Homemade Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

Green Bean Casserole is hands-down my husband’s favorite holiday side. I challenged myself to make a fresh, gluten-free green bean casserole that would knock his socks off. I used fresh green beans and a delicious homemade mushroom sauce. He loves it.

Ingredients

CASSEROLE
4 cloves garlic, whole
1¼ pounds. green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salt, divided
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
4 stalks celery, small dice
½ pound button mushrooms, rinsed, stems removed, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 cups whole milk
¾ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
ONION TOPPING
½ cup white rice flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 large white onion, sliced into thin rings
2-3 cups safflower or vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Place 4 garlic cloves in a large pot, fill with water and bring to a boil. Add the green beans and 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook until the beans are soft, about 8-10 minutes. Drain in a colander and then immediately place the beans into a bowl of ice water. This will stop the cooking process. Once the beans are cold, drain and remove garlic cloves. Lay beans out on a plate and pat dry with a towel.

Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release some of their liquid, stirring occasionally, about 4-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in arrowroot powder and stir until completely absorbed. Slowly stir in the milk. Cook for 7-10 minutes, until gooey and thick, stirring often. Turn off the heat and add pepper, nutmeg and the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Add the cooked green beans and mix well.

Pour green bean mixture into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Meanwhile, to make the topping, mix the rice flour, cornmeal, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Toss the onions in the flour mixture. Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, fry onion rings in small batches until golden brown, 1-2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt while still hot.

Top the baked green bean casserole with the fried onions. Serve warm.

Make-ahead tips

* Make the mushroom sauce up to 2 days in advance and store in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature when you’re ready to bake.

* Rinse, trim and cut the green beans the day before. Store them in a zip-top bag in the fridge until you’re ready to cook them.

* Mix the dry ingredients for the onion topping a couple of days in advance. Keep in a medium airtight container. When you’re ready, add the sliced onions, mix, and they’re ready to fry.

Nutrition Analysis: 530 cal, 50 g fat, 15 mg chol, 2130 mg sodium, 22 g carbs, 3 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 5 g protein.

Lauren Marie, who writes the popular gluten-free food blog LaurenMarieGlutenFree.com, never lets her gluten allergy hold her back from enjoying the delicious things in life.

Nutritional analysis for recipes is created using Food Processor SQL nutrition and fitness software by ESHA. Recipes are analyzed per serving (unless otherwise indicated) for calories, fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Nutrient amounts are approximate due to variations in brands, manufacturer, preparation and ingredient substitutions. When ingredient choices are listed, we use the first one. Nonspecific amounts, for example "to taste," and garnishes are not included.