Sunday, November 20, 2011

Healthier Green Bean Casserole with Homemade Fried Onions

Green Bean Casserole is hands down my favorite thanksgiving food. Thanksgiving dinner could contain all sorts of weird things, but as long as the casserole was there I would be happy. Because of this I knew I could tackle a makeover for Skinnygiving with fellow blogger Bree from Three and a Half Stones to Go.

Up first...an alternative to french fried onions. While not as crispy as the store bought brand, these onions are loaded with flavor and missing all the fat. 
Baked -not- Fried Onions

2 Medium Onions, sliced thinly
2 cups fat free milk
4 tbs whole wheat flour
Olive oil spray
Salt
Slice onions into tiny little pieces. Soak them in milk for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450. Spray a pan with olive oil.  Drain milk from onions. Add flour to bowl and use forks to toss them until they are covered. (trust me on the forks thing, otherwise your hands will be covered). Add more flour if they look soggy. Soggy = bad.
Add to pan making sure they aren't crowded. Bake for until the onions are crispy. Sprinkle with salt to season. You can make these ahead of time and store them in an airtight container until you are ready for them.


Mushroom Gravy
1 tbs olive oil
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup fat free milk
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, saute sliced mushrooms in olive oil until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and add broth to the mushroomy pan. Bring to a boil, while scraping bottom of pan to include all that delicious mushroomyness in the gravy. Whisk together cornstarch and water until all clumps are dissolved. Slowly add this mixture to the pan, be sure to whisk constantly while it thickens to form a smooth sauce. Add milk, cooked mushrooms and seasonings. Return to a boil and allow the mixture to thicken.

To serve, top the freshly steamed beans with the mushroom gravy. Sprinkle with fried onions. While this is not the same as the casserole I grew up with, it does satisfy the craving. Plus, at the end of the meal I feel much better about a plate full of this than the alternative.

3 comments:

  1. The only problem with this dish is that I eat all the onions before I ever finish making the rest! They are so good!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am going to make the onions today for Thanksgiving... How long are you baking the onions for?? It doesn't give a specific time?

    ReplyDelete

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