Unveiling the Ultimate Thanksgiving Secret: The Perfect Green Bean Casserole Recipe Revealed!
Green Bean Casserole Dorcas Tarbell faithfully replenishes her 97-year-old father’s refrigerator every week based on the grocery list he provides. A recurring item on this list is a frozen TV dinner featuring green bean casserole, a dish with a rich history in her family.
Thomas H. Reilly, Dorcas’s father, has savored countless servings of green bean casserole over the years. The recipe was initially crafted by his wife, Dorcas B. Reilly (Ms. Tarbell’s mother), in 1955 while she was part of a team at the Campbell Soup Company’s test kitchen in Camden, N.J. Dorcas B. Reilly, a home economist, was tasked with developing recipes using Campbell’s products for the company’s labels. Her most famous creation was the green bean casserole, a dish that remains a Thanksgiving favorite for millions of households.
Green Bean Casserole
The original recipe, then called Green Bean Bake, featured six simple ingredients: canned cream of mushroom soup, milk, green beans, French-fried onions, black pepper, and soy sauce. One distinctive touch was the dash of soy sauce added by Dorcas B. Reilly, contributing a unique flavor that became integral to the dish’s success.
According to food historian Laura Shapiro, Dorcas B. Reilly was an innovator, introducing the concept of adding onion rings to a casserole. The inspiration for the dish came from a recipe called “Beans and Stuff,” enjoyed by food editor Cecily Brownstone at a press luncheon in Florida. Brownstone collaborated with Campbell’s to create a version for her Associated Press column, leading to the publication of Ms. Reilly’s recipe in April 1955.
The green bean casserole’s enduring popularity lies in its simplicity and ease of preparation. Ms. Reilly passed away in 2018, but her legacy lives on in the original recipe card, housed in the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria, Va.
To explore the essence of the green bean casserole, the writer embarked on a quest to test and understand various recipes. The goal was not to improve the original but to honor its flavor profile by crafting it from scratch.
After extensive testing, the writer arrived at a version that pays homage to the classic recipe. Key insights include focusing on the creaminess of the sauce rather than the mushroom element, braising frozen green beans in a flavorful broth to enhance their taste, and retaining the use of store-bought French-fried onions for the perfect crunch.
In conclusion, the green bean casserole’s enduring appeal lies in its adaptability and the ability of each generation to put a personal spin on the classic recipe, preserving its essence while adding their unique touch.
