From Scratch

The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 and if we pretend it was observed every year thereafter, that would give us 334 years of Thanksgiving meals without green bean casserole.

For those outside the US, the five-ingredient side dish is built around a can of cream of mushroom soup and it’s estimated that it’s served in nearly 20 million homes on our Thanksgiving holiday. Mine is not among them; to me, soup is not an ingredient. It was never served when I was growing up either. I’ve only had the casserole once, at an extended-family Thanksgiving dinner when a relative by marriage brought it. A lot of it. Nobody escaped.

It was invented in 1955 by home economist Dorcas Reilly, who worked for the Campbell’s Soup Company. She ran the test kitchen and has said her inspiration for the casserole was simple: to work with two ingredients found in most homes back then, green beans and Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. It took off and nowadays, Campbell’s estimates 40% of its annual Cream of Mushroom Soup sales are for this dish.

It is such an American icon that Reilly’s original, yellowed recipe is safely ensconced in the National Inventors’ Hall of Fame, honored alongside Edison’s lightbulb and Fermi’s controlled nuclear reactor.

For anyone curious about the recipe, it’s here. Some user reviews are eye-popping; one said she omits the 1 teaspoon of soy sauce because of the sodium, overlooking the fact that the can of soup has nearly 2,200 mg of it. Some add up to half a pound of cheese and others use canned green beans, proof that what I call “can opener cuisine” still thrives in 21st Century America.

I do love green beans, especially as part of a holiday meal, and serve the following year-round, sometimes adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for brightness. It goes together quickly while the turkey rests and it fits the description of many favorite dishes: a few good ingredients, simply prepared.

Sauteed Green Beans with Shallots

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

1 pound green beans, trimmed
1 tsp. salt
4 TB unsalted butter, divided
4 shallots, sliced thin
2 TB vermouth
salt and pepper to taste

Have a serving platter ready. Bring water to boil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add salt and beans. Cook about 6 minutes till crisp-tender but still green.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet until foaming. Add the shallots and cook 8 - 10 minutes, stirring often, till becoming crispy at the edges, golden brown and fragrant. Add the vermouth, stir, and whisk in the remaining butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Drain beans and arrange on serving platter. Pour sauce on and serve immediately. 

Serves 4- 6

About Thanksgiving: It was not until 1863 that Thanksgiving was proclaimed a national holiday, by Abraham Lincoln. In 1939, in the midst of the Great Depression, FDR changed its date from the last Thursday in November to the next-to-last, to give retailers a longer Christmas shopping season. It’s now observed on the fourth Thursday of the month.

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Tags: green beans, Thanksgiving