Green Bean Casserole - (HEALTHY & Gluten-Free)

I bought a few old magazines the other day when Mom and I were browsing the thrift stores for goodies to refurbish and I ran across this fabulous recipe. It is such a drastic change from the run of the mill green bean casserole. I'm trying to keep my foods all natural, organic as much as possible, gluten-free and for the most part dairy free. This recipe is a fabulous find & was delicious!

Ingredients
2 lbs green beans fresh or frozen (I used fresh)
1 medium onion, cut in half & sliced into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, cut in half & sliced into thin strips
6 oz. fresh mushrooms - button or portobello, sliced
6 oz. cheese - goat and cream cheese. (Cheese can be omitted. I used about 3 oz of feta instead)
olive oil
plain bread crumbs (I made gluten-free Italian bread crumbs - see recipe below)
balsamic vinegar or soy sauce
sea salt
black pepper
flat leaf parsley fresh - for garnish (Optional)


Directions
If using fresh green beans, trim the ends. Place green beans in a pot of salted boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes. Pour green beans into collander to drain and run cold water over to stop the cooking process. In a casserole dish, combine beans with button mushrooms and sliced red peppers. Toss with olive oil and balsamic vinegar or soy sauce to coat, a sprinkle of sea salt & black pepper. Roast in oven for 15 minutes at 400. Saute onion wedges and garlic in olive oil just until tender. Toss cooked onions with a handful of bread crumbs to coat for classic onion ring crispiness.
Toss warm vegetables with cheese, top with onions and return to oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. If desired, scatter fresh snipped parsley on top for a peppery flavor when done. Enjoy.

NOTES: I used the balsamic vinegar last night when I made this. My hubby doesn't like sweet foods unless it is a dessert and leans more to savory flavors, so I will be using soy sauce the next go with this recipe.

GLUTEN-FREE ITALIAN BREAD CRUMBS
10-12 slices gluten-free brown rice bread
garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, black pepper, parsley flakes, Italian seasoning

Place bread on a cookie sheet in a preheated 200 degree oven. After one hour, turn bread over and bake for an additional hour. If bread still feels soft, repeat the process. When bread is dried out, place in food process and reduce to crumbs. Add in 3/4 teaspoon of garlic and onion powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and dried parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and sea salt. Mix together and place in a airtight container.