Did you know that the Campbell Soup Company invented the original green bean casserole back in 1955? The initial plan was to encourage housewives to incorporate the company’s Cream of Mushroom Soup into more recipes. In the decades since then the veggie dish has evolved into a culinary icon.
The green bean casserole is a staple in most families, especially around Thanksgiving. In fact, for some cooks the popular recipe (which features green beans, butter, soup and canned French-fried onions) is as integral as the turkey and stuffing.
Today as I continue my countdown to Turkey Day I’m turning the spotlight on this iconic dish that is now part of American marketing history. In this blog I’m sharing two recipes for traditional versions of the casserole. One comes courtesy of Food Network’s Paula Deen and the other is a recipe my college roommate cooked up. Both are simple to prepare and relatively inexpensive.
In my next blog I’ll be sharing healthier versions of the traditional green bean casserole that don’t call for loads of butter and creamy soup.
PAULA DEEN’S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
Ingredients:
1/3 stick butter
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups sliced green beans
3 cups chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
Pinch of salt
Pinch of Pepper
Pinch of Garlic powder
1 cup grated Cheddar Cheese
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well.
Pour mixture into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish.
Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the cheese and bake for 10 more minutes, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.
TRADITIONAL GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 cup sour cream
3 (14.5 ounce) cans french style green beans, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup crumbled Ritz crackers
1 tablespoon butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat.
Transfer the mixture to a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top.
In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.
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