An Edible Mosaic™

Everyday Fare With Extraordinary Flair

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • about
    • contact
    • accessibility
    • privacy policy
    • terms and conditions
  • cookbooks
  • recipes
  • explore world cuisine
    • arabic and middle eastern
    • asian
    • british
    • buffalo foods
    • czech
    • dutch
    • ethiopian
    • french
    • german
    • greek
    • indian
    • irish
    • italian
    • jamaican
    • jewish
    • latin
    • polish
    • russian and ukrainian
    • swedish
    • tex mex
    • thai
    • west african
  • web stories
  • my other blogs
    • daily desserting
    • the keto queens

Home » Type » Main Courses » Turkey » White Bean Casserole with Crunchy Onion Topping

White Bean Casserole with Crunchy Onion Topping

November 12, 2012 by Faith 29 Comments

This month’s 5 Star Makeover theme is holiday green bean casserole. I know most people have strong feelings one way or the other about this casserole; personally, I love it, but only if it’s fresh. Unlike most Thanksgiving dinner leftovers, this dish seems to lose its magic once re-heated.

At first for this makeover I was planning to do a more gourmet version of this classic side dish (an “ultimate” version, if you will), making everything from scratch – replacing the canned fried onions with homemade mini onion rings, making a lovely velvety béchamel instead of canned mushroom soup, and intensifying the mushroom flavor by using a mix of wild shrooms.

Then I thought about it some more, and did a quick Google search. As you might have guessed, quite a few bloggers have already shared gorgeous versions of homemade (or mostly homemade, which totally counts in my book) green bean casserole.

So onto Plan B.

hosted by 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro Cooks!

I decided to make a different kind of bean casserole.

I used white beans and did my own version of a crunchy onion topping, made with a flavorful mixture of sautéed onion and breadcrumbs.

Actually, when I set out making this dish, I had my White Bean Chowder in mind as inspiration, and was trying to remake that soup into a side dish. Funnily enough, the end result tastes much less like that soup and much more like a classic French dish called Cassoulet. It’s a rich and hearty, almost stew-like casserole; perhaps a bit unconventional for a Thanksgiving side, but it would be a delicious addition to a holiday dinner nonetheless.

If you’re interested in seeing a few remakes of the classic holiday green bean casserole, here are some recipes from a few fabulous bloggers:

Fresh Green Bean Casserole from Brown Eyed Baker

Green Bean Casserole from Scratch from My Life as a Mrs.

Homemade Green Bean Casserole, the Grown-Up, Food Lovers Version by Domestic Fits

From Scratch Green Bean Casserole by Annie’s Eats

Homemade Green Bean Casserole (from scratch) by The Galley Gourmet

Huge thanks to Natasha and Laz  for hosting this event! Be sure to check out their blogs later this month for the 5 Star Makeover round-up to see how all the fabulous 5 Star Makeover bloggers remade this classic.

Print
White Bean Casserole with Crunchy Onion Topping
Prep time:  25 mins
Cook time:  45 mins
Total time:  1 hour 10 mins
Yield: 8 to 10 side dish servings, or 4 main-course servings
 
Ingredients
Crunchy Onion Topping:
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium-large onion, finely diced
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Casserole:
  • 1 tablespoon butter, plus more to grease the dish
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 slices turkey bacon, finely diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 large carrots, diced
  • 2 large stalks celery, diced
  • ½ medium red bell pepper, diced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon dried crushed oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1½ tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (16 oz) can no-salt-added cannellini beans or other white beans
Instructions
  1. For the topping, heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme, salt, black pepper, and garlic, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the breadcrumbs and cook until light golden brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and stir in the parsley; set aside for now.
  2. For the casserole, heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add the turkey bacon and cook until crispy, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn heat down to medium and add the onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper; cook until starting to soften, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute.
  3. Add the stock, tomato paste, and beans and bring to a boil; turn heat down and simmer (uncovered) until the veggies are tender and the sauce is thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mash a few of the beans against the side of the pot.
  4. Preheat oven to 400F; grease an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with butter. Pour the bean mixture into the dish and top with the Crunchy Onion Topping; bake 10 minutes and serve hot.
Notes
To Reheat: Preheat oven to 350F; cover the dish with foil and bake until hot throughout, about 20 minutes.

Additional Serving Suggestion for the Crunchy Onion Topping: Use as a topping for any casserole, or sprinkle on top of salad or soup in place of croutons.
3.5.3251

Filed Under: Casseroles, Turkey Tagged: 5 Star Makeover, Cassoulet, Crunchy Onion Topping, Holiday Green Bean Casserole Remake, Recipes, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving, White Beans

Comments

  1. Alex says

    January 7, 2014 at 7:12 pm

    I made a vegan and gluten free version of this for my wife. She called it “amazing” 4 times.

    Reply
  2. Caitlin says

    January 13, 2013 at 9:27 pm

    Oh my gosh, I just made this and it’s delicious. The bacon and bell pepper just make it so flavorful! As a college student, I’m always looking for easy food that is a great leftover, and has lots of veggies! Seriously, this is great.

    Reply
  3. Magic of Spice says

    December 1, 2012 at 8:05 pm

    Oh wow, not that is a classy re-do of the classic…just delightful Faith!

    Reply
  4. Victoria says

    December 1, 2012 at 12:28 pm

    You’re right on, this totally reminds me of cassoulet, a personal favorite! Really great makeover, Faith! I would eat this up!

    Reply
  5. 5 Star Foodie says

    November 29, 2012 at 12:34 pm

    Awesome idea to use white beans – the casserole looks super delicious!

    Reply
  6. [email protected] says

    November 23, 2012 at 12:33 pm

    Great glamour shots treatment for the humble bean. As the Kelly says ‘underrated.’ Gorgeous and dive in-able. Love that it tastes a bit like cassoulet. Mmm

    Reply
  7. [email protected] says

    November 21, 2012 at 8:33 pm

    OMG it kinda tastes like cassoulet? Sold, best makeover.

    Reply
  8. Shannon says

    November 18, 2012 at 10:47 am

    i never liked green bean casserole as a kid anyways ;) this sounds awesome, and definitely a recipe that’s going in my to-try pile!

    Reply
  9. Marisa says

    November 17, 2012 at 1:01 am

    Made this tonight–pretty foolproof and it came out delicious! I’ll definitely make this again. Thank you!

    Reply
  10. grace says

    November 15, 2012 at 4:21 pm

    forget green bean casserole–this is outstanding! from the creamy white beans to the tasty topping, this is a side dish worth featuring!

    Reply
  11. Ashley - Baker by Nature says

    November 13, 2012 at 5:25 pm

    Green bean casserole is my favorite!!! I just sent my mom a link to this recipe – think she’ll get the hint?

    Reply
  12. Becky says

    November 13, 2012 at 12:10 pm

    This looks delicious, especially the onion topping. It’s making my mouth water! I made a really tasty meal using white beans as the star this week, and blogged about it here with a recipe if anyone wants to give it a go http://homefluffyhome.blog.com/2012/11/12/quick-meals-cooking-from-scratch-5/
    Thanks for the casserole recipe, I’ll definitely try it!

    Reply
  13. Kelly @ Inspired Edibles says

    November 13, 2012 at 11:01 am

    I’m glad you opted for the white bean version in this case… Despite being a nutrition powerhouse – protein, fibre and complex carbohydrates – the lowly legume continues to be underrated ;-). Plus, your dish just happens to look stunning! Love the inventive topping too. Beautiful recipe Faith.

    Reply
  14. [email protected] says

    November 13, 2012 at 7:59 am

    Now that’s an awesome makeover, but I would say that’s a meal in itself, Faith, and one I would like to make this week. Clever to change the beans. I’m still stumped on what to do.

    Reply
  15. Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says

    November 12, 2012 at 11:38 pm

    Love this idea Faith – this would make a great side dish to a lot of dinners!

    Reply
  16. Jeanette says

    November 12, 2012 at 9:56 pm

    I would much rather have this than the typical green bean casserole for Thanksgiving!

    Reply
  17. jenna says

    November 12, 2012 at 7:33 pm

    i love the idea of a crunchy onion topping on this. sounds and looks so good!!

    Reply
  18. Jessie says

    November 12, 2012 at 6:16 pm

    Yum! I love this alternative to the typical green bean casserole! Full of fiber in the white beans, too, which I’m all for :) I can see this is a delicious side dish to a kicked -up Thanksgiving feast.

    Have a great week, Faith!

    Reply
  19. Asiya @ Chocolate and Chillies says

    November 12, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    I’ve never had a green bean casserole before..this looks like one I need to try…love the crunchy topping! Crunchy is one thing that always gets my kids to try something..tell them it’s crunchy and they are all read to give it a try :)

    Reply
  20. Heather | Heather Likes Food says

    November 12, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    I love the onion topping! What a great remix on green bean casserole.

    Reply
  21. Eileen says

    November 12, 2012 at 1:43 pm

    I love the idea of baking white beans into a savory, crispy casserole! Who doesn’t need more ways to eat white beans? :)

    Reply
  22. Suzie says

    November 12, 2012 at 12:47 pm

    Your version sounds much better than the classic green bean casserole. I love the crunchy onion topping. I may have to try this out before the holidays!

    Reply
  23. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

    November 12, 2012 at 11:18 am

    I love white beans and I’m all for a crunchy onion topping. This is a perfect side dish!

    Reply
  24. Kristina says

    November 12, 2012 at 10:33 am

    this sounds MUCH better to me than a green bean casserole (I never really liked that one…)

    I’m going to make this – thanks!

    Reply
  25. [email protected] says

    November 12, 2012 at 9:37 am

    Talk about updating a classic… love this! I also only like this casserole with fresh green beans – can’t stand the mushy canned stuff. :)

    Reply
  26. Krista says

    November 12, 2012 at 9:01 am

    I’ve never had a green bean casserole before! But this recipe sounds like something I’d love. :)

    Reply
  27. Joan Nova says

    November 12, 2012 at 8:26 am

    I immediately thought ‘cassoulet’ as I started reading. I love what you did – I never thought of replacing the green beans. This looks absolutely delicious!

    Reply
  28. Erica says

    November 12, 2012 at 8:00 am

    I’m not a green bean casserole fan at all…but I could totally get behind this updated version! The topping looks amazing!

    Reply
  29. Rosa says

    November 12, 2012 at 6:21 am

    I love casseroles and this one sounds amazing! I love that onion topping.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Rate this recipe:  

Hello and welcome to An Edible Mosaic! This is my recipe collection of international favorites and updated American classics with an emphasis on seasonal dishes. Here you’ll find a focus on real foods that sustain body and mind, bring people together, and make a house a home.

 

Affiliate Disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

meet faith

I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to email me with questions or comments.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

an edible mosaic cookbook

affiliate disclosure

An Edible Mosaic is monetized in part though affiliate links, and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on an affiliate link and/or purchase an item after clicking on an affiliate link, I may receive a percentage of the sales price. I only recommend products that I love and use. To learn more, please read my Privacy Policy.

Home | About | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Contact

Copyright © 2023 | Faith Gorsky, An Edible Mosaic™ | All Rights Reserved