The truth about Green Bean Casserole

[Jenise]

Did some digging to answer my question about who created this dish, and it's not surprising that it was a home economist in Campbell's Soup Company's own test kitchen.

Her name was (and is, she's still alive and living in New Jersey) Dorcas Reilly, and the year was 1955. Her goal was to use an ingredient that most people already had in their kitchens (back when canned green beans were a staple).

According to an article in AdAge, "In 2002, Mrs. Reilly appeared at the National Inventor's Hall of Fame to donate the original copy of the recipe to the museum. The now-yellowed 8 x 11 recipe card takes its place alongside Enrico Fermi's invention of the first controlled nuclear reactor and Thomas Alva Edison's two greatest hits: the light bulb and the phonograph."

The results of her effort hit the biggest home run in the history of Campbell's Soup. In 2005, an estimated 30 million households made the dish, and attributed to it's popularity are $20 million and $56 million of annual mushroom soup and French's canned fried onions respectively.

Why, why, would anyone name their kid Dorcas?
Jenise, I share your opinion of green bean casserole...a dish only a Dorcas could have invented.
'Winger

[James Roscoe]

I love green bean casserole! Geez, you people are snobs! Of course you are wonderful snobs, but don't dis grean bean casserole!

Why, why, would anyone name their kid Dorcas?
Jenise, I share your opinion of green bean casserole...a dish only a Dorcas could have invented.
'Winger

Dorcas is actually a very old name, Bill - there was a Dorcas in the Bible who was a dressmaker, known for making clothing for the poor. In fact, my school used to have a charity program called Dorcas, which required all the students to make an article of clothing for donation (gotta love girls schools :)).

Apparently it's a name with greek origins meaning gazelle.

Having said all that, I agree with you. Why, why, would anyone name their kid Dorcas ? :D

[Jenise]

James, you're too harsh...I deliberately avoided dissing the dish as I know it's sacred territory for many. And as I said, it's tasty. But since you used the 's' word: to my mind, there is nothing the least bit snobbish about wanting to put the best possible food into your body. Why not make a version that's even tastier and better nourishment to boot based not on canned food, but better and healthier ingredients?

Like this:

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-best-green-bean-casserole.html

[James Roscoe]

James, you're too harsh...I deliberately avoided dissing the dish as I know it's sacred territory for many. And as I said, it's tasty. But since you used the 's' word: to my mind, there is nothing the least bit snobbish about wanting to put the best possible food into your body. Why not make a version that's even tastier and better nourishment to boot based not on canned food, but better and healthier ingredients?

Like this:

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-best-green-bean-casserole.html

Jenise,
I was reffering more to Bill than to you. Don't take what I said too seriously. That's why I put the little smiley face at the end. I am mostly a smart a## anyway. for the record I don't eat grean bean caserolle at Thanksgiving. For me it's an Easter dish.

I think we all need to chill out on the food thing though. Sometimes we just need to let these type ride.
Cheers!
James

[Jenise]

James, I wasn't taking you severely to task, but since there's nearly always a bit of truth in every jest, I had to make my stance clear. And--chill out on the food thing? Naah--eating well's too much fun!

Naah--eating well's too much fun!

Eating well, is a matter of taste! some like this, some like that, and some like neither!

James, you're too harsh...I deliberately avoided dissing the dish as I know it's sacred territory for many. And as I said, it's tasty. But since you used the 's' word: to my mind, there is nothing the least bit snobbish about wanting to put the best possible food into your body. Why not make a version that's even tastier and better nourishment to boot based not on canned food, but better and healthier ingredients?

Like this:

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-best-green-bean-casserole.html

Jenise,
I was reffering more to Bill than to you. Don't take what I said too seriously. That's why I put the little smiley face at the end. I am mostly a smart a## anyway. for the record I don't eat grean bean caserolle at Thanksgiving. For me it's an Easter dish.

I think we all need to chill out on the food thing though. Sometimes we just need to let these type ride.
Cheers!
James

All I did was agree with Jenise. I never take what you post seriously. Seriously!

[James Roscoe]

James, you're too harsh...I deliberately avoided dissing the dish as I know it's sacred territory for many. And as I said, it's tasty. But since you used the 's' word: to my mind, there is nothing the least bit snobbish about wanting to put the best possible food into your body. Why not make a version that's even tastier and better nourishment to boot based not on canned food, but better and healthier ingredients?

Like this:

http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2006/11/worlds-best-green-bean-casserole.html

Jenise,
I was reffering more to Bill than to you. Don't take what I said too seriously. That's why I put the little smiley face at the end. I am mostly a smart a## anyway. for the record I don't eat grean bean caserolle at Thanksgiving. For me it's an Easter dish.

I think we all need to chill out on the food thing though. Sometimes we just need to let these type ride.
Cheers!
James

All I did was agree with Jenise. I never take what you post seriously. Seriously!

At last! Someone who gets it!

I, too, think that there is always a truth in every jest...right with you there, girl. A lot of folks don't see things that way. And, thanks for the recipe for green bean casserole - it is the first one that speaks to me. It seems weird but not once in my life have I ever made or been the recipient of green bean casserole, which has made me hugely curious over all these years. But all the recipes I've come across have seemed horrible. This is the first one that says 'yes'! Thanks (and happy Thanksgiving)! cheers, Bonnie
PS I made the GRamsay bubble and squeak cakes today to freeze. They seemed terrific - very much according to the recipe. Now, the proof of the pudding will be if they defrost and refresh and crisp up according to plan for the Thanksgiving feast. Will report back.

I know a Dorcas. I think she's in her nineties.

As to the green bean casserole. When I was cooking in NYC, I used to host a lot of parties in our little studio. Typically, a lot of chefs and cooks would come. It's a small world and there were some pretty big names at the parties (for back then...)

Anywho, I held a pot luck one time...Invited my restaurant friends and my college friends..one college friend brought her green bean casserole...She pulled me aside and was telling me how mortified she was that I hadn't told her who would be there and how she NEVER would have brought that dish, yadda yadda..she was only half joking...

We walked back out to the dining table.

The green bean casserole dish was cleaned right down to the last Durkee fried onion and great chefs and servers and owners alike were licking the last of it off their forks, saying how much they LOVED green bean casserole.

True story.

It's comfort food at its most basic. It's memories..

[Jenise]

And, thanks for the recipe for green bean casserole - it is the first one that speaks to me. It seems weird but not once in my life have I ever made or been the recipient of green bean casserole, which has made me hugely curious over all these years.
This is the first one that says 'yes'!

Gotta admit, it had me drooling too. As someone who nearly always eats her vegetables first, I'd want that as a vegetarian main course.

PS I made the GRamsay bubble and squeak cakes today to freeze. They seemed terrific - very much according to the recipe. Now, the proof of the pudding will be if they defrost and refresh and crisp up according to plan for the Thanksgiving feast. Will report back.

I'll be looking for your report. I had bubble and squeak just once when I lived in England, and I adored it. I would love to make it.

[Jenise]

The green bean casserole dish was cleaned right down to the last Durkee fried onion and great chefs and servers and owners alike were licking the last of it off their forks, saying how much they LOVED green bean casserole.

True story.

It's comfort food at its most basic. It's memories..

Hilarious! And I understand--I've admitted before to having the same kind of comfort food reaction to plain Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. I grew up on it, and there are always a few cans in my pantry for the odd cold day I don't feel well and an effortless mug of hot soup is required. It's just that, like Bonnie, the casserole wasn't part of my childhood so I have no attachment to it. In fact, I've only had it a few times, made by a girl I worked with years ago. It was very good, and she'd make it with french cut green beans so they'd get sloppier and absorb more flavor. I've never had it since, but if I were to, I'd probably be offended if it wasn't made with french cut green beans.

Canned green beans cannot be rescued by canned soup. I guess the thinking was that Americans of little culinary discrimination could easily be bamboozled by form (i.e. convenience) over substance.

Thus was born the era of unhealthy convenience food that proceeded to entice 3 generations of Americans toward obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and psychiatric diseases.

[James Roscoe]

Canned green beans cannot be rescued by canned soup. I guess the thinking was that Americans of little culinary discrimination could easily be bamboozled by form (i.e. convenience) over substance.

Thus was born the era of unhealthy convenience food that proceeded to entice 3 generations of Americans toward obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and psychiatric diseases.

Hey, I don't have diabetes yet! Damn!

Thank you for this thread, Jenise. I'm amazed that this lover of junk food never heard of Green Bean Casserole.

And now you've gone and posted something that looks absolutely delicious.

I'll never get to taste the original. Do you happen to know where the inventor lives in New Jersey; it would be fun to meet her.

Regards, Bob

OK, now you made me gone and done it... The amazing thing is people actually post pictures of their gawdawful creations.

http://www.familyoven.com/recipe/Grandma%27s-Green-Bean-Casserole/18805

http://www.campbellkitchen.com/recipedetail.aspx?recipeID=24099

http://allrecipes.com/Cooks-Profile/Photo.aspx?photoID=25656

http://www.grouprecipes.com/1616/green-bean-casserole.html

http://allrecipes.com/Cooks-Profile/Photo.aspx?photoID=25772


And look at this... People have such nostalgia for this chazerai that they try renditions that are even WORSE than the Campbell's original, posted by people who have no track record!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grandmas-Green-Bean-Casserole/Reviews.aspx?sort=ratingasc

And look at this... People have such nostalgia for this chazerai that they try renditions that are even WORSE than the Campbell's original, posted by people who have no track record!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grandmas-Green-Bean-Casserole/Reviews.aspx?sort=ratingasc

The uniformity of those reviews is impressive! Must be as awful as it sounds.

Canned string beans are one of the few foodstuffs which cause an immediate gag reflex in me. I don't know how many times I had to sit and stare at cold string beans when I was a kid because I wasn't going anywhere until I nourished the starving children in India by cleaning my plate.

String bean casserole ... the only thing worse was tuna casserole.

My German ex-wife, however, used to make German style string beans with fresh string beans. You know with a roux, a touch of nutmeg and some nice cubed German bacon (Speck). Now that's some good eatin'! Just don't do it with canned string beans. Yuck!

Canned string beans are one of the few foodstuffs which cause an immediate gag reflex in me. I don't know how many times I had to sit and stare at cold string beans when I was a kid because I wasn't going anywhere until I nourished the starving children in India by cleaning my plate.

I must have been in the second grade when I sarcastically suggested to Sister Tristani that I would gladly pack my disgusting school lunch up and she could mail it to the starving kids - in my era it was Biafra that was supposed to induce guilt.
A couple of smacks in the face later, my career of brown bagging my lunches began.

The canned green beans had a unique smell, too. I could tell when they were serving them even before I got to the serving line.
As horrible as they are right out of the can, the foodservice staff compounded that by overcooking them.

Bleeeeech.

I have never made it, or even been present when it was served. It just sounds so... not pleasant. But I am willing to admit I could be wrong. I think I'll give the updated version you posted a try, Jenise.

[Jenise]

Thank you for this thread, Jenise. I'm amazed that this lover of junk food never heard of Green Bean Casserole.

I'll never get to taste the original. Do you happen to know where the inventor lives in New Jersey; it would be fun to meet her.

Regards, Bob

Bob, I'm astonished. Never heard of it? Even if some well-meaning friend hasn't served it to you, I'm surprised you haven't noticed the supermarket displays that show up at this time of year where, I can't think of the name for the ends of supermarket aisles used for sales or seasonal displays--but in one of those spaces, everything needed for Green Bean Casserole gets grouped. Cream of Mushroom Soup is always on sale during November for this reason, too.

Oh, and no re where in NJ Ms. Reilly lives.

No, I really never even heard of the dish, Jenise. Shows you how little time I spend in the canned food aisles, I guess.

I'll have to make both versions and do a taste test.

Fascinating how out of touch I am -- first burnt garlic, then green bean casserole -- how many taste delights out there are still awaiting discovery.