Cheesy Green Bean and Red Rice Casserole {Lactose-Free; Gluten-Free}

This Cheesy Green Bean and Red Rice Casserole makes a beautiful addition to any holiday spread.

With Thanksgiving being next week, do you have your holiday meal fully planned?

Of course there are some dishes that have to be on the table (I’m looking at you, turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce!), but in my family, we like to switch up the other sides a little bit. Maybe one year we’ll make candied sweet potatoes, and the next year it’ll be marshmallow-topped squash. Sometimes corn casserole is involved, and that is always a winner.

Green beans usually play a part in the meal, but my family hasn’t been into the classic green bean casserole very much in recent years. Everyone just takes a small serving to say they had some, and then the rest goes into the fridge as leftovers. Normally we love Thanksgiving leftovers, even things like mashed potatoes, which I know are iffy for some people…but I make them into my Garlicky Mashed Potato Cakes with Raspberry Ginger Mustard Chutney and they are devoured within minutes. But for some reason, none of us really enjoy the classic onion-topped green bean casserole once it’s been reheated. The onions get soggy and it somehow loses all appeal.

Enter my Cheesy Green Bean and Red Rice Casserole, or what I’m calling the new star of the side dish world for your holiday meal!

This dish is universally appealing; who doesn’t love a creamy casserole covered in cheese?! GO VEGGIE Lactose Free Cheddar Shreds makes this dish is super cheesy, and GO VEGGIE Vegan Classic Plain Cream Cheese gives the sauce a rich, creamy texture. The great thing is, these products are plant-based and free of lactose and gluten, so this dish is great for someone who has dietary restrictions.

To keep this whole dish lactose free, I used light olive oil instead of butter and dairy free “milk” instead of cow’s milk. And to keep it free of gluten, I used red rice instead of another whole grain. If keeping it completely gluten free is a concern, be sure to check the labels of your vegan Worcestershire sauce and tamari sauce to make sure.

And bonus, this casserole reheats well! It really is the perfect side dish for your holiday festivities.

Cheesy Green Bean and Red Rice Casserole {Lactose-Free; Gluten-Free}

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Total time: 1 hour

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Red rice adds a unique nutty flavor to this creamy, cheese-covered green bean casserole.

Ingredients

Light olive oil, to grease the dish
1 cup (195 g) uncooked red rice
1 teaspoon salt, divided
4 cups (950 ml) water
12 oz (340 g) fresh green beans, end trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 (8 oz/227g) container GO VEGGIE Vegan Classic Plain Cream Cheese
1 (7 oz/198 g) pack GO VEGGIE Lactose Free Cheddar Shreds
¾ cup (180 ml) plain, unsweetened dairy free “milk”
1½ teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon tamari sauce (or coconut aminos)
⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375F; brush the inside of a 2.5-quart casserole dish with olive oil.
Soak the rice in a bowl of lukewarm water for 30 minutes, and then rinse and drain. Add the rice, ½ teaspoon salt, and 4 cups water to a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to simmer, cover the saucepan, and cook until the rice is al dente (it should still be a little chewy), about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
For the green beans, add a couple inches of water to a large skillet over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add a generous pinch of salt, and then add the green beans; cover the skillet and cook 90 seconds. Drain and set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened and starting to brown in spots, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the cream cheese, ½ bag of cheddar shreds, milk, Worcestershire sauce, tamari sauce, black pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Turn off the heat when the cheese is melted.
Stir the green beans and red rice into the cheese sauce and then spread in the prepared casserole dish; sprinkle the remaining ½ bag of cheddar shreds on top.
Cover the dish with foil and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Disclosure: I received the GO Veggie! products that I used in this recipe for free, and I also received compensation for this post. I am happy for the opportunity to share brands that I believe in with my readers, and I hope you enjoy my recipe. As always, opinions stated are my own.