22 Oct 2011 Favorite holiday casseroles

by Kellie Dye

My favorite holiday foods are my mother’s dressing and some of those gooey casseroles that I only eat once or twice a year.

I would never change my mother’s dressing, but I confess that I have altered a few casserole recipes without anyone noticing. I also believe in using whole, fresh ingredients whenever possible.  Holidays are special, and the ingredients should be, too. Here are a few of my favorite casserole recipes lightened up just a bit:

Green Bean Casserole

2 tbsp. canola oil

1 onion (dice half of the onion and slice thinly the other half)

1 package of fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 tbsp. onion powder

1-1/4 tsp. salt (divided)

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2/3 cup flour (divided)

1 cup low fat milk

3 tbsp. dry sherry or white wine (don’t use cooking sherry or wine as it is too high in sodium)

1 pound frozen green beans

1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream

3 tbsp. buttermilk powder

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saucepan and add the diced onion. Cook over medium heat stirring often until softened. Stir in the mushrooms, onion powder, 1 teaspoon of the salt, thyme and pepper. Cook about 3-5 minutes until mushroom juices evaporate. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the flour over the cooked vegetables and stir to coat. Add the milk and sherry and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in the green beans and continue cooking for about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and buttermilk powder. Transfer this mixture to the baking dish.

Whisk the remaining 1/3 cup flour, paprika, garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small dish. Add the sliced onion to coat. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a saucepan and add the onion/flour mixture. Cook, turning once or twice until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Spread the onions over top of the casserole. Bake about 15 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 6 servings. 190 calories, 23 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat, 534 mg of sodium.

Corn Casserole

3 tbsp. butter, softened

3 large egg whites

8 oz. fat free cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper

1 jalapeno, chopped finely

1 (15-1/4 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained

1 (14-3/4 oz) can cream style corn

1 (8-1/2 oz) package of corn muffin mix

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine the butter, egg whites and cream cheese in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir in onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, corn and cream corn and mix well. Add muffin mix and pepper and stir together. Pour into a baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes until set.

Makes 9 servings. 247 calories, 37 grams of carbs, 8 grams of fat, 629 mg sodium.

Hashbrown Casserole

3 bacon slices

1 chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 (32 oz) package frozen southern-style hashbrowns

1 cup shredded 2 percent cheese

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1 (10.75 oz) can reduced sodium, 98 percent fat free cream of mushroom soup

Cooking spray

Cook bacon until crisp and set aside to cool. Crumble bacon. Discard the drippings in the pan. Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until tender. Stir in the potatoes and cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine the bacon, 1/4 cup cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper and soup in a large bowl and mix together. Add to the potato mixture and stir gently to combine. Spoon this mixture into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes until cheese just begins to brown.

Makes 6 servings. 250 calories, 41 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fat, 588 mg sodium.