I love having things in my pantry that I can throw together to make a tasty meal or side dish. Or pastry, or cookie – you get my drift. This is such a dish: something that can be made almost completely with items you have in your cupboards and freezer.
A few years ago, I made an effort to “upgrade” that much-maligned classic American staple, Ye Olde Campbell’s Green Bean casserole. I mean, really, if famous chefs were telling me, via print and television, that it was awful, I had to listen, didn’t I? I had to make a bechamel, and fry my own onion topping. Because they said so. So why did these high-falutin’ casseroles taste like . . . like . . . doo-doo? (This IS a family site).
So last year, I said to heck with it all. I went to Campbell’s site, and tweaked the recipe a bit. One big change I made was to use frozen haricot vert, i.e., French style green beans. I served the casserole at Christmas and it was a blowout hit. I was mightily surprised, what with the empty cans of Cream of Mushroom soup in my trash can. When you make almost everything from scratch, as I do, and one of your most popular dishes uses an ingredient that foodies love to ridicule, it can be kind of embarrassing. And those canned fried onions? I use Trader Joe’s, which are so tasty that my husband will eat them out of the can if I don’t stash it.
In the end, I don’t feel embarrassed at all, just resourceful, wonderfully middle class, and American, a fitting reminder on this day.
Recipe after the jump . . . .
Campbells’s Green Bean Casserole
Adapted from a recipe by Campbell’s Kitchen
2 cans (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)
1 cup milk
2 tsp. soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
24 oz. frozen French style green beans (haricot vert – I used Trader Joe’s), blanched for 3 to 4 minutes
16 oz. sliced button or cremini mushrooms
1 cup Trader Joe’s French Fried Onions
Directions:
Butter or spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Preheat oven to 350°F.
SAUTE the mushrooms in a bit of olive oil, until a light golden brown.
MIX soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans, and mushrooms and pour into baking dish.
BAKE at 350°F. for 25 minutes, or until hot.
STIR Sprinkle with the onions. Bake 5 min. Be careful not to let the onions burn!
TIP: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 oz.) frozen green beans, 2 pkg. (9 oz. each) frozen green beans, 2 cans (about 16 oz. each) green beans or about 1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans for this recipe.
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4 users responded in this post
So I should try the cans again . . . that’s been awhile.
If it works, don’t break it.
I love all dishes made with Campbells mushroom soup! I’m not sure why, but it’s the only canned soup I can drink.
When the foodies and famous chefs start raising their own cows, milking them, and then churning their own butter, I’ll start worrying about what they think, lol. Until then, here’s to green bean casserole!! whoop!
Your version sounds delicious. I do think the haricot verts would be a nice upgrade.
I haven’t had this in forever – but I say if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it!! Some things are better left alone!