gluten free green bean casserole topped with crispy shallots

My easy Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole was originally titled “Ermahgerd Green Bean Casserole” because ERMAHGERD this holiday dinner staple is so good I nearly shed a tear after scraping up the last few bites!

Now, canned fried onions and cream of mushroom soup have a lock on traditional Green Bean Casserole, but neither are typically gluten free. Problem solved with this re-imagined, gluten free Thanksgiving side dish recipe with major flavor thanks to…

  • Crispy Shallots: the crispy shallots I pan fry to top the green bean casserole are a slightly more sophisticated take on canned onion rings and give each bite a craveable, caramelized-onion flavor and crunch. They’re my favorite part of the whole dish.
  • No Condensed Soups: true, there are gluten free condensed soups options at the grocery store nowadays, but to my knowledge none of them are gluten-free AND dairy-free, which is important to many, including my family. My homemade, Gluten-Free Cream of Mushroom Soup calls for fridge and pantry staples like gluten-free flour, and chicken stock, and can be easily made dairy free. It creates the most luscious mushroom sauce!
  • Garlic-Butter Mushrooms: while I was GF’ing this recipe I figured I might as well improve upon it so I added sizzling, sauted garlic-butter mushrooms into the mix. Trust me when I tell you this is a MAJOR UPGRADE.

a scoop of gluten free green bean casserole on a plate

Ingredients Needed

  • Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup: I know, I know – opening up a can of soup sounds easier than making a batch from scratch, but this version takes less than 10 minutes and, like I mentioned, is undeniably delicious. It makes each creamy scoop of green bean casserole absolutely irresistible.
  • Butter: To saute the sliced mushrooms in. Feel free to use vegan butter to make this a dairy-free green bean casserole. The butter pairs deliciously with the…
  • Garlic: Fresh garlic sizzling in butter will not only permeate your home with the most amazing aroma, but also infuse the…
  • Mushrooms: Like I said, I think the addition of sauteed garlic-butter mushrooms REALLY elevates this re-imagined classic! I typically use button mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms.
  • Homemade Seasoned Salt: Such an easy way to add lots of flavor, plus it’s made with 4 everyday ingredients.
  • Green Beans: I prefer canned green beans in this recipe though you can use fresh green beans if you prefer. I’ll outline the method below.
  • Shallots: Topping the homemade gluten free green bean casserole with fried shallot rings is just about as good as it gets in life! They are crispy and once sprinkled with a little salt? OH MY WORD. That said, I have saved time by using canned gluten free french fried onions when I can find them, which are awesome too!
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: We use EVOO to shallow fry the shallot rings.

Canned vs Fresh Green Beans

Let’s address the elephant in the room – canned green beans. Yep, I’m a fan! While I’ve used fresh green beans for Green Bean Casserole in the past, I have to say my heart is with canned. It’s hard to beat the texture, taste, and convenience.

That said, if you MUST use fresh green beans, you’ll need ~4 cups trimmed and chopped green beans. I recommend blanching them for 5 minutes in a large pot (meaning, boil them for 5 minutes then transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking process) before baking to ensure they cook all the way through. I personally dislike frozen green beans, and do not recommend them for this recipe.

Whether you have to eat gluten free or not, this easy Green Bean Casserole is not be missed this holiday season. I was not kidding when I talked about tearing up when the last bite was gone. Once you try my gluten-free green bean casserole recipe, you will NEVER make another!

hot and bubbly gluten free green bean casserole in a baking dish

Pair with Wild Rice Stuffing

How to Make Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole From Scratch

I’ll share step-by-step photos below for how to make my Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole, but here’s a quick overview:

  • Step 1: Saute the garlic butter mushrooms in a large skillet then scoop into a casserole dish.
  • Step 2: Make the homemade Gluten Free Cream of Mushroom Soup then add to the casserole dish.
  • Step 3: Drain canned green beans then add to the casserole dish.
  • Step 4: Add a sprinkle of homemade seasoning salt then stir everything to combine and bake until bubbly.
  • Step 5: Pan fry shallot rings then sprinkle on top of the casserole and bake for another 5 minutes before serving.

How to Make This Recipe

Start by melting butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat then add sliced mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms release their liquid, the liquid cooks off, and the mushrooms turn golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic, season generously with homemade seasoned salt and pepper, then saute until the garlic is very fragrant, 1-2 more minutes.

garlic butter mushrooms sauting in a skillet

My homemade seasoned salt adds a TON of flavor to this dish and is beyond easy to make – it’s just a mixture of salt, paprika, onion and garlic powders. I hardly ever use regular salt when cooking! You’ll love it.

hand holding a shaker of homemade seasoned salt

Scoop the mushrooms into a medium-sized baking dish, like an 8×8″ or similar, then add canned green beans that have been drained, an extra shake of seasoned salt, plus 1 batch Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Feel free to make the homemade soup several days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

ingredients for gluten free green bean casserole in a baking dish

Fold everything together using a spatula then preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes.

ingredients for gluten free green bean casserole in a baking dish

While the beans are cooking, wipe the skillet out with wet paper towels or a dish cloth to remove any bits of garlic that might burn and turn bitter during the shallot frying process. Thinly slice shallots then separate the slices into rings.

Heat extra virgin olive oil in the same large skillet over medium-high heat then, once the oil is hot, add half the shallots and fry until golden brown. I like to gently shake the skillet, and stir every now and again, to make sure they fry evenly.

Scoop the fried shallots onto a paper towel lined plate to drain then sprinkle with salt. Fry/drain/salt the remaining shallots.

Note: some of these fried shallots look soggy but I assure you that even the very light golden brown fried shallots are still crispy – YUM!

homemade crispy shallot rings draining on a paper towel lined plate

Last step is to sprinkle the fried shallots on top of the Green Bean Casserole then bake for 5 more minutes. Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes or so then scoop and serve.

Can I Make the Green Bean Casserole Ahead of Time?

This is a great dish to make ahead of time! Saute the garlic-butter mushrooms, make the Cream of Mushroom Soup, and then stir together with the drained, canned green beans in the casserole dish. Cover then refrigerate for up to two days. Uncover and let the baking dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking according to recipe instructions.

fork in a baking dish of gluten free green bean casserole

More Gluten Free Holiday Side Dishes

Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole

Description

Gluten Free Green Bean Casserole is the only side dish you need at your holiday dinner table! No canned soup needed for this updated, lick-your-plate-worthy recipe.

Ingredients

serves 6

  • 1 recipe Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup (see recipe link in notes)
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 8oz mushrooms, sliced
  • homemade seasoned salt and pepper (see notes)
  • 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 2-15oz cans cut green beans, drained
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1-1/2 cups sliced shallots (~4 large shallots)

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add prepared Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup to a medium sized baking dish then set aside. Layer a few paper towels on a large plate then set aside.
  2. Heat butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat then add mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms release their liquid, the liquid cooks off, and the mushrooms are golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Season with homemade seasoned salt and pepper then add garlic and continue to saute until garlic is very fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
  3. Scrape mushrooms into baking dish with prepared soup then add green beans and a bit more seasoned salt. Mix with a spatula to combine then bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
  4. Meanwhile, carefully wipe out skillet with a wet paper towel or dish cloth - we want to remove any little bits of garlic that may remain in the skillet - then add extra virgin olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add half the shallots then fry until golden brown, 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Remove shallots to prepared paper towel-lined plate to drain then sprinkle with salt. Fry/drain/salt remaining shallots.
  5. Top bubbling casserole with fried shallots then bake for an additional 5 minutes. Let casserole cool for 10 minutes then scoop onto plates and serve.

Notes

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

photo of gluten free green bean casserole