Does anyone remember how the “traditional” green bean casserole became such standard fare for Thanksgiving? It seems to me that it must have been the 60’s, and was it the canned french fried onion people who did a big advertising job on it or what? It is strange–it did become a part of our traditional meal but I had no idea that so many other people adopted the bean casserole. BTW, as part of our Christmas traditional meal we serve “Watergate salad” :). Anyone else ever hear of that?
My mother makes Watergate Salad for several family get togethers during the year. I love it.
And I am the greenbean casserole queen of the family. It’s about the only thing I know to make that if fast and easy and everyone will love.
Holy Cow! This board is HOT! As you see, this is my first post–and in just a few minutes so many hits and one reply already!
Well Pandybat, I’m hoping that someone your mother’s age, which is apparently also my age, will remember just how that bean dish became so popular.
Well, this doesn’t wholly answer your question, but it’s a start:
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/4615756.htm
Basically, Campbell’s put it out there in 1955. Not sure how/why it took off. Amazing how big the thing is, and how many people supposedly serve it.
I did a google search and all I can find so far is:
http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/history.asp?cpovisq=ZtIRZm%2BHms%2FInkcSpKCzXF8CcxHV58nv
Several sites say it originated with an old Campbells cookbook full of mushroom soup recipes. I went to Campbells and the above was all I could find on green bean casseroles.
Far out, Cranky! Good find!
http://starbulletin.com/1999/11/17/features/story1.html
Green Bean Bake: Invented in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly, manager of the Campbell Soup Co. test kitchen. Reilly had been tasked with creating a quick dish out of convenience foods common in most kitchens, in this case frozen or canned green beans and Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup. It remains the second most requested recipe from Campbell’s (the most requested is a spice cake made with Cream of Tomato soup).
To answer where the ‘green bean casserole’ of mushroom soup/green beans/french-fried onions got it’s popularity, I can’t say that the Campbell’s Soup Company started it. If you read those links, they said that the kitchens of Campbell perfected it from other sources. That’s how I read it.
A green bean/mushroom soup casserole was known and popular before that time(cites available).
The ‘french-fried onions’ might have just been used that year (1955) for the first time. I haven’t had time to search.
There was a story in the general press in April of 1955, and it detailed the Shah and Queen of Iran’s visit to the US. They ate dinner with some people in Florida. One of the dishes served was a “green bean casserole.” It consisted of mushroom soup/green beans/ and soy sauce. It was topped with french-fried onions.
The story was actually done by the AP food writer, Cecily Brownstone. But here’s my take on it.
The story/recipe gets splashed across the US in early 1955. Dorcas, in Campbell’s kitchen, sees the story, and the staff start to work on a recipe that promotes their mushroom soup. Good business.
But, did Campbell’s invent it. NO.
:eek:
Not only does that not sound good, but I would venture that it’s most requested because people just can’t believe something that horrid actually exists.
Mmmm
Anyway, my ex-wife sometimes added canned new potatoes.
I remember it as a kid, and I was born in '45. The onions could have came along later.
Cream of Tomato soup in a spice cake is actually quite good. Think about the sweetness of tomato and the richness of cream. Why wouldn’t either work well in a sweet rather than savoury dish?
Horrid? Try Mock Apple Pie. A southern favorite, or so I’ve heard.
I wasn’t going to do this, but.
You’re right, of course. But on first blush, it sounds like something that would make the baby Jesus cry…
We made the mock apple pie in home ec. It really DOES taste like apples.
I still don’t get the point of the mock apple pie. What, because apples are such exotic fruit they’re hard to find? Because you want to spend more money (you can generally get a pound or two of apples for what a box of Ritz crackers costs)? So that no one risks getting an extra serving of fruit in a day? To take the last vestige of nutritive value out of pie?
I just don’t get it.
I don’t get it either. The only scenario that makes any sense to me would be that you would die if you didn’t make and eat one.
It arose in the depression when apples were expensive, but crackers and the other ingredients were relatively cheap. Or so I read in my latest issue of “Cuisine” magazine.
Aha, that makes sense, then.
I’d ask about the other, but I suppose the appeal of green bean casserole is something best explained in IMHO rather than GQ.
Hope the Mazine has good recipes, as their etymology sucks!
I can cite “Mock Apple Pie” from 1899… And it was with the cracker, etc. Perhaps an earlier ‘depression.’ 
Hard to believe that they would swallow such a fib, as I always associated ‘apple sellers’ on street corners with the depression of the 1930’s. How would an apple be expensive if it was sold by poor people on the street corner in the depression?
We are so spoiled by modern supermarkets, aren’t we?
I remember sending oranges, etc, to relatives and friends back east because they were hard to find there. They were much appreciated, too.
Perhaps m.a.p predates Jonny Appleseed?
Also, wasn’t the US undergoing a depression during the late 19th century? Or was that slightly earlier?