I admit it. The Thanksgiving side dish that
I most look forward to consuming every year (I always, always take
seconds) is not a fancy
homemade pie or an elaborate
cranberry chutney or a
made-from-scratch stuffing. It's the defiantly low-brow,
everything-out-of-a-can, super-traditional green bean
casserole.
Epicurious members have posted dozens of versions of the recipe for green bean casserole, but the classic recipe, as it's been made in my family for years, comes right off the side of the fried onion can:
Old-School Green Bean Casserole
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cans green beans
1 can fried onions, one handful reserved
1/3 cup milk
Mix ingredients in a casserole dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with reserved handful of fried onions, and bake another 5 or 10 minutes. Bliss out like Proust in a madeleine factory.
To say that I love this recipe, despite the fact that nothing about it is fresh or homemade, is like saying the ocean is a little bit wet. Thanksgiving seems to exist for the sole purpose of allowing me to consume this delicacy. I love the smell. The mushy texture. The salty onion-y-ness. I especially love sneaking some of it (re-warmed) into my leftover turkey sandwiches.
Is your family a green bean casserole kind of clan, too? What not-so-fancy Thanksgiving dish do you defend against all detractors? (Yams-with-marshmallow fans, I'm looking at you...)
by Siobhan Adcock
MORE FROM EPICURIOUS.COM
Create your own personalized Thanksgiving menu!
How to feed 8 people for less than $80 on Thanksgiving
5 reasonably priced wines to pair with your Thanksgiving turkey
From turkey to pumpkin pie, the 21 most popular Thanksgiving recipes
The best supermarket pie crust for your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie
