Begin by caramelizing the onions. Add the avocado oil to a large non-stick skillet and heat to medium-high heat on the stove top. Add the sliced onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until they turn translucent and have softened. Sprinkle in the sea salt. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden-brown and caramelized, about 50 to 60 minutes.

Remove caramelized onions from the heat and stir in the almond flour. Set aside until ready to use (Note: If you perform this step ahead of time, you can store the caramelized onions in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the casserole).

While onions are caramelizing, prepare the rest of the recipe. Bring a large pot of water to a full boil on the stove top and chop the green beans into 2-inch pieces. Carefully transfer the green beans to the pot of boiling water and cook until softened, but still al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately drain the beans into a colander.

Note: if you’re using canned green beans, you can skip this step because they are already cooked.

While the green beans are cooking, prepare the dairy-free cream of mushroom sauce.

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat, flipping every 1-2 minutes until crispy. Place the bacon on a cutting board and leave the bacon drippings in the skillet.

Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet with the bacon drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have turned golden-brown and are much smaller than they were when raw, about 5 to 8 minutes. If need be, add a tablespoon of avocado oil or olive oil to the skillet if it seems like the mushrooms are sticking.

Add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the canned coconut milk, dried oregano, nutmeg and sea salt and bring mixture to a full boil. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk well to combine. Continue cooking until the sauce has thickened to a consistency similar to gravy and pulls aways from the skillet when stirred, about 5 minutes.

Spray the inside of the Crock Pot with cooking spray and transfer the green beans to the bottom of the crock pot. Toss with avocado oil and sea salt.

Pour the creamy mushroom sauce mixture into the slow cooker and stir well until the beans are well-coated in sauce.