Lightened-Up Green Bean Casserole

(eat-yourself-skinny.com)

The holidays are meant to be enjoyed and indulged in, and anyone that tells you otherwise clearly hasn’t sat around my family’s table!Now that doesn’t mean I’m going to deep-fry my turkey and call it a day. Even when indulging, it’s still a smart idea to cook healthy…especially during the holidays. This lightened-up green been casserole is a great substitute to the original recipe everyone knows and loves. This was surprisingly easy to make and leaves you with a homemade sauce that is simply swoon-worthy! See more at Eat Yourself Skinny.

Cook Time:1 hours

Prep Time:10 min

Total Time:1 hours10 min

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

2 Tablespoon light butter

1/4 Cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 Cups fat-free milk

1/2 Cup nonfat buttermilk

1 Tablespoon ranch dressing mix

2 Teaspoon fresh thyme

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1/4 Teaspoon black pepper

1 Teaspoon light butter

1 (8 oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms

1 Cup French onions, crushed

1/2 Cup whole wheat panko

Handful of dried cranberries (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil fresh green beans in salted water covered for about 5 minutes. Drain and blanch on ice to stop cooking process then pat dry. Set aside.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and whisk in flour until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually add milk, whisking constantly for about 3 to 4 minutes until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and whisk in buttermilk, ranch dressing, thyme and salt and pepper.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt one teaspoon of butter and add mushrooms. Saute for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned, and remove from heat. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes then toss with green beans in the ranch-buttermilk sauce.

Place mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with spray. Sprinkle with crumbled French onions and panko over green beans and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Top should be golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy!