Classic Green Bean Casserole

For me, it's the side dishes that I look forward to on Thanksgiving. Even though there's no hard or fast rule the classic Thanksgiving side dishes can only be served during Thanksgiving, it tends to happen nonetheless. One side dish I really love is Classic Green Bean Casserole. My husband is very much an anti-green bean person which is why I never make this dish for family. So you could only imagine how happy I was when our friends Angela and Dan served this at the Thanksgiving luncheon they hosted. Yummm...

There are all sorts of adaptations for green bean casserole, but the classic would definitely be from Campbell's Kitchen. Green beans are tossed with cream of mushroom soup, some milk to dilute the soup, a splash of soy sauce, fresh black pepper, and topped with french fried onions. It's one of those dishes that can easily be a made in minutes and for me, completes a traditional Thanksgiving meal.

Some adaptations you can make to this recipe include using a homemade cream of mushroom soup and using your choice of fresh, frozen or canned green beans. Angela used a combination of fresh green beans (which were grown in her mother's garden) and canned green beans. It was delicious and something I'm still craving for hours later.

Classic Green Bean Casserole
recipe adapted from Campbell's Kitchen

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot mustard

Dash ground black pepper

2 cups fresh cut green beans
2 cups canned green beans, drained

1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Trim off the ends of the fresh green beans and blanch briefly in hot water. Drain and pat dry beans with paper towels.

Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, blanched and canned beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.

Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the bean mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.