straight down to Onion Topping directions and do that first).
- In a large pan, melt ghee and add mushrooms. Cook until slightly softened ...about 5-7 min. Add in green beans and a sprinkle of salt and garlic powder. Place lid on slightly ajar and cook about 8-10 minutes.
- While green beans are cooking on stove, add 1/4 of the onion, chicken stock, cashew milk, cashew butter, tapioca flour, salt and garlic powder to a blender and whirl up to combine.
- Strain green beans and mushrooms. While they are in strainer, add the cashew milk concoction into the pan that was just used for green beans. Warm on low to medium heat, stirring frequently until thickened. Stir in 1 tbsp ghee.
- Put your green beans into a 8x8ish baking dish (I used a round dish) and pour/spoon out the thickened cashew mixture onto green beans. Stir to combine.
- Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
- Start broiler to high.
- In a small bowl, set the largely chopped onions into the almond milk.
- In a ziploc, combine the flours, garlic powder and salt.
- Grab the onions with a slotted spoon and place into the ziploc with flour mixture. Shake to incorporate and cover all onions.
- Lay onto a baking sheet in a single layer and place under broiler for 5-7 minutes.
- When green beans are done at the 20 minute mark, top with onions and put back into oven for 5 minutes.
- *If you cannot use broiler at the same time as oven, broil the onions first (while green beans are on stove top), then set to the side until ready to use.
