Healthy Green Bean Casserole

This comforting green bean casserole will make everyone at your dinner table happy! Your family will love how creamy and delicious it tastes, plus you’ll feel great knowing it’s packed with healthy ingredients and fewer calories than the traditional version.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 40 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour, Serves: 8 people (about 1 cup each).

Nutrition Profile: Healthy Immunity, High-Fiber, Vegetarian, High-Protein, Low-Calorie.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 188 Calories, 7g Fat, 25g Carbs, 8g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Green beans: You’ll need 2 ½ pounds of fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1- to 2-inch pieces. This gives you about 8 cups of beans – they’re the star of this dish! Fresh beans work best, but frozen ones are totally fine too.

Extra-virgin olive oil: Grab 2-3 tablespoons of good olive oil. We’ll use this to roast the beans and make them golden and delicious.

Onion: One medium onion, sliced thin, adds amazing flavor to our creamy sauce. Yellow or white onions both work great here!

All-purpose flour: Just 3 tablespoons help thicken our sauce perfectly. This is what makes it creamy without heavy cream.

Salt and pepper: You’ll need ¾ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon white or black pepper. White pepper keeps the sauce looking pretty, but black pepper tastes just as good.

Low-fat milk: 2 ½ cups of low-fat milk creates our lighter cream sauce. It’s so much healthier than heavy cream but still super tasty!

Whole-wheat breadcrumbs: 1 ½ cups of fresh whole-wheat breadcrumbs give us that perfect crunchy top. You can also use ½ cup of shredded cheese instead if you prefer!

How to Make Healthy Green Bean Casserole

Step 1: Set your oven racks in the upper and lower third positions. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Toss those green beans in a big bowl with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until they’re well coated. Divide them between 2 large rimmed baking sheets and spread them out evenly.

Step 2: Roast the green beans for 20 to 25 minutes. Give them a stir once and rotate the pans halfway through cooking. You want them tender and starting to turn golden brown – they’ll smell amazing!

Step 3: While the beans roast, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add your sliced onion and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often. The onion should get really soft and golden brown.

Step 4: Add the flour, salt, and pepper to the onions. Stir everything together and cook for 1 more minute. Then slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.

Step 5: Keep stirring and cook the sauce until it bubbles and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. This takes about 4 minutes. Remove from heat once it’s nice and creamy.

Step 6: When the green beans are done, take them out of the oven. Switch your oven to broil mode. Transfer half the green beans to a 2-quart broiler-safe baking dish.

Step 7: Spread half the sauce over those green beans. Add the rest of the green beans on top, then pour the remaining sauce over everything.

Step 8: Mix the breadcrumbs with the last tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of your casserole. If you’re using cheese instead, just sprinkle that on top!

Step 9: Put the dish under the broiler for 1 to 5 minutes, watching closely. You want it bubbling and golden brown on top. Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving – this helps it set up perfectly.

Easy and Quick Healthy Green Bean Casserole Version

Want to save some time? You can use 2 bags (about 2 pounds) of frozen green beans instead of fresh ones! Just thaw them completely and pat them dry before roasting. You can also skip the roasting step entirely and just steam the frozen beans for 8-10 minutes. The flavor won’t be quite as rich, but it’ll still taste great and save you 20 minutes!

Serving Ideas

This casserole makes a perfect side dish for any dinner! It goes beautifully with roasted chicken, turkey, or even a simple grilled steak. For a complete vegetarian meal, serve it alongside some fluffy mashed potatoes and a fresh garden salad. The creamy, crunchy textures make every bite satisfying.

Storage

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days in a covered container. To reheat, pop it in a 350°F oven for about 15 minutes until heated through. You can also microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes, but the oven keeps that nice crispy top better!

Substitutions

No whole-wheat breadcrumbs? Regular breadcrumbs work just fine! You can swap the low-fat milk for regular milk or even unsweetened almond milk. If you don’t have fresh green beans, frozen ones are totally okay – just make sure to thaw and drain them well first. Feel free to use any cheese you love on top instead of breadcrumbs!

Pro Tips

• Make your own breadcrumbs: Just tear up a slice of whole-wheat bread and pulse it in your food processor. One slice makes about ½ cup of fresh crumbs!
• Add extra flavor: Stir 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs like thyme, sage, or parsley into your sauce at the end for a fancy touch.
• Make it cheesy: Mix ½ cup of shredded Gruyère, Swiss, or Cheddar into the sauce for extra richness.
• Prep ahead: You can roast the green beans up to 30 minutes early, and make the sauce a whole day ahead! Just reheat the sauce gently before assembling.

FAQs

Can I make this casserole ahead of time?

You bet! You can roast the green beans up to 30 minutes before serving, and the cream sauce can be made a whole day ahead. Just store the sauce in the fridge and gently reheat it until it’s steaming before you put everything together. This makes holiday cooking so much easier!

What if I don’t have a broiler-safe dish?

No worries! You can bake the assembled casserole at 425°F for about 10-15 minutes instead of broiling. It might not get quite as golden on top, but it’ll still taste amazing. Just keep an eye on it so the top doesn’t get too brown.

Can I freeze this casserole?

Sure! This freezes really well for up to 3 months. Let it cool completely first, then wrap it tightly. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes until it’s hot and bubbly.

Is there a dairy-free version?

Absolutely! Just swap the low-fat milk for unsweetened almond milk, oat milk, or your favorite plant-based milk. The sauce might be slightly thinner, but it’ll still be delicious. Skip the cheese topping or use a dairy-free cheese alternative.

I hope your family loves this healthier take on green bean casserole as much as mine does! Let me know how it turns out for you – I always love hearing about your cooking adventures. Happy cooking, friend!