Keto Green Bean Casserole

One of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes (and let’s be honest, it’s all about the side dishes) is the old-school green bean casserole, with the Durkee French onions and the cream of mushroom soup. Decidedly not keto. Even if you can find a gluten-free version of the soup, it’s loaded with carbs. This recipe does a great job of nailing the flavor of the original. It’s a lot more time-consuming than dumping a can of cream of mushroom soup into some beans, but it’s worth it, I promise.

The reason it’s time-consuming is that you have to come up with a way to duplicate the French onions, and the only way I’ve managed to pull it off is to make them myself. This takes about an hour. It’s definitely something that can be done the day before Thanksgiving, though, so there’s that. You’ll need four or five large shallot bulbs for this step, plus another one later. Slice them into thin slices (about 1/8 inch), then pop the slices out into rings. You’ll end up with two cups or so of shallot rings.

Heat up a cup and a half of avocado oil, plus about six tablespoons of butter, in a medium heavy saucepan. I use a two-quart saucepan for this one. You’ll want the oil to be no hotter than 325 degrees when you put the shallot rings into it, and around 300 degrees when they’re cooking. This involves medium-low heat. To make sure I’m doing it right, I use this cool infrared thermometer. It’s great for testing the surface temperature of something, which is perfect for deep-frying things if you don’t have a deep fryer. I use it for wings all the time. So once your oil has reached the proper temperature, add your shallot rings, and the waiting game begins.

For the first thirty minutes, check them every five minutes and give them a quick stir. After that, you’ll want to watch it like a hawk, because they go from undercooked to overcooked very quickly if you’re not careful.

When they’re done, use a slotted spoon or better yet, a spider strainer to remove the shallots from the oil. Put them on a towel-lined plate to drain. When they’ve fully cooled, you can put them in a ziploc bag or airtight container and use them the next day to make the casserole.

So finally, we’ve hit Thanksgiving day and we’re ready to make that casserole. Start with another full shallot bulb, which you’ll mince finely. Put a tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet and begin frying the shallots over medium heat. While those are frying, mince 8 ounces of mushrooms. I start with sliced because it’s easier. White mushrooms are fine, but if you want to go fancy and use baby bellas, it’s fine by me. You’ll want these to be the texture of a nice cream of mushroom soup that you’d get in a restaurant, not that canned stuff. We’re going full on fancy, so you might as well act the part. Plus, the less chopping on Thanksgiving morning, the better.

Once you’ve finished chopping the mushrooms, throw them in the pan with the shallots, and let them cook down while you steam the green beans. I used two pounds of green beans and steamed them in two batches in the microwave. If you do this, put them in a large food storage container with two tablespoons of water, then put the lid on top upside down and microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. Since they’re going to be cooking in the oven as well, aim for crisp-tender however you steam them. When they’re done, put them in a 9×13 baking dish and toss them with a few pinches of salt and pepper to taste.

By the time you’ve finished cooking the green beans, your shallots should be soft and golden brown and your mushrooms should be about finished releasing liquid. Pour a cup and a half of heavy cream over the mushrooms and add four ounces of cream cheese, cut or torn into cubes. Keep cooking over medium heat, whisking the cream cheese into the heavy cream until the sauce is smooth. Whisk in two teaspoons of soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos, and a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, along with salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for about five minutes to allow the sauce to thicken a bit and the flavors to meld, then remove it from the heat, stir in half of your crispy shallots from the day before, and pour it all over the green beans.

Toss it around to make sure everything is coated, then pop it in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Once the timer goes off, remove it from the oven, top with the remaining crispy shallots, and then cook for another 5 minutes before removing it from the oven. It’ll keep in a warm oven for a while if you need, although the shallots on top will darken a bit. Enjoy your Thanksgiving dinner! Or what the heck, eat them for Christmas, too.

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