Today’s Spotlight is on National Green Bean Casserole.

Green bean casserole is an American baked dish consisting primarily of green beans, cream of mushroom soup, and French-fried onions. It is a popular side dish for Thanksgiving dinners in the United States and has been described as iconic. The recipe was created in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell Soup Company.

Green bean casserole is made with just four ingredients: green beans, condensed cream of mushroom soup, French-fried onions, and shredded Cheddar cheese. It’s a popular dish during the holiday season, with 30 million American households serving it.

 

History

Dorcas Reilly created the green bean casserole recipe in 1955.  She was a home economist at the Campbell Soup Company’s test kitchen in Camden, New Jersey.  Reilly was asked to create a dish using condensed cream of mushroom soup. The dish was originally called the “Green Bean Bake”.

Reilly’s recipe gained popularity when Campbell began printing it on its mushroom soup cans. As of 2020, Campbell’s estimated that 20 million Thanksgiving dinners in the US each year included green bean casserole. The dish is now Campbell’s most requested recipe.

Reilly was born on July 22, 1922, in New Jersey. She earned a cooking degree from Drexel University in 1947.

Green bean casserole became a Thanksgiving tradition because it’s simple, inexpensive, and can be made ahead of time. It’s also known as a “jiffy casserole” because it can be made in one bowl and one pan. Green bean casserole was originally marketed as an everyday side dish. It became popular for Thanksgiving dinners in the 1960s after Campbell’s placed the recipe on the can’s label.

Green bean casserole is a perfect side dish for holiday entertaining. It goes well with turkey, potatoes, and other Thanksgiving classics.

 

Here are some other fun facts about green bean casserole:

• It was featured in the Associated Press Thanksgiving edition in 1955.
• In 2005, USA Today celebrated the 50th birthday of the green bean casserole.
• Green beans weren’t the initial inspiration for the dish.
• Campbell’s Soup Company had a kitchen in New Jersey dedicated to producing recipe pamphlets.

 

Here is a Green Been Casserole recipe for you to try:

Ingredients:

• 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/8 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Ground Black Pepper
• 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) any style Green Beans, drained
• 1 1/3 cups French’s® Original Crispy Fried Onions, divided.

 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix cream of mushroom soup, milk and pepper in 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Stir in green beans and 2/3 cup Crispy Fried Onions.
2. Bake 30 minutes or until hot. Stir.
3. Top with the remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 minutes longer or until onions are golden brown.
4. For a kick of spice, double the black pepper in this green bean casserole recipe to 1/4 teaspoon and prepare as directed.
5. To feed a crowd, double the recipe and prepare in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Use an entire 6-ounce container of Crispy Fried Onions, reserving 1 1/3 cup for the topping. Increase cooking time to 40 minutes or until heated through.
6. If using fresh or frozen green beans, make sure to cook them first! Blanch fresh green beans until tender, or steam frozen beans as directed on package.
7. Enjoy!

According to Tastewise, green bean casserole is consumed 1.09 times per year on average. Campbell’s estimates that 40% of the Cream of Mushroom soup sold in the US is used to make green bean casserole.

Here’s some nutrition information for green bean casserole:

• Calories: 115 calories per 230 g serving
• Fat: 5 g per serving
• Protein: 4.3 g per serving
• Carbohydrate: 16 g per serving, including 5.9 g sugar and 4.1 g dietary fiber
• Sodium: 932 mg per 1 cup
• Vitamins: Green beans are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A, and manganese.

Green beans are also a good source of protein and fiber, which can help lower cholesterol.

 

Celebrating Green Bean Casserole

There are a few times a year that you can celebrate green bean casserole. The most popular ones being on Thanksgiving and Christmas. But December 3^rd has been set aside as National Green Bean Casserole Day, which is right in between.

Let us know in the comments your favorite story about green bean casserole.