I always figured it must be a white people thing.
We like green bean casserole, but it is never part of our Thanksgiving feast. There the “green veg” is taken by warm pea & bacon salad. But we’ll eat it several other times during the year, gussied up a bit. No canned soup, for one.
We make the ultimate green bean casserole, affectionately referred to as “shoepeg” by our extended family. It is so simple and so yummy, try it out!
Layer the following:
Two cans french style cut green beans.
One can “shoepeg” corn.
One can cream of mushroom.
8 oz sour cream.
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
One sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed
Small bag of slivered almonds.
Cook at 375 for 45 minutes.
Receive copious praise from family.
An abomination, say I.
Green beans should be served slightly al dente, buttered and topped with shaved almonds. 'Nuff said.
What it has to do with Thanksgiving is that it’s an easy dish to prepare in large quantities that a lot of people will eat. In other words, the same as all the other traditional Thanksgiving dishes. It also fills a niche in the meal that isn’t filled by any other better-established dish, that of the green vegetable.
Personally, I don’t consider it a must-have, but if others do, who am I to argue? I’ll still eat it and enjoy it.
We always have it, and I like it. It’s the only time of the year we have it, and it’s expected.
Another poll option might be good: “Alien – completely bemuses me”. As a lifelong UK citizen and resident; some aspects of American cuisine and food preferences seem to most of us over here, decidedly odd. (I’m sure it works the other way about, too.) A lot of American ideas for casseroles, have always struck me as seeming strange and unappealing: green bean casserole, as per the recipes, more than most – just reading about it “off the bat”, g.b.c. frankly strikes me as nauseating. I don’t rule out, in fact having it served to me, with a pleasant surprise as the result; but I confess to no urge at all, to try to make it for myself and for potentially interested parties over here.
Please post your recipe for condensed cream of mushroom soup.
I don’t believe I ever ate it. Certainly not at Thanksgiving.
Basically a béchamel with chicken broth and mushrooms. Or I suppose one could think of it more accurately as a velouté with half and half and mushrooms, since the chicken broth goes in before the dairy.
Alton Brown’s is the most commonly passed around the internet: Best Ever Green Bean Casserole.
We never had it as I was growing up, in fact, I don’t think my mother has ever made it. The only time I’ve ever had it was at work pre-Thanksgiving potluck lunches, and I thought it was ok, but nothing special. Personally, I tend to avoid any dish that requires cream-of-anything soup.
Wow, surprising poll results. I didn’t expect “Usually have it and I like it” and “It’s an abomination” to be the two leaders. I would have thought the abomination one would have been one of the least picked.
I guess there’s a pretty good number on here who really find it vile.
Yeah, I made this recipe this year, since GBC was specifically requested by my sister-in-law hosting the dinner. I cheated with frozen haricots vert (via Trader Joe’s; they were nice and crisp), though, plus used a variety of mushrooms.
They’re of Italian descent, and the one year I tried an Italian slant on Thanksgiving, people seemed to think it was yummy but Not How It’s Done. Like for green beans, I had sauteed green beans with olive oil and pine nuts. I liked it at least. 
Well, for once I’m gonna whine about not being able to vote. There’s no
“…something I don’t like, but we USUALLY have it at every Thanksgiving for someone. However, this year, my sister in law made it from scratch and it was really quite good”
I can’t stand canned green beans or canned cream of mushroom soup, and Durkee onions aren’t saving that dish. She made her mushroom base from scratch, added fresh green beans that were sautéed, and topped it with home made French fried onions. It was probably too much work for how much I appreciated it, but was miles away from any other example I’ve ever had.
It’s nasty, if you pronounce the “a” long. I’ll eat it and marvel at it, and I sort of enjoy it, but there’s no question to me that fresh green beans cooked with butter are the way to go.
The notion that Green Bean Casserole and Pillsbury crescent rolls are on EVERY Thanksgiving table, and have been for years, cropped up in advertising over the last ten years or so and it bugs me. I was aware of the dish as a kid because it was a popular choice for potlucks and church suppers.
Our family has never had it at Thanksgiving. In fact, I don’t recall ever having eaten it at home. My brother-in-law grew up having a similar concoction with broccoli rather than green beans. That started showing up when he officially joined our ranks.
I ate so much green bean casserole at college at the Food Zoo (cafeteria) and Thanksgiving dinners with my best friend’s family, but never before or since that I can recall- maybe once at my job during a Thanksgiving potluck? No one in my family made it growing up, and it’s not something that anyone I’ve lived with (parents, roommates, or my husband) would want to eat, so there’s no point in me making it and being the only one to eat it. But I like mushy casserole type dishes so I might do it sometime just for myself and have it for lunch for a few days in a row. Mmm… now I kinda want to do that.
It’s been a tradition in my family since the 70s. When I was young I was given the job of making it every year and everyone loves my version. I don’t like it that much, preferring fresh or frozen whole beans with a little sesame oil. But for the family: 2 cans whole green beans, 2 cans French style. 1 can cream of mushroom, 1 can cream of chicken. Usually I’ll fry up a pack of bacon but this year I made it with chopped Honey-baked ham, and a small pack of sliced mushrooms. French’s onions on top. It was thick and hearty and something I’d only want once a year, but it’s pretty tasty.
I am finishing off the leftovers as I type. Mom and I have a running argument about the preparation. She is of the opinion that the french-fried onions ONLY go on top during the last 5 minutes of cooking. I, on the other hand, mix half a large can of onions in with the green beans and soup, then put the other half of the can on the top in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Mom insists I’m wrong, but raves over my GBC.
Now, IMO, the real question is: french cut beans, or just cut beans? (HINT: the right answer is french cut.)
I figure it must be a US American thing. 
I’ve never had it, but I would try it if put in front of me.