Classic Green Bean Casserole ✠

Almost every holiday gathering dinner serves the classic green bean casserole. I’ve made it enough that I thought I’d put the recipe in my book for ease in access. It’s so easy to make I also use it when I want to dress up an ordinary meal. It only takes a few ingredients, and most of these are in cans I regularly keep in my pantry. Sometimes I add the optional ingredients listed below to make it even more special. Another, somewhat simpler version appears below.†

• 6 oz mushrooms, sliced (Shiitake preferred)
• 1 lb French cut green beans, frozen or fresh
• 1 10¾-oz can condensed low-fat cream of mushroom soup
• ½ cup fat-free milk
• ¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings, or
• 1 can French Fried Onions.
• ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
• 4 tbsp grated Asiago (or Parmesan) cheese
• 2 tbsp low-carb bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sauté the mushrooms in a small frying pan sprayed with cooking spray until soft.

In a large bowl combine sautéd mushrooms, green beans, mushroom soup, milk, black pepper, half the onions, and the optional cheese and bacon, if desired. Fold gently to mix ingredients evenly.

Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and add the green bean mixture to the dish. Arrange the remaining onions over the top.

To make low-carb bread crumbs, buzz a cut up low-carb flour tortilla in a food processor for a few seconds until of a granular texture, transfer to a baking sheet, and brown slightly in the oven. Then, in a small bowl, combine the Asiago cheese and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle this over the top of the casserole.

Bake for 50 minutes at 350°F, or until the green bean mixture is bubbly and the top is slightly browned.

Serves 4–6.