[CrazedLedZepFan]

Green bean casserole is one of my favorite foods on this planet... The cream of mushroom soup part is easy to figure out how to lighten up but doesn anyone know of a good substitute for the topping?

[nelie]

Hmm I've never had green bean casserole or fried onions so I'm not sure what would be more important, the taste or the texture.

I imagine the fried onions are crispy? If so, maybe whole wheat panko for crispyness? Since onions are awesome, I love roasted onions (roast in oven or in toaster oven).

[freshmanweightorbust]

Alton Brown has a recipe on the food network website for green bean casserole where you dredge and broil the onions, spread out on a cookie sheet. I would imagine if you find a recipe that breaks it down like that, you could tweak it to be a little healthier.


I LOVE green bean casserole with French's Fried Onions!!! I don't think I've had it since Christmas. If I stick to my guns, it'll be Christmas again before I have it next, and I won't feel bad for eating it, cause I'll be down fifty pounds from where I was the last time I indulged in that particular yummy holiday side dish.

[kaplods]

Here's my "lighter" version of green bean casserole (and the original below it)

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1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell'sŪ Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free, or 25% Less Sodium)
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tsp. soy sauce or worcesteshire sauce
Dash ground black pepper
3 cans french style green beans
1 cup finely diced onion
2 tsp onion powder
1/3 cups French'sŪ French Fried Onions

Mix soup, milk, soy sauce, and pepper in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Stir in beans and diced onions Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Top with the 1/3 cup fried onions and bake about 5 more minutes, until onions are lightly browned.
Serves 6.


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1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell'sŪ Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free, or 25% Less Sodium)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French'sŪ French Fried Onions

Mix soup, milk, soy sauce, and pepper in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup of the fried onions. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Top with the remaining 2/3 cup fried onions and bake about 5 more minutes, until onions are lightly browned.
Serves 6.

[LindseyLouWho]

I know some people use crushed crackers for the topping (Ritz usually, I believe)... so you could use a whole grain cracker perhaps. Although I think usually people go and drizzle melted butter over that before baking which would sorta defeat the purpose.

[tommy]

Many Asian markets sell fried shallots in jars for super cheap. Since it is just shallots and oil. I think French's has flour and sugar in it. They are also very flavorful so you don't need as much. I like the whole wheat panko idea- maybe mix the two together. Hungry Girl is a major advocate of FiberOne crushed as a breading substitute. This sounds like a place to try that out and maybe use carmelized onions in the casserole itself so you get crunch (w/ fiber) on top and deep onion flavor in the mix. I sometimes also take dried onion, spray with cooking spray and bake up a little more for a more toasty flavor. They are small bits but good flavor.

[Primm]

What about just dry-frying thinly sliced onions in a non-stick pan until they are brown? They won't be as crispy as the deep fried ones, but far more flavourful.