Since the 1950s, Green Bean Casserole has been a classic side dish devoured by millions of Americans every holiday season. Sheila Miller, who manages our Campbell Test Kitchen, serves up 10 things you didn’t know about this iconic side dish.
1. Green Bean Casserole was created by a Campbell Soup Company employee, Dorcas Reilly, at our Camden, New Jersey headquarters in 1955. She was one of the first full-time members of Campbell’s Home Economics department—now known as the Campbell Test Kitchen, where I work. Fun fact: Dorcas was my manager at Campbell back when I first joined the company out of college in the late 1980s, and even attended my wedding in 2001!
Dorcas Reilly, on the set of live TV commercials that were filmed in the late 1940s atop the original Campbell’s plant in Camden, NJ
2. The original name was “Green Bean Bake.”
3. Our Green Bean Casserole recipe is viewed 4 million times each Thanksgiving Day.
4. To this day, the recipe calls for only six ingredients: canned or fresh green beans, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup, soy sauce, black pepper, milk, and French-fried onions.
Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup label from 1955
5. Green Bean Casseroles are served at 20 million Thanksgiving dinners every year.
6. But it wasn’t always meant as a holiday dish! I find it interesting that the recipe was originally developed as an everyday side dish, and it didn’t take off as a Thanksgiving favorite until the 1960s when Campbell’s put the recipe on the Cream of Mushroom soup can label.
7. 50% of our Cream of Mushroom soup sales occur November through January during a typical year.
8. A lot of different ingredients were tested in Dorcas’ original recipe, like Worcestershire sauce, celery salt and ham, but they have since been removed. Of course, it can still be customized to please many different taste preferences, like Bacon & Cheddar Green Bean Casserole. The same recipe can also be applied to almost any vegetable—broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts are great twists on this classic!
9. For years, there were precise guidelines around the food styling of Green Bean Casserole and how it was photographed. The French-fried onions had to appear only around the edges of the casserole, not in the center. That’s changed in the past decade, so feel free to sprinkle them all over!
10. Dorcas’ original recipe card for “Green Bean Bake” now belongs to the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio. That’s the same building where Thomas Edison’s light bulb is on display!
The original recipe card for green bean casserole
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Campbell’s makes it easy to plan your holiday meal from classics to creative twists on tried and true favorites.
FAQs
The recipe was created in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell Soup Company. As of 2020, Campbell's estimated it was served in 20 million Thanksgiving dinners in the US each year and that 40% of the company's cream of mushroom soup sales go into a version of the dish.
What is the history of green bean casserole? ›
The recipe was created in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell Soup Company. As of 2020, Campbell's estimated it was served in 20 million Thanksgiving dinners in the US each year and that 40% of the company's cream of mushroom soup sales go into a version of the dish.
Who is Dorcas Riley? ›
Reilly worked for several years in the Campbell's Test Kitchen creating new recipes. She is best known for popularizing the green bean casserole. Reilly was called the "Grandmother of the Green Bean Bake."
Why is green bean casserole so good? ›
Fans love the dish in part because of how simple it is to throw together. It calls for ingredients that could be found in a typical home kitchen pantry: canned or fresh green beans, mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce and black pepper.
Why do Americans eat green bean casserole? ›
How It Became a Holiday Staple. Green bean casserole was considered a perfect dish for holiday entertaining because it was simple, inexpensive, and could easily be made ahead of time. It became known as a "jiffy casserole" because it went from one bowl to one pan.
How did casserole get its name? ›
Casserole is from a French word meaning "sauce-pan"; a large, deep dish used either to cook something in an oven or to serve the food cooked in it. The French word "casserole" had been derived from the old Provençal word, "cassa" and the Medieval Latin word, "cattia", both of these words meaning "ladle".
What is the history of green beans? ›
The green bean originated in Central and South America and there's evidence that it has been cultivated in Mexico and Peru for millenia. Green beans contain high amounts of chlorophyll, which are thought to block the carcinogenic effects generated when grilling meats at a high temperature.
What are the names of string beans? ›
Green beans are known by many common names, including French beans (French: haricot vert), string beans (although most modern varieties are "stringless"), and snap beans or simply "snaps." In the Philippines, they are also known as "Baguio beans" or "habichuelas" to distinguish them from yardlong beans.
Why am I craving green bean casserole? ›
Stress, anxiety, and sadness are known to trigger cravings for comfort foods. Green beans, being a wholesome vegetable, may provide a sense of comfort and satisfaction to those experiencing emotional distress. Moreover, the act of eating itself can be soothing and provide a temporary distraction from negative emotions.
Can you mess up green bean casserole? ›
Your Crispy Onion Topping Is Soggy
Yet it's one of the most common green bean casserole mistakes a home chef can make. If this happens to you, it may be due to adding that topping too early; toppings should be added at the very end of the cooking process, shortly before you pull it out of the oven.
Of course, we know that isn't exactly accurate. For one thing, macaroni and cheese is definitely not a traditional Thanksgiving food, nor did the Pilgrims and Wampanoag have oven-safe dishes for baking green-bean casseroles.
What do Americans call green beans? ›
Often called green beans or snap beans in America, string beans are one of the most common garden vegetables in the United States. String beans come in many forms—some 130 in all—ranging from the petite, delicately flavored French variety called haricot verts to the broader, meaty Italian specimens.
Is it safe to eat green bean casserole left out overnight? ›
According to the USDA, food that has been left out of the fridge for more than two hours should be thrown away. That's because between 40° F and 140° F (what the USDA calls the "Danger Zone"), bacteria grows incredibly fast and can make you sick.
Which is better in green bean casserole canned or frozen? ›
Frozen French-cut green beans are a better option. They hold their texture better than canned, and you can cook them straight from their frozen state. And if you're using fresh green beans? You'll need to cook them first by roasting, steaming or boiling them.
What do green beans mean in Chinese culture? ›
Eating long beans to symbolize a long life is a hallmark of Chinese New Year. These beans can be found in well-stocked grocers and most Asian markets. They often go by other names, including asparagus beans, yard-long beans and snake beans. But whatever you call them, they basically look like really long green beans.
What is the origin of the long bean? ›
This crop was recorded in Chinese literature as early as the Song Dynasty in 1008 CE, though China as the origin of long bean is not completely established. This crop is also considered to have originated from tropical Africa because wild species of Vigna can be found there (Yamaguchi 1983).
