Mushroom Gratin Casserole {Low Calorie, Low Fat, Healthy, Vegetarian}
This low fat Mushroom Gratin Casserole is made with a homemade white sauce instead of canned soup. Top it with a mixture of cracker crumbs and panko for a delicious, vegetarian side dish.
When my husband came into my life, Mushroom Gratin Casserole also entered the picture. Another reason to be thankful for my husband. Good friends of his always did a Thanksgiving meal the week before Thanksgiving. One of the specialties was a Mushroom Casserole. This casserole was fabulous; how could it not be with a pint of heavy cream and a stick of butter in it? The mushroom juices mixed with the cream to make the most extraordinary sauce, and was topped with a crunchy mixture of cracker crumbs and butter. One bite and I knew I had to add this recipe to our Thanksgiving menu. Are you thinking Thanksgiving is over? Yes, but this will be fabulous for Christmas, too.
Fourteen years later, I am still making Mushroom Gratin Casserole every year for Thanksgiving. This year though, I decided to take the bull by the horns and lighten it for Christmas. The first step was to get rid of the heavy cream. Boo hoo! The fact that heavy cream was simply poured around the mushrooms made it easy to make. I still wanted quick and easy without the heavy cream. Thickening some milk and adding some spices was just the ticket. Yes, you have to make a sauce. It only takes about 10 minutes though. That is ten minutes well spent. Then it is simply a matter of pouring the sauce around the mushrooms. I also combined some panko with the cracker crumbs. Panko is lower in fat and sodium but still adds that fabulous crunch. Next the butter, yes, I had to cut down the butter. I still kept a little in this dish to make it feel luxurious. This is the perfect casserole to serve for Christmas.
On the face of it, this would not be a typical dish my husband would love. He was born in India and is use to “in-your-face” spices and flavor. Indian food is pungent! This dish is simple and all about simple ingredients. For some reason, it just hits his fancy. It is like his love for Poppy Seed Chicken. Again it is another dish that isn’t full of flavor or spices, but it is just straight comfort food. I am hoping to bring you a homemade (no canned soup) version in January.
Try Low Fat Mushroom Gratin Casserole for yourself. The creamy mushrooms topped with a crunchy, buttery topping will make it a favorite at your house too. Pin it to your Christmas board so you don’t forget.
If you want to be sure to see Food Done Light’s next recipe, Oatmeal, White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies, subscribe by email below. You won’t want to miss it.
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Email Address
Follow me on Pinterest Christie@Food Done Light
Print Mushroom Gratin Casserole {Low Calorie, Low Fat, Healthy, Vegetarian}
Author: Christie Daruwalla Recipe type: Side Dish, Vegetables, Holiday, Thanksgiving, Christmas
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 9
Ingredients
- 1½ cups 2% reduced fat milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 garlic clove, peeled
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 lbs. mushrooms, sliced
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
- 12 whole wheat Ritz crackers, crushed
- ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp .unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together milk and flour. Add garlic and thyme.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the milk thickens, about 5 to 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove garlic and thyme.
- Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Place mushrooms into the baking dish and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Toss to distribute spices.
- Pour thickened milk around the outside of the mushrooms.
- Cover with the crushed Ritz and panko. Drizzle with melted butter.
- Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly.
Nutrition Information Calories: 92 Fat: 4 Saturated fat: 2 Unsaturated fat: 1 Trans fat: 0 Carbohydrates: 11 Sugar: 4 Sodium: 118 Fiber: 1 Protein: 4 Cholesterol: 10
Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe 3.2.2885
Happy Healthy Eating,
Christie
But wait, there’s more. Check out these deliciously, low calorie side dish recipes:
