We noted this past Thursday that the creator of the (in)famous Green Bean Casserole never actually made the dish at home for her own family. Did she know something her bosses didn’t? What’s your position on the iconic GBC?
Before she passed away in 2028, Dorcas Reilly – one-time Campbell’s Soup home economist and test kitchen star – admitted that she never expected the Green Bean Casserole to become a classic. Let alone a holiday tradition. Her job at the time, in 1955, was to create new ways to use Campbell’s Soups. A promotional rather than a culinary exercise, at its core.
Simple, easy, economical
Reilly succeeded in creating a simple, inexpensive, easy-to make casserole that had both colour appeal and a then-unique flavour profile. The recipe had only 5 ingredients. One was a Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. But she sealed the deal – for Campbell’s marketing department – by topping it off with French’s Crispy Onion Toppers.
The recipe, which first appeared on Campbell’s Soup labels, also made the Crispy Onions an Iconic All-American hit.
Love it or hate it
Before long, Reilly’s Green Bean Casserole became one of those dishes you just naturally associate with the Holidays. Like Turkey, Stuffing, Sweet Potatoes, Cranberries and Pumpkin Pie.
But the shine wore off the GBC – quickly for some, gradually for others. And today, food writers often refer to the dish as ‘tired’.
And there’s sometimes heated disagreement among diners over the GBC. A minority of ordinary folks say they still consider the dish a Holiday must-serve. A majority say it’s no longer first-rank on their festive menu. And a growing number of extremists are coming out, admitting they never liked the dish in the first place and only made it or ate it to please their hosts or elders. Many cooks admit they kept serving it year after year simply because it was ‘traditional’.
My take
Love it or hate it, the classic Green Bean Casserole will forever be considered a Holiday Feast Fixture. And a sure-fire conversation-starter!
My Questions to You:
Do you like the classic GBC?
If so…
What specifically do you like about it?
If not…
What would you change/upgrade about it to bring it closer to your gustatory wheelhouse?
A confession…
I personally prefer a fancier GBC than most folks serve. And I have reasons… I think cutting the beans diagonally into 1 in. /2.5 cm pieces or julienning them makes a big improvement in the visual appeal of the dish. This extra prep step also makes the dish much easier to eat. And sautéeing (‘blanching’) them for a few minutes in butter makes a huge difference in the flavour and tenderness.
I also like to mix Crispy Onion Toppers into the beans themselves as well as sprinkling them gener-ously on top of the casserole. Adds a whole extra textural dimension to the dish!
Muse on that…
~ Maggie J.