From Chester’s Kitchen & Bar to your kitchen, green bean casserole is a classic

With just two days before Thanksgiving you likely have your menu all set, maybe even have some of the dishes prepared. For most of us it doesn’t change much, year to year, generation after generation. You can count on mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, of course the turkey and stuffing. Green bean casserole is likely there as well. If not, somebody messed up, or forgot how essential it is to the feast. That innocent, simple dish will be on over 22 million tables this year, one of the most iconic of holiday cuisines. “Cuisine” seems like too upscale a word for it, even though for millions it’s a “must have” on the holiday table. Using just six ingredients green beans, cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, a dash of black pepper and French’s French-fried onions, all mixed together and baked; could it be easier? It’s so much a part of the holiday that in 2002 the original hand-written recipe was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron as “a significant piece of Americana for its enduring contribution to the holiday meal.” Would it surprise you to know that it has been around for 70 years? The recipe itself was “born” in 1955 in a Campbell test kitchen in New Jersey. Home economists were testing various recipes to go on the labels of soup cans. Dorcas Reilly was head of the group and when they initially tasted the green bean mixture it didn’t seem that special. Then, on a hunch, she added soy sauce. That turned out to be the magic ingredient. Bingo! A winner was born. Word spread like wildfire and it quickly became a regular addition to the holiday feast. All these years later it is still Campbell’s most requested recipe. It also accounts for over 40% of cream of mushroom sales. Interestingly too is that since it’s been around for so long sometimes Aunt Sally or Grandma gets credit for being the first to make it. Not so. You and I now know from where and how it came to be a Thanksgiving favorite. So far nothing has come along to replace it, and after all these years, probably nothing will. Over the years consumers have adapted the original to fit diets like vegan and paleo but the core dish, the original, has stayed tried and true, keeping the recipe as it was originally released. So basic and simple, home cooks can’t resist coming up with variations. Adding sauteed mushrooms is an option though that can alter the flavor of the dish. Cheese is another addition as are spices like nutmeg and celery salt. Some cooks have even made their own white sauce instead of using the soup. Then there is the decision of what kind of green beans to use the original in a can, frozen green beans or fresh. Whatever the cook chooses to use, or not, it is a great traditional dish. Me? I stick close to the original, canned beans and all. Whatever you do or don’t do, don’t mess with the French fried onions. Not only are they essential but, at the end of the day, they are everyone’s favorite. Good to know is that you can make the dish the day before just don’t top it with the onions until just before it’s baked. Since there are many who choose to have a restaurant or market prepare their holiday dinner, I checked a few to see if they include the casserole in their offerings. Yes and no. Chesters Kitchen & Bar (111 Broadway Ave. S, 507-424-1211) doesn’t do a take-out dinner but instead offers a dinner in the restaurant, family style, with green bean casserole as a side choice. Canadian Honker (1203 Second St. SW, 507-282-6572) does a big take-out business for Thanksgiving but the offerings are limited to the basics with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy. On to HyVee at Barlow Plaza (1315 Sixth St. NW, 507-288-8233), which also does a big take-out business for the holiday. The manager emphasized that, yes, they include it as an option. “It’s one of the most requested side items. We have to have it.” All things being equal, if it isn’t included where you have ordered your meal, guess what? Make your own! 2 (12-oz) cans green beans, drained 1 (10. 5-oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1/2 cup milk 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1-1/2 cups French’s fried onions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 1-1/2 quart casserole, combine soup, milk, soy sauce and pepper. Stir in the green beans and half of the crispy onions. (Casserole can be prepared to this point a day ahead, covered and refrigerated.) Bake until bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Before serving, top with remaining onions and bake 5 more minutes. Note: Rather than the canned beans you can substitute one 20-oz. bag frozen cut green beans, thawed, or cook 1-1/2 lbs. fresh green beans in lightly salted water until tender, about 5 minutes, and drain. Then proceed with the recipe. 2 cups chicken broth 2 lbs. frozen cut green beans, thawed 1 teaspoon celery salt Salt and ground black pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 6-oz can French’s crispy onions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan add the chicken broth, 1 pound green beans and 1/2 teaspoon celery salt. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, until beans are very tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile melt the butter in a large oven-proof skillet, add the flour and whisk until smooth and beginning to turn golden, 2 minutes. Slowly add the heavy cream to the flour mixture, whisking, followed by a cup of the green bean broth. Bring mixture to a simmer, lower heat and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 minutes. Stir in nutmeg and rest of celery salt and season assertively with salt and pepper. Drain beans and add to the sauce. Add the rest of the thawed beans. Stir. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart casserole dish, top with the onions. Bake until golden brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let sit and cool to set before serving, about 10 minutes.
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