Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole makes the perfect vegetable-filled, nourishing side dish for winter! I’ve already got my eyes on my Thanksgiving menu, and this gluten free recipe is sure to make an appearance.
It’s not only dairy free — it’s gluten free, low carb, keto-friendly, paleo, and Whole30. So unless you’re a vegetarian or vegan (I topped it with bacon because DUH), this casserole fits all sorts of lifestyles while still providing those earthy, warm, comforting flavors that we tend to lean on for wintertime gatherings.
How to make homemade cream of mushroom soup
The big hurdle when creating dairy free green bean casserole is replacing the dairy-based, preservative-filled cream of mushroom soup that had a forever spot in my childhood pantry.
Well, I’m not going to lie here — making your own is a bit more time-consuming than opening a can and dumping in the contents.
BUT, homemade mushroom sauce is SO creamy and SO flavorful, that I think you’ll find the reward for the effort more than worthwhile.
Essentially, you’ll start with a roux, which is simply a thickening agent for sauces traditionally created with equal parts flour and butter.
For this dairy free and gluten free version, though, our roux will be made from cassava flour and ghee/olive oil.
How to make gluten free roux
To start a roux, melt the ghee or olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the cassava flour (my favorite wheat flour substitute!) and whisk to combine. Keep whisking while the mixture cooks.
After a few minutes, the mixture should be light in color and puffed up slightly. This is a light roux, and the perfect place to stop for béchamel sauce, light gravies, and some thick soups.
That's exactly what we want for this dairy free green bean casserole. Perfect!
How to prep homemade green bean casserole in advance
If you plan to make this dairy free green bean casserole over the holidays, you may want to save yourself some cooking on the day of and prep as much as you can of this recipe in advance.
Sidebar: I highly recommend prepping in advance for big “food holidays” like Thanksgiving. It makes the day of MUCH easier, and you’ll have more time for family and friends!
Prepping this recipe in advance is fairly simple. You’ll just get the bacon, veggies, and sauce prepped separately so that on the day of serving, you can combine it all and pop it in the oven.
Here are the “steps”:
- Crisp the bacon and let cool. Store the bacon on its own in one container.
- Prepare the green beans and mushrooms exactly as the directions describe, but once you’ve stirred together the green beans and mushrooms, store them in their own separate container.
- Prep the sauce by making a roux and stirring in the mushroom water and coconut milk. Once it’s thickened to your liking and you’ve stirred in the spices and herbs, transfer it to a container and store in the fridge.
The next day, you’ll preheat the oven and continue with the instructions. Simple!
More dairy free side dish recipes:
- Mushroom, Bacon, and Cauliflower Casserole
- Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus
- Roasted Garlic Butter Sweet Potato Mash
- Maple Bacon Asparagus
- Chipotle Honey Roasted Carrots
📖 Recipe
Bacon-Topped Dairy Free Green Bean Casserole
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
Who needs fried onions? This dairy free, paleo, and keto version of green bean casserole is topped with crispy bacon instead. Trust me, you don't want to pass this recipe up for your holiday gatherings!
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 ½ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
- ½ ounce dried mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon ghee, butter, or extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 12 ounces uncured bacon, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup diced yellow onions
- 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons cassava flour
- 2 cups full-fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring water to boiling in a small saucepan. Add the beans and cook for 3 minutes, then drain but preserve 1 cup water. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to blanch the beans and stop cooking. Drain again. In a separate bowl, pour reserved boiling water over the dried mushrooms. Let stand for 15 minutes.
- Preheat 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon from the skillet. Reserve approximately 1 tablespoon bacon drippings in the skillet. Add the onion to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the cremini mushrooms to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Remove from heat and stir in green beans.
- Using a fork or slotted spoon, remove the dried mushrooms from the water (reserving the liquid). Chop the mushrooms and add to the green bean mixture.
- Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons ghee/olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cassava flour, stirring continuously for about 1 minute, until mixture is puffy and light brown. Slowly whisk in about ¾ cup of the mushroom liquid. Add coconut milk, continuing to whisk for about 5 minutes, until the mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in rosemary, salt, and pepper.
- Stir the sauce into the bean mixture and spoon into a 2-quart square baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Top with bacon, then bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Keywords: green bean casserole, dairy free, low carb, paleo, keto
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