[G. Santini]
Neither. It’s only to be used as fake vomit.
[/G. Santini]
If it’s only the color and texture that bother you, bake the cream of mushroom and rice with chicken breasts rather than ground beef. Top with paprika for a little color. Not exactly gourmet, but it’s not soul-crushing either.
When I worked at McDonald’s, we used the Big Mac sauce for that.
Heh, they had cream of mushroom soup in the cafe across the hall, and I got some. It’s very good, definitely not Campbell’s as there’s big mushroom slices in it. Yum!
It can be used as either. I can’t stand it plain, but Mr. Clawbane eats it as a soup. I keep it on hand to use in cooking. So, you’re both right, and it just comes down to personal preferences. Just agree to disagree on the matter. 
History time: This site says that Campbell’s debuted Cream of Mush in 1934 (and Chicken Noodle too – ?! I thought Chicken Noodle was older than dirt). But the Green Bean Casserole didn’t come till '55.
You want some good Cream of Mush, get you to Stew Leonard’s in the NY/CT area and get you some Lo-Fat Mushroom Soup. (No, seriously, it ain’t bad. They went easy on the salt.) Then add more 'shrooms (sautéed or canned), a little sherry, and top with sour cream. Voilà! Soupe aux champignons Méfiez-de-Doug!
I used to work at a famous restaurant that served a house specialty of Cream of Mushroom Soup.
It was thick, creamy, delicious; the perfect balance of cream-to-mushrooms. It was the restaurant’s claim to fame and probably the most-ordered appetizer. It was raved about in Bon Appetit and Gourmet. The secret recipe was the chef’s most guarded secret.
It was Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom. In big giant #10 cans. Cans that were hidden in the pantry and only a couple of the sous chefs had access to it. It was Campbell’s with heavy cream, chopped mushrooms, and fresh dill added. Maybe some stock or sherry. But it was Campbell’s at the core.
But who eats Campbell’s without diluting it? Well that’s just wrong, wrong I say.
I love it as a soup. I whisk it with milk so it’s nice and creamy (but not too thin), serve it with shredded cheddar cheese and a handful of croutons on top. On a super cold wet day, it truly warms the soul. What’s even better is the garlic mushroom soup if you can get your hands on it.
I love it as a sauce. Seasons everything perfectly, keeps meat moist.
People, people.
It’s a floor wax, and a dessert topping.
Campbells is different in Canada than the U.S.? Well, ours tastes fine. As soup. And sometimes as sauce. Let’s see, what’s that recipe I used to know for (I think it was called) Hobo Potatoes? Mushroom soup, hash brown potatoes, cheddar cheese, onions, garlic - mmm, mmm good. I need to make that again some day.
But is it soupe aux or potage de (champignons)? Been a few years since French class…
I got Golden Musheroom instead of Cream of Mushroom once, to use as a sauce over pork chops.
And it wasn’t even close to the same. Fairly foul, actually.
I like to sear some pork chops and then throw them in a casserole dish. Throw in a can of CoM, a can of water and a cup or so of rice and bake it all for a while. Makes pork chops in rice with tasty gravy, all at once.
Canned puke.
That’s what it is.
I have hated it my entire life, and thus foods prepared with it were the ONLY things my mother ever forced me to eat.
Several years ago, I was persuaded to come down home for a family dinner, and (I am NOT kidding here) EVERY SINGLE THING ON THE TABLE had this vile shit in it. My family hates me.
(Note to pranksters: Campbell’s Vegetable Beef makes better vomit to dump on unsuspecting people from a movie theater balcony after suitable retching sounds. Be ready to run like hell.)
Add a vote to the ‘sauce’ tally for me… both for Cream of Mushroom and the Cheddar Cheese versions of Campbells soup.
And for the side debate, I grew up eating their Tomato soup mixed with milk (with plenty of ritz crackers crumpled up into the bowl). My father said that only the poor people who couldn’t afford milk ate it with water (as he did when he was a kid). Just quoting my pop. No insult intended against those who prefer it with water, but after growing up eating the creamy goodness of it with milk, I can’t stomach the bland waterness of it without milk.
You’ll never win the Campbell’s slogan write-in contest with that attitude, young man.
Both! I have a nummy recipe for chicken using it along with one of those tubes of long grain and wild rice with spices and white wine. You mixes the rice, the soup, a soup can of white wine together and top with chicken skin side down. Bake covered for half hour at about 350. Then you flip the chicken over and cook uncovered for another half hour. Easy and luurvly.
I discovered the chicken mushroom, when I can find it, is better than the plain for pot roast. I don’t use the dry onion soup with it though. Just a splash of wine.
I grew up with the creamy tomato soup but have also had it with water. Creamy is better.
Heat soup to 98.6°F and stir in 1/2 cup or so of grated Parmesan for still greater realism.
I’ll have you know that Progresso just hired me as President of Advertising!
[sub]No, I’m kidding…that’s not really true.
It would be funny, though.[/sub]
Parmesan? You are GROSS!
(By the way, I love the name. Hated the show. They used to broadcast “Doug” three times a day where I lived, and always in conjunction with “Arthur” on another network. I have never wanted to purchase a shotgun so bad in my life.)
Another vote for both. I no longer eat very many “processed” foods because of my health issues, so Campbell’s right out for me, but I used to love mixing it with about 2/3 can of milk and cooking it up on the stove as a soup. I was the only one in my family who liked it that way, though, generally it was used in recipes.
Here’s my Chicken Divan recipe that calls for it. And another one I can no longer have, but was always a HUGE hit when I made it (with nary a left-over), was my Baba’s famous Broccoli Rice & Cheese Caserole, which calls for Cream of Chicken soup, along with every other gross ingredient you can think of in one pan. . .
Ingredients
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 stick butter
1 package frozen, chopped broccoli
1 cup minute rice (or jasmine rice, which cooks faster than standard long grain rice)
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 8oz jar of Cheese Whiz
1/8 cup water
1/4 cup milk
Directions
Brown onion in butter until softened
Stir in all the other ingredients, mixing well
Pour into a greased pie plate and bake for 45 minutes to an hour at 350º, until the top is browned and slightly crispy.
…