Divine Skinny Green Bean Casserole

I didn't grow up in a home where casseroles were common. I had my first casserole my sophomore year of college when my friend Indigo brought one over for girls night. Now, years later, I've had my second casserole, the green bean casserole. My friend Anna came up with this recipe, and oh my god it may be the most heavenly thing I've eaten. It is so good that I was contemplating eating the entire thing in one sitting. My family couldn't stop talking about it, my mother even got on the phone to call her sister to brag. This is definitely a keeper, and will be at our thanksgiving dinner this year.

2 tablespoons plant-based butter
2 tablespoons flour (it was also very successful with 1 1/2 tablespoons chickpea flour)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup onion, diced
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
Roughly 3/4 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 large bag of green beans, trimmed and torn into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup french fried onions or crumbled buttery crackers, like Ritz

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Steam your green beans, while they're streaming make the cashew cream. In a high power blender or vitamix add the raw cashews and equal amounts of water. Blend. The consistency should be the same as heavy cream. Adjust water until you reach the perfect consistency, then add the apple cider vinegar and blend. This will give it that tartness that sour cream would have. You will need a cup, to a cup and a quarter, of cream for this recipe.

In a small pan saute your onions until they become translucent, set aside. Once the green beans are tender but still have a little bit of a bite to them, take them out of the steamer and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium low heat melt the butter, once melted add the flour and stir until completely smooth, cook for one minute, this helps take out the 'flour' taste. Add in the salt, translucent onions, sliced mushrooms, the one cup of cashew cream, and the steamed green beans, mix until everything is incorporated. If your bag of green beans was on the bigger side, as more cashew cream, you want everything to be well coated. Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake for 15 minutes. Pull the casserole out and top it with the crumbled crackers or the fried onions, put back in the oven and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Serve immediately. 

This can be prepared in advance, just leave off the topping. Once it is heated through in the oven, add the topping and allow the top to toast before serving.

Recipe slightly adapted from Anna Bailey