8 Things You Should Know Before Eating Green Bean Casserole (2024)

Find out how the string bean and soup combo came to be.

8 Things You Should Know Before Eating Green Bean Casserole (1)By Hannah Doolin
8 Things You Should Know Before Eating Green Bean Casserole (2)8 Things You Should Know Before Eating Green Bean Casserole (3)

Aside from the typical turkey, families across the country supplement their Thanksgiving dinner with all sorts of different sides—some of them wacky salads and casseroles that would definitely make people in other regions raise an eyebrow. Green bean casserole, however, has managed to become mainstream since it's introduction to Americans back in the 50s. Find out how one of the stranger Thanksgiving sides made its way to the holiday table.

1. It was invented over 60 years ago.

A woman named Dorcas Reilly developed the famous casserole while working as a recipe supervisor in Camden, NJ back in 1955.

8 Things You Should Know Before Eating Green Bean Casserole (4)8 Things You Should Know Before Eating Green Bean Casserole (5)

2. It all started with soup.

Reilly was working in the home economics kitchen at the Campbell Soup Company, testing recipes for a feature in the Associated Press when she came up with the idea, which features Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup as the binding agent.

3. The casserole requires just six ingredients.

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.

4. Millions of American families serve it over the holidays.

According to Today, green bean casserole can be found on dinner tables in 30 million households across the country during the holiday season.

5. The original recipe is in a museum.

Dorcas Reilly's original recipe for "Green Bean Bake," written on a recipe card, now belongs to National Inventor's Hall of Fame in Akron, OH—the same building where Thomas Edison's light bulb is on display.

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6. The topping is the best part.

Though the original recipes used to include celery salt and ham and there have been countless variations over the years, there's one ingredient that's never changed: French fried onions. Campbell's official recipe calls for the French's brand, but no matter which type is used, you can never really add too many.

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7. It seriously boosts soup sales.

Of the approximately $20 million worth of cream of mushroom soup sold in the U.S. annually, green bean casserole is said to account for 40% of sales. Guess there just isn't much that can replace the thick, creamy base that Campbell's achieves!

8. There are tons of ways to class it up.

Plenty of people think that the 50s recipe is perfect just the way it is, but there are plenty of variations to try if the original gets old. We're partial to one of our green bean recipes that uses the mushroom soup as a dipping sauce for the crispy beans.

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8 Things You Should Know Before Eating Green Bean Casserole (2024)

FAQs

8 Things You Should Know Before Eating Green Bean Casserole? ›

Green bean casserole

These are all potential signs of Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that produces the dangerous botulism toxin. While relatively rare, this neurotoxin is among the most dangerous in the world and can be deadly.

What foodborne illness can you get from green bean casserole? ›

Green bean casserole

These are all potential signs of Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium that produces the dangerous botulism toxin. While relatively rare, this neurotoxin is among the most dangerous in the world and can be deadly.

How many days is green bean casserole good for? ›

How many days is green bean casserole good for? Leftover green bean casserole is good for up to 4 days.

Why is green bean casserole so good? ›

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.

Is it safe to eat green bean casserole left out overnight? ›

Throw away all perishable foods that have been left in room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is over 90° F, such as at an outdoor picnic during summer).

How common is food poisoning from bean sprouts? ›

Since 1990, raw or slightly cooked sprouts have caused an estimated 2,308 illnesses in the United States through 38 known outbreaks.

Can you overcook green bean casserole? ›

It's important to note that frozen green beans—usually the best choice for green bean casseroles—are blanched before the freezing process begins, so they're already partially cooked, too. That means they'll also cook pretty fast, which could easily morph into overcooking if you aren't careful.

Can you freeze green bean casserole after cooking? ›

Stored properly, your leftover green bean casserole will last 3-4 days in the fridge. Freezing: Wrap your green bean casserole tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, freezer wrap or transfer to an airtight container and keep in the freezer for 6 months.

Can you prepare green beans the night before? ›

Green beans and other vegetables: The vote is unanimous on this one: Parboil your vegetables the night before, shock (cool) them in ice water, then store them in the refrigerator. On Thanksgiving, reheat them just before serving in a saute pan with olive oil or really good butter.

Should green bean casserole be soupy? ›

Green bean casserole should have a nice thick sauce that coats the green beans—it should not resemble soup. One common cause of a watery casserole is not adding enough thickener, such as flour or cornstarch, to your sauce.

Is green bean casserole good for GERD? ›

Green bean casserole is a Thanksgiving essential and should have its place on the table. However, typical green bean casserole recipes may cause acid reflux (heartburn), abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting for individuals with GERD.

Why am I craving green bean casserole? ›

When our bodies are deficient in certain nutrients, they attempt to correct the imbalance by sending signals to our brains. This can result in cravings for foods that are rich in the lacking nutrients. For example, a craving for green beans could indicate a need for vitamins A, C, or K, or for dietary fiber.

Why do Americans eat green bean casserole? ›

Popularity. It was originally marketed as an everyday side dish but became popular for Thanksgiving dinners in the 1960s after Campbell's placed the recipe on the can's label. The recipe popularized the combination of the soup with green beans.

Does green bean casserole make you gassy? ›

However, too much fiber can cause bloating and gas. "Beans are high in fiber, with half a cup providing between 4 and 8 grams," says Kunik. "Since your body can't digest fiber, it can sit in the digestive tract while the bacteria digest it, producing gas as a byproduct.

What foodborne illness is associated with canned green beans? ›

Foodborne botulism is a life-threatening, rapidly progressive disease. It has an incidence of less than 10 cases per year in Germany and mostly affects several previously healthy people at the same time. The only specific treatment is the administration of botulism antitoxin.

What food borne illness can you get from beans? ›

Characteristics of Phytohaemagglutinin Poisoning

As few as four or five raw beans can trigger symptoms. Onset time: Usually begins with extreme nausea and vomiting within 1 to 3 hours after ingestion of the product, with diarrhoea developing later within that timeframe.

What are the bacterial diseases in green beans? ›

There are three major bacterial diseases of common beans: common bacterial blight (Xanthom*onas campestris pv. phaseoli), halo blight (Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola), and bacterial brown spot (Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae).

What foodborne illness is associated with frozen green beans? ›

National Frozen Foods Corporation (NFFC) is voluntarily recalling a limited quantity of Not-Ready-To Eat Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) green beans and IQF mixed vegetables because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections ...

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