Happy No Turkey Day! One of our favorite parts of No Turkey Day (AKA, Thanksgiving) is strategizing how to cook for the day. We know, sounds lame to some, but we love making the whole day as simple and stress-free as possible. As such, we lug out our trusty slow cookers and Instant Pot, and cook as many dishes as possible in them, to keep burners and the oven free.

We are huge fans of green bean casserole, but not fans of the nasty stuff in the commercial canned condensed soup so commonly used to make it. Not to mention, those soups are definitely not vegan or gluten-free. Luckily, this recipe fulfills our desire to cook Thanksgiving Day dishes in the slow cooker, and not have nasty canned soup in the green bean casserole!

Vegan and Gluten-Free Slow Cooker Green Bean Casserole

2 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch length
2 tbs olive oil
12 oz fresh white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons gluten free flour
1 carton creamy potato soup, we like Imagine with added garlic or leek flavor
1 cup gluten free bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)

Clean and trim green beans, then cut in half. Blanch them by putting them into boiling, slightly salted water. Cook for approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon them out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon, and immediately drop them into a bowl filled with cold water and ice. Blanching stops the green beans from cooking further. Drain the beans and set them aside.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper to taste, and white wine (if using) and cook approximately 5 minutes. Add onions and garlic, and saute until translucent, about another 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate skillet or saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of the potato soup over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into the pan and whisk immediately to evenly mix it into the soup. Cook for about a minute, then pour in rest of potato soup. Continue cooking, constantly whisking, while soup thickens, about another 2-3 minutes.

In slow cooker, combine green beans, mushroom mixture, and potato soup, mixing thoroughly. Set slow cooker to cook for 4-6 hours, depending on how much time you need.

When ready to serve, transfer to serving dish and sprinkle with gluten free crumbs. Enjoy!

And a few extra tips to make your day a bit easier:

• Chop all of the vegetables you’ll be using a day or two ahead of time, and put them into different resealable plastic bags, labeled with the dish for which they’re intended.
• If you’re making a big batch of mashed potatoes, wash them all at once in your dishwasher (hold the soap!).
• Use a mellon baller to scoop out the tops of apples, then stick tea lights into the indentations for pretty and simple table decor.
• Being meat-free means that it’s easy to end up with a starch-heavy table. Replace that rice with cauliflower rice: grate a head of cauliflower with a cheese grater, zap in the microwave for a minute or two, and toss with vegan butter, or whatever mix-ins you like with your rice.
• To punch up your gravy, add a few splashes of gluten-free soy sauce

And don’t forget to ask your guests for help if you need it – people are happy to pitch in!

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