Green bean casserole is one of the most iconic dishes to hit the Thanksgiving dinner table year after year — and we get why. The fresh, crisp green beans, the creamy luscious sauce, and the crunchy, melt-in-your-mouth crispy onions. We’re getting major cravings just thinking about it. However, you can do so much more with this lovable legume! The bean holds up well no matter how you prepare it, and as incredible as the green bean casserole is, maybe you want to step outside of your comfort zone.

After some in-depth scouring of the Food Monster App’s endless archive of holiday recipes, we hand-selected the 12 coziest, warming green bean dishes we could find! Not to pat ourselves on the back, but we think everyone will fall deeply in love with at least one of these recipes. Whether you are preparing to go to a traditional Thanksgiving feast, bringing a dish to someone else’s festivities, or gearing up for your casual Friendsgiving, we’ve got the PERFECT dish (or dishes) for you.

1. Green Bean, Potato, and Carrot Stew 

Source: Green Bean, Potato, and Carrot Stew 

You may not immediately think of soup when you think of classic Thanksgiving fare, but it is a great entrée or side option — especially if you have to make a big batch of something for the occasion. This Green Bean, Potato, and Carrot Stew by Alenoosh Matakupanis is packed with fresh-cooked green beans, tender potatoes, and carrots in a savory tomato broth. It’s warmed by the addition of curry powder and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

2. Mashed Cauliflower Green Bean Casserole 

Source: Mashed Cauliflower Green Bean Casserole

Florian Nouh‘s Mashed Cauliflower Green Bean Casserole is a dish for everyone — even the pickiest of eaters—  because it combines two Thanksgiving faves into one. Fresh green beans are tossed with coconut milk, nutritional yeast, and onion. Then it is all topped with a creamy layer of cauliflower mash plus a crunchy, garlicky bread crumb topping. It’s comforting, warming, creamy, and cheesy. In short, it’s comfort food approved and can be prepared with minimal ingredients in just 35 minutes.

Gratitude: Plant-Based Thanksgiving Cookbook

No other holiday captures the spirit of home cooking the way Thanksgiving does. This is why you need the ultimate Thanksgiving cookbook, One Green Planet’s Gratitude: Plant-Based Recipes to Create your own Thanksgiving Tradition! In the cookbook, you’ll find our 100 most popular plant-based Thanksgiving recipes like Soft Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts, Spiced Apple Cake with Cashew Frosting, Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding with Nut Crumble Topping, Cinnamon Apple Hand Pies, and hearty entrees like Roast Root Vegetable Stack With Dukkah, Vegducken: Butternut Squash Stuffed With Eggplant, Zucchini, and a Mushroom Lentil Stuffing, and Seitan Roast With Sausage and Pear Stuffing and Apple Cider Gravy and so much more!

3. Balsamic Mushrooms and Green Beans With Coconut Bacon

Source: Balsamic Mushrooms and Green Beans 

Who says side dishes can’t steal the show? Serve Molly Patrick‘s Balsamic Mushrooms and Green Beans and chances are you’ll want to devour an entire plate of them. Mushrooms of any kind and fresh green beans are stir-fried with a generous amount of fresh garlic, a splash of soy sauce, and just a bit of balsamic vinegar. Coconut bacon brings some crunch and a burst of smokiness to the tangy, vinegary flavor of this side.

4. Green Bean Casserole 

Source: Green Bean Casserole

This remake of the classic 1960’s Green Bean Casserole by Sarah De la Cruz is the perfect addition to any holiday table. It has all of the delicious flavors of the original without any of the yucky ingredients! It only requires 6 easy-to-find ingredients, so you can bake this dish in the oven while you tend to all the other Thanksgiving cooking. If you are trying to convince family members of how delicious vegan food is, this casserole will do the trick because it is just as tasty and satisfying as the original.

5. Green Beans With Toasted Mustard Seeds and Garlic 

Source: Green Beans With Toasted Mustard Seeds

Rinku Bhattacharya‘s Green Beans With Toasted Mustard Seeds is a light and lively rendition of the legume. The beans are garlicky with a nice dose of mellow-tempered heat. If you want a side dish that will provide some lighter, fresher flavors to contrast the indulgent heaviness that typically comes with Thanksgiving, this is for you! This recipe lets the bean be the star of the show.

6. Green Bean Casserole Pizza

Source: Green Bean Casserole Pizza

Hosting or attending a Friendsgiving or looking for an atypical Thanksgiving food to wow your friends and family? Natalie Slater‘s Green Bean Casserole Pizza adds seasonal flair to everyone’s favorite comfort food. The creaminess of green bean casserole lends itself so well to a crunchy crisp pizza crust. You can prepare the topping and crust ahead of time so you can enjoy a stress-free holiday.

7. Poblano and Veggie Bacon Green Bean Skillet Casserole 

Source: Poblano and Veggie Bacon Green Bean Skillet Casserole

The aspect of Hannah Teson‘s Poblano and Veggie Bacon Green Bean Skillet Casserole that makes it so stellar is the homemade Japanese-inspired vegan cream of mushroom soup. It may sound a little strange, but the Asian ingredients give the bulk of this dish a delicious depth. This is a truly comforting casserole that people will love to eat. It’s deep and rich, and creamy yet crunchy.

8. Cranberry Almond Green Beans

Source: Cranberry Almond Green Beans 

Consider this recipe a healthy take on the traditional green bean casserole. This Cranberry Almond Green Beans recipe by Gina Hoskins has all the same classic casserole flavors without the fat and calories that typically come with the creamy sauce. These beans will be the perfect, modern side dish this holiday season. The added almonds give the classic ingredients an extra nice crunch.

9. Orange Dijon Green Beans With Crispy Shallots

Source: Orange Dijon Green Beans With Crispy Shallots

This elegant side dish is the perfect complement to any Thanksgiving dinner. Green beans are dressed up with fresh herbs and a citrusy glaze made from orange juice, whole-grain mustard, and a hint of agave syrup. It also includes beautiful pearled onions and some crispy shallots. Make a batch of these Orange Dijon Green Beans With Crispy Shallots by Lisa Lotts if you want to have an insta-worthy feast.

10. Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole 

Source: Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole 

You and you’re loved ones will never believe this rich, creamy Green Bean and Mushroom Casserole by Taylor Kiser is dairy-free, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly! Perfect for any Thanksgiving dinner! A mishmash of non-dairy milk simmers together with tender, golden brown sautéed onions and meaty mushrooms to create a velvety-smooth, uber-thick creamy base that gets slathered on fresh green beans and topped with deep-fried onion rings. You’re welcome.

11. Roasted Rosemary String Beans

Source: Roasted Rosemary String Beans

You cannot go wrong with simply roasting veggies, and Jennifer Strohmeyer‘s quick and easy Roasted Rosemary String Beans are proof. The addition of a little maple syrup makes this side slightly sweet and complements perfectly with the rest of the fall flavors that will likely be on the Thanksgiving menu. Though they may look like your typical cooked green beans, one bite will show anyone that they are anything but.

12. Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Onions 

Source: Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Onions

We couldn’t resist choosing another upgraded, vegan version of the traditional green bean casserole. Laine Rudolfa‘s Green Bean Casserole With Crispy Onions is much healthier yet more delicious that the original recipe. The dish gets its creaminess from non-dairy milk and its slightly cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast. The baked onions…Well, don’t be surprised if you eat them alone and they don’t even make it to the top of the casserole.

Searching tirelessly for other Thanksgiving dishes? Check out Recipes for The Ultimate Vegan Thanksgiving Menu and stay tuned.

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