Round Out Your Holiday Menu With a Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole (2024)

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Diana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

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Updated on 11/15/22

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Colleen Graham

Tested byColleen Graham

Freelance writer and co*cktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.

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Round Out Your Holiday Menu With a Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole (3)

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 70 mins

Soak Time: 5 mins

Total: 95 mins

Servings: 6 servings

Yield: 1 casserole

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A creamy green bean casserole is an essential side dish for any holiday meal, especially Thanksgiving, and it can easily be made gluten-free. Most standard cream of mushroom soups and crispy fried onions contain gluten, but there are alternatives. This version is made with gluten-free cream of mushroom soup and homemade crispy fried onions coated with buttermilk and a gluten-free flour blend. If you're short on time or not a fan of onions, feel free to top the casserole with crumbled gluten-free potato chips, breadcrumbs, or croutons.

Your Frequently Asked Holiday Questions, Answered

Many gluten-free cream soups are on the market, from condensed versions to soups that don't require additional milk. Be sure to check the labels—it should specifically state "gluten-free." If your soup doesn't require milk or water, you may want to stir in some heavy cream or sour cream for richer flavor and creaminess. If you have time, make gluten-free cream of mushroom soup from scratch. The homemade version allows you to flavor it as you like, and it'll be preservative-free.

Serve the gluten-free green bean casserole with your Thanksgiving feast, or take it along to a holiday potluck. You don't have to wait for a holiday—it's fabulous with a Sunday roast chicken or everyday weeknight family meal.

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"While there are multiple things to cook and prep for this recipe, the result is worth the effort. The onions are fantastic, and you’ll likely have plenty to snack on as you cook. Overall, it has a classic green bean casserole taste that you’d never expect to be gluten-free." —Colleen Graham

Round Out Your Holiday Menu With a Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole (6)

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Ingredients

For the Gluten-Free Crispy Fried Onions

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
See Also
Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole Recipe

For the Gluten-Free Green Bean Filling

Kosher salt, to taste
20 to 24 ounces fresh, frozen, or canned cut green beans, about 6 cups
1 (10.5-ounce) can gluten-free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk, or cream
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, or gluten-free soy sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Gluten-Free Fried Onions

Gather the ingredients for the fried onions.
Put the sliced onions in a large bowl and add the buttermilk. Stir to coat and let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, add about 2 inches of oil to a large Dutch oven, or other heavy-duty pot. Heat the oil to 370 F. Line a large platter or baking sheet with paper towels. Set aside.
In a separate large bowl, combine the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix thoroughly.
Shake off the excess buttermilk and toss about half of the soaked onions in the gluten-free flour mixture until well coated.
Fry the onions, turning half way through cooking time until golden, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes total.
Transfer the fried onions to the paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining onions and set aside.

Prepare the Gluten-Free Green Bean Filling

Gather the ingredients for the green bean casserole.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350 F.
If using fresh green beans, bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain well. If using frozen green beans, follow thawing instructions on the package and drain well. If using canned green beans, drain well—no cooking required.
In a large bowl, combine the cooked green beans with the soup, milk, Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce, and half of the cheese. Crumble about 1 cup of the fried onions and fold them into the green bean mixture. Adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic powder as desired.
Turn the green bean mixture into an ungreased 2-quart baking dish. Bake until the mixture is warmed through, about 25 minutes.
Top the casserole with the remaining cheese and an even layer of the remaining fried onions. Bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is bubbly, 5 to 8 minutes more. Serve.

Tips

When deep-frying the onions, avoid overcrowding the pan. Split the onions into smaller batches if needed. Let the oil temperature come back to 370 F between batches or the onions won't be crispy and will absorb too much oil.
If you have extra fried onions, they make a tasty snack or topping for sandwiches and burgers.
To transport a hot cooked green bean casserole, use newspapers or a blanket to insulate it and keep it hot. Never leave a hot dish out at room temperature for more than two hours.

Recipe Variations

For a bacon-cheddar green bean casserole, add four strips of cooked, crumbled bacon to the casserole with the cheese.
Omit the fried onions and top the casserole with one cup of fresh breadcrumbs tossed with two tablespoons of melted butter and a dash of salt and pepper.
Instead of fried onions, top the casserole with about 1 1/2 cups of crumbled gluten-free potato chips.

How to Store

Refrigerate leftover green bean casserole in a shallow covered container within two hours and eat within four days.
To freeze leftover green bean casserole, transfer it to an airtight freezer container and freeze for up to six months. Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat, covered, in the microwave or a 350 F oven. The minimum safe internal temperature for cooked leftovers is 165 F.
The crispy fried onions may be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the fridge for up to one week.
To re-crisp leftover fried onions, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake them in a preheated 350 F oven for 4 to 5 minutes, or until hot and crispy.

Why is my green bean casserole runny?

To prevent a runny green bean casserole, make sure your cooked green beans are completely drained before mixing them with the soup. A soup or sauce that's too thin can also cause a runny casserole. To thicken the soup, mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with an equal amount of cold water. Heat the soup in a saucepan over medium heat and add about half of the slurry mixture. Continue to cook until the soup is thickened, adding more of the slurry as needed.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
532	Calories
34g	Fat
44g	Carbs
14g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	532
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 34g	44%
Saturated Fat 7g	34%
Cholesterol 25mg	8%
Sodium 1201mg	52%
Total Carbohydrate 44g	16%
Dietary Fiber 5g	18%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 14g
Vitamin C 14mg	68%
Calcium 398mg	31%
Iron 3mg	15%
Potassium 459mg	10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

side dish
american
family dinner
boil

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