People either love it or hate it, but green bean casserole is a longtime holiday tradition.
First invented in 1955, the casserole was known as a green bean bake. Back then, Campbell Soup Co. Test Kitchen Manager Dorcas Reilly was trying to come up with a recipe that needed a short list of ingredients that were commonly found in households — in that case, canned green beans and cream of mushroom soup.
Now, almost 30 million U.S. households make the dish every holiday season, according to BusinessWire.
To spice up this year's casserole, consider trying one of these tricks:
— For added crunch, add 1/2 cup sliced almonds to the onion topping.
— For bacon lovers, add 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, to the bean mixture.
— For a festive touch, stir in chopped red pepper with soup.
— For cheese lovers, stir in 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese with soup. Omit soy sauce. Sprinkle with an additional 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions.
Green Bean Casserole
2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 cups cooked cut green beans
2-2/3 cups French's French Fried Onions
Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 1-1/3 cups onions in 3-quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.Makes 12 servings.
For more recipes, visit www.CampbellsKitchen.com.
