Green Bean Casserole: Foodie, Not Gooey

In this age of celebrity chefs and pedigreed recipes, why are people still pulling French-fried onions out of a can for one of the most celebrated meals of the year?

Sure, you can have green bean casserole on Thanksgiving. Just please think about making it with fresh, real foods. 

Here's one take that uses fresh green beans, from HuffPost Taste. You blanch them and plunge them into ice water to retain their fresh green color, and then make a mushroom mixture with chicken broth and cream. For the crunchy topping? You coat sliced shallots in a flour mixture, then gently toss them in a frying pan. 

How about a version that uses healthy, lower-fat ingredients. This take from the Christian Science Monitor uses Greek yogurt and a pinch of cayenne pepper and paprika to heighten the flavor. 

Suppose you want to incorporate superfoods into the mix, to give your guests healthy nutrients. This recipe from cleancuisineandmore.com uses pumpkin seeds, a superfood, and also features caramelized onions and cashew cream. It sounds tantalizing. 

Whichever recipe you decide to go with, Shape.com has five suggestions for add-ins to heighten the nutrients, color and appeal of your baked dish, and some of them you would never guess. 

The folks at the farmer's market would be proud. 

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