Unbelievably Tasty Topping
And speaking of the topping, let’s take a look at what goes into making it. It’s incredibly easy to prepare, requiring only three ingredients –thinly sliced onions, bacon strips cut into half-inch pieces, and olive oil. I’m sure you can tell by reading that just how tasty the topping is. Onion and bacon? Yes please. Not only is it exceptionally tasty but it’s also rather good for you as well. Along with garlic, onion is one of the best vegetables that you can eat for your health. It’s full of numerous anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits, and studies have even demonstrated that it may play a role in helping to protect against cancer. (1)
And I shouldn’t even have to add anything about the bacon –it just might be the ultimate paleo indulgence. That leaves the olive oil, which is used both to fry the bacon and onion for the topping and added into the casserole itself. Olive oil is loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, the good kind of fats that help to lower your risk of heart disease. It may even have benefits for insulin levels and blood sugar control, making it an ideal healthy fat for anyone with type 2 diabetes. (2)
Yummy Green Beans
Next, let’s move on to the star of any green bean casserole — the green beans themselves. They are without a doubt one of my favorite green veggies to enjoy, even more so when they are used to make a mouth watering casserole like this. They are packed full of essential vitamins and minerals, and are incredibly beneficial for your entire body, particularly your cardiovascular system. (3)
Of course, it wouldn’t be a great casserole with just green beans. This recipe also features a deliciously creamy casserole sauce, made with arrowroot flour, garlic, paleo approved chicken stock, and mushrooms. The strong flavor of the sauce complements the green beans perfectly, and then once you add the onion and bacon topping, all the flavors just come together. No need for fancy ingredients.
Green bean casserole might have trace its roots back to being a Thanksgiving side dish, but once you try out this paleo style version, I’m sure you’ll agree it should be kept on the menu all year long. Even so, it’s still an absolutely perfect meal to enjoy with your family and friends over the holidays, whether it’s part of a Thanksgiving feast or a lovely Christmas dinner.
PS. Looking for some great paleo-friendly casserole ideas but you aren’t really a fan of green beans, I can provide some recommendations for a few other great recipes:
Ingredients
- For topping
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 4 bacon strips, cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- For beans and sauce
- 1 pound green beans, washed and trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp arrowroot flour
- 1 cup warmed homemade or paleo approved, store bought, chicken stock
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- salt, black pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a large skillet heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until caramelized.
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the arrowroot flour over the mixture and stir until golden.
- Add the stock and almond milk and mix to combine.
- Add the green beans and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from the heat.
- Season with black pepper and salt to taste.
- Top with onions and bacon.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until green beans are cooked.
Tastes delicious! It makes you feel so good afterwards and also quite filling. The recipe is a bit small for 6 serves- it hardly fed 4 adults however did the job at taking hunger away. I added some Parmesan cheese on top for extra flavour. And the smell of the dish when it comes out of the oven is to die for
A fovorite by all last Thanksgiving. Just know it takes a bit of time to really cook the onion to perfection but is so worth it. I’m planning to cook it ahead of time this year and put it in a casserole dish to just heat and serve.