Green Bean Chipotle Cream Casserole With Crispy Onions – Gluten-Free

Fresh green beans, the heat of Chipotle with sweet, crispy onions on top. This ain’t your momma’s green bean casserole and it’s gluten-free.

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces
1 lb button mushrooms, sliced in 1/4 ” lengths
1/4 tsp thyme
3 TB gluten-free flour (Namaste)
1 TB butter plus 3 TB butter
3 cups milk
1 large red onion
Enough peanut oil to fill 2 inches in a 2 quart saucepan
1 minced chipotle chili
1 1/2 tsp sea salt plus salt to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt 1 TB butter in a large frying pan over medium high and add the mushrooms. Don’t touch them for about 5 minutes. Then stir once. Add a sprinkle of salt (about 1/4 tsp) and the thyme. After another 5 minutes remove to a bowl.
Add water to the saucepan up to 1″ below the top. Bring to a simmer. Add a bit of salt to the water (about 1 tsp). Add green beans and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl.
In a two quart saucepan, add the oil. Heat to medium heat. Using a food processor slicing blade or a knife. Slice onion thinly. Add onions and monitor so they are just sizzling but not frying quickly. Turn down heat if necessary. When they are golden brown, use a slotted spoon to remove them to a paper towel.
Dispose of the oil and add 3 TB butter to the saucepan over high heat. Add the gluten-free flour and whisk for a minute. Add the milk and whisk until incorporated. Add the chipotle and 1 1/2 tsp salt. Continue whisking and monitoring until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat.

In a 9×13 baking dish, add the green beans and mushrooms, mixing to combine. Add the sauce. Bake for 45 minutes. 5 minutes before removing from the oven, add the onions on top. Serve.

Elizabeth Dougherty has been a food writer for over 10 years, attended culinary school and holds a Bachelor’s degree, Magna Cum Laude in Hospitality, Business and Labor Relations from NYIT. She has been a talk show host of nearly 150 episodes of Food Nation Radio which airs each Saturday afternoon at 4 on WWBA AM820 News and  other stations. You can read her articles and hear previous shows on her podcast page on the Food Nation Radio Network website and on Facebook.