Need a keto-friendly side dish for a holiday dinner? Or maybe over the summer, you’re looking for ways to use up your overflow of garden green beans? This keto green bean casserole is the perfect side dish, all year long!
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- It makes a great side dish
- You can also optionally just mix in some cooked chicken, turkey, or another meat of your choice and you’ve got a full meal to eat right there
- It is so creamy and cheesy, it’s easy to take some plain rotisserie chicken and toss it in for a full meal
- Prep time is very low
HOW TO MAKE A KETO GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
Traditional green bean casseroles are generally made with canned green beans and canned cream of mushroom soup and are then loaded up with French fried onions.
We’ve put a more nutritious spin on this. You’ll use fresh green beans, fresh mushrooms, and a sauce made from cheeses and stock. There are also a few recommendations for optional keto-friendly toppings below.
ARE GREEN BEANS OK ON KETO
Yes, green beans are fine vegetable choice on keto. They are low carbs and full of nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, and manganese. One cup of cooked green beans contains about 4 grams of net carbs and 2 grams of protein.
You can use fresh or frozen beans, they both work well for this recipe.
HERE ARE THE INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS DISH:
Produce:
- Fresh green beans
- Onion
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
Dairy:
- Butter
- Cream cheese
- Cheddar cheese
Pantry / On-Hand:
- White wine
- Dijon mustard
- Chicken stock
*Side note – does sorting them out like this help? My wife says that it’s nice to see this in blog posts because she can quickly assess if she has all the ingredients she needs, or add them to her grocery list.
INSTRUCTIONS
- You’ll steam the green beans in the microwave while you sauté the onions and mushrooms on the stovetop (this helps to save time!). When the onions and mushrooms are tender, you’ll stir in garlic, wine, Dijon, stock, cream cheese, and cheddar cheese.
- Stir in the steamed green beans, then dump everything into a casserole dish and bake for about 20-30 minutes.
- The result is an insanely rich, delicious keto green bean casserole – that was pretty easy to make!
- This keto side dish does have a heavy cream cheese flavor to it, so if you’re not a fan of that – you’d probably want to look for another option. We are cream cheese aficionados in our house, so we love that richness.
OPTIONS FOR TOPPING:
While I actually prefer the creaminess of this keto green bean casserole alone, I know some of yall are thinking “where’s the crunchy topping?!”. If that’s you, not to fear – there are two keto options you can use as a topping:
- Bacon – When I do add a topping, this is my preferred choice! Cook it up nice and crisp in a skillet while your casserole is baking, then crumble it on top when it comes out of the oven. It’s rich and salty and pairs nicely with the rest of the ingredients.
- Pork rinds – Simply crush them up and put them on top before serving. These are very reminiscing of those French fried onions that are usually served on top of a green bean casserole.
DIETARY MODIFICATIONS
Luckily, this casserole is already keto-friendly, low carb, and gluten-free. Gluten-free peeps, just double check your mustard – many are gluten-free but some aren’t; you’ll want to verify.
For anyone with food allergies, this should also be egg-free, soy-free, nut-free, and fish-free. (Obviously double check your specific ingredients to confirm).
If you have other dietary needs, here are some easy modifications:
VEGETARIAN:
This can easily be made vegetarian by swapping out the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
DAIRY-FREE / VEGAN:
I’m not going to lie, it’s probably going to alter the taste significantly to try to make this vegan. I mean, the premise of this is just creamy, cheesy green beans. I haven’t tried a keto vegan version of this yet, but if you want to try, here are my best guesses for substitutions.
I would personally swap the butter for a vegan butter of your choice when you sauté the onions and mushrooms. Then, when those are done sautéing, add a little almond flour to create a low-carb roux. Mix in the garlic, white wine, and Dijon – along with some almond milk. That should help to give you some creaminess in there.
From there, you could try mixing in some of the dairy-alternative cream cheese/cheddar cheeses, I’ve just never personally been a huge fan of those. If you do decide to try a vegan version, let me know how you make it in the comments!
HOW TO STORE A KETO GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
This is such a popular dish at home that I usually make a large quantity and keep leftovers. You can store this casserole for 3 days in the fridge, just allow it to cool completely to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. You can also freeze it and keep it for up to 3 months. Make sure to reheat the casserole until it is hot all the way through before serving.
I hope you enjoy this keto green bean casserole as much as my family does. If you try it, be sure to leave a recipe rating or comment.
Keto Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a casserole dish and set aside for now.
- Place green beans in a microwave-safe dish with a little water. Steam in the microwave for around 4 minutes. You want them to still be crisp and tender.
- Meanwhile, heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until both are tender.
- Add the garlic, white wine, and Dijon mustard. Cook for a minute.
- Stir in cream cheese, chicken stock, and cheddar. Continue cooking over medium heat for another few minutes, stirring frequently, until everything is well combined.
- Mix with green beans and then pour everything into the casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until everything is hot and bubbly. If desired, add an optional topping once you remove it from the oven. Enjoy!