Healthy Green Bean Casserole Perfect for Your Thanksgiving Table

This healthy green bean casserole 🥘🥒 is made from scratch with fresh green beans, no canned soup needed! Creamy, crisp, and perfect for any holiday table.

Healthy Green Bean Casserole with a Side of Creamy Herb Chicken on a Square Plate

Healthy green bean casserole has always been a staple at holiday dinners, but the versions I’ve had in the past almost always call for a can of cream of mushroom soup. While I love the flavor, my body simply can’t handle the MSG and preservatives found in most canned soups. Over the years, my allergy to MSG has become increasingly dangerous, so I’ve learned to carefully check the ingredient list on nearly all processed foods I consume.

Thankfully, this healthy green bean casserole recipe from Cooking Light has become my new favorite! It delivers all the fresh flavor and creamy goodness of the traditional dish but without any preservatives or MSG. Everything is made from scratch!

Let me show you the side dish you’ll definitely want to include on your Thanksgiving menu this year:

What Makes This Healthy Green Bean Casserole Unforgettable

Green bean casserole is a classic favorite, but this fresh and wholesome version takes it up a notch. Made with real ingredients and no canned soups, it’s a must-have for your Thanksgiving menu or any family gathering.

Step 1: Prepare the Green Beans

Start with 1 pound of haricot verts, also known as French green beans. If these are not available, you can use regular green beans or even drained green beans from a can. Wash them and cut off any ragged ends.

Pile of French Green Beans on a Cutting Board

Heat some water in a large sauté pan in order to blanch the green beans. Blanching is a simple process that cooks food just until it is done, and then you immediately stop the cooking process by plunging the food into ice-cold water.

So while the water boils, fill a large bowl with ice water so that it is very, very cold. When the water is at a rolling boil, add the green beans and boil them for about 3-4 minutes or until they are tender. Immediately remove the green beans from the hot water and put them in the ice bath.

Step 2: Prepare the Bread Crumbs

Drain the green beans after they have cooled and pull out a small food processor. (I just use my small Cuisinart food processor.) You need to pulse two pieces of whole wheat bread until coarse crumbles form.

Crumbles of Bread in the Bottom of a Food Processor

Then chop up a small onion, 1/4 cup of fresh flat-leaf parsley, and 6 oz of mushrooms. If you don’t like mushrooms, you can easily leave them out.

Combine the bread crumbs with the parsley and add 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese.

Bread Crumbs, Parsley, and Grated Parmesan Combined Together in a Bowl

Step 3: Make the Bread Crumb Mixture

Stir in one tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of minced garlic. Mix it all together so that it is well combined. This will be the topping for the green bean casserole.

Olive Oil and Minced Garlic Mixed into Bread Crumbs in a Bowl

Step 4: Sauté the Vegetables

In a cast iron skillet or large oven-safe sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the onion and mushrooms. Cook them for about 8 minutes or until they are tender.

Saute Yellow Onions and Mushrooms in Black Cast Iron Skillet

Step 5: Make the Sauce

Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and cook for one minute. Then stir in 1/2 cup of chicken stock, 1/2 cup of milk, and 2 tablespoons of sherry. If you don’t have sherry, you can use any type of wine you have on hand. If you want to leave out the wine altogether, just add in a bit more chicken stock. Bring this mixture to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes.

Flour, Chicken Stock, Milk, Sherry, Mushrooms, and Onions Cooking in a Black Cast Iron Skillet

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 4 more tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. You’ll also want to add 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg.

Parmesan Added to Mushroom Mixture in Skillet

Step 6: Assemble and Bake the Casserole

Add your reserved green beans to the mushroom mixture and coat them thoroughly.

Green Beans added to Mushroom Mixture in Skillet

Then sprinkle the breaded mixture on top and bake in a 400-degree oven for 10 minutes. You can also use your broiler for 2 minutes.

Bread Mixture added to Green Bean and Mushroom Mixture

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Green Bean Casserole

When I pulled this healthy green bean casserole out of the oven, I knew it was love. It’s creamy and flavorful… what’s not to love?

Baked Healthy Green Bean Casserole in a Skillet

And then, when I had my first bite, I knew I would never resort to my old sloppy green bean casserole again. I loved that the beans were crisp, not squeaky, and overdone like most recipes. The creaminess from my own sauce was far better than that of any soup manufacturer. And the crunch of the breading was a simple blend of bread and herbs, something way healthier than fried onions (although those French fried onions are pretty amazing!).

I initially served this healthy green bean casserole with a creamy herbed chicken breast, but I think it would be a sensational side for any piece of meat.

It’s definitely being added to my Thanksgiving menu this year! For more savory side dishes, check out my recipe index or my Scrumptious Sides board on Pinterest. Happy cooking, y’all!