Flags at half mast.... for a culinary innovator

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/24/us/dorcas-reilly-green-bean-casserole-trnd/index.html

The lady who invented the green bean casserole has passed.

I mean, I knew it existed.  I've even made it myself.  But the thought that an individual might have one day "invented" green bean casserole had never crossed my mind.

(leaves to go google "who invented chicken pot pie")

Not so much here but a big staple of church picnics in Ohio.

It was never a holiday staple in my house growing up. I don’t think I ever had it until I was at least 10. That said, I do look forward to it at my inlaw’s on holidays, along with MIL’s Bacon wrapped turkey. 

Not a thing in Canada, but here in Colorado the grocery stores have big displays with all the ingredients sitting in the middle of the aisle. I suspect the sales chart for those fried onion things is a very, very spiky graph.

Someone had to invent it. It certainly isn't something that is naturally occurring, like butter on a cob of corn. "Let's mix soup and vegetables and deep fried onions and bake it!"

My wife has promised to bake a green bean casserole tonight to honor the memory. It's one of her favorite things to make in wintertime.

Hungary Bill said:

I mean, I knew it existed.  I've even made it myself.  But the thought that an individual might have one day "invented" green bean casserole had never crossed my mind.

(leaves to go google "who invented chicken pot pie")

That reminds me of the time I discovered that Ranch hasn't always been around. Like, what did you people do BEFORE there was Ranch!? Italian? Ketchup!?

Never had it once in my lifetime. That’s a good thing...right?

Much like Peeps, energy drinks and Hamburger Helper, the green bean casserole is on the list of foods that I have made it 45 years without eating, so why start now.

Right or wrong, I have no idea. I'm just not gonna continue to roll with it.

In my house, know as The Greeny Beany Caserole-eeny. 

In reply to Jumper K Balls :

I finally did have it, and I think I quite enjoyed it at least once. While not bad, I'm not sure that I could actually rate it above the novelty of never having had it. Totally not a you-gotta-try-this. Plus, I'm dubious of supporting the Big Cream of Mushroom Soup lobby.

I'm trying to remember whether I've ever actually eaten peeps, or just microwaved them to visualize wavelengths. I don't think I can claim purity on that one, either.

Truthfully, the whole thing smells of a plot to drum up sales of Cream of Mushroom soup.  I mean, who's going to eat that stuff by itself?  I think someone needs to appoint a Special Counsel and get to the bottom of this!

Ode to the Lady and her Green Bean Casserole:

I ate it as a kid, and again as an adult,

I made it myself with a pleasing result.

I'll have it again, at least one time this year,

and when I am done I will raise my beer.

In reply to 1988RedT2 :

Call off the feds, plot confirmed-https://www.history.com/news/the-origins-of-the-mysterious-gren-bean-casserole 

It took me until I was like 25 to realize that cream of mushroom soup was actually you know- soup...and not an ingredient in dishes like this. Midwest roots all the way. 

Here in Minnesota the hot dish (and not just this one) is still a staple food, the stores still sell a ton of Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup.  

She created some other classic dishes as well: "In a 2005 AP interview marking the recipe's 50th anniversary, Reilly said she didn't remember having a hand in it because the dish was among hundreds that were created during her time at Campbell's. She also helped create a tomato soup meatloaf, a tuna noodle casserole and Sloppy Joe-like "souperburgers." "

In reply to stuart in mn :

My wife love’s tuna noodle casserole. It’s one of the many things about her I don’t understand.

A staple in my house as a kid growing up.

My mother made a mean green bean casserole using the french style beans.  

We had green bean everything. It was one of the couple things that did really well in my dads garden. 

CrustyRedXpress said:

In reply to 1988RedT2 :

Call off the feds, plot confirmed-https://www.history.com/news/the-origins-of-the-mysterious-gren-bean-casserole 

From that article:

Campbell’s now estimates 40% of the Cream of Mushroom soup sold in the US goes into making green bean casserole

I have to wonder what fraction is used as soup on its own. Got to be less than 1%.

I've only seen Cream of Mushroom soup used in casseroles.  There were maybe a dozen different ones my grandmother would make.

Holiday staple around here, too. Personally, I think it's pretty disgusting, but that's because I don't like canned green beans. Fresh ones are good, but the mushy ones from a can... yech.

I have made GBC many, many times around the holidays, but I don't eat it.    Mushrooms aren't my thing.

There were conflicts when I substituted cream of chicken, or even cream of celery, so now I just follow the official recipe and let the savages have at it.

I made a batch last night. Along with some mini burgers on my cast iron flat top and some mashed potatoes. I used the casserole on top kinda like gravy.