R.I.P. Inventor of the green bean casserole

[Fijimn]

Let's show a little respect for the lady that invented the dish that graces all of our holidays.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entr...ole-inventor-dies_us_5bd0b7a7e4b0d38b587f4323

 

[NoleFan2U]

My favorite Thanksgiving dish!


*and the only one i know how to make*

 

[travnole]

Am I the only one who hates this stuff?

 

[Fijimn]

Am I the only one who hates this stuff?

Yes

 

[Gonolz]

Yes

I don't hate it, and on it's own, I would be perfectly happy with it. However, my family has a large Thanksgiving spread. Choices have to be made. With Sweet Potato with Marshmallow and Brown Sugar Casserole and Cheesy Squash Casserole on the table, the green bean casserole just doesn't make the cut.

 

[Fijimn]

I don't hate it, and on it's own, I would be perfectly happy with it. However, my family has a large Thanksgiving spread. Choices have to be made. With Sweet Potato with Marshmallow and Brown Sugar Casserole and Cheesy Squash Casserole on the table, the green bean casserole just doesn't make the cut.

Oh good god, man ....squash casserole above green bean casserole.

 

[goldmom]

Am I the only one who hates this stuff?

No I can't stand it. It gives me GAS. There I said it!

 

[LandsharkNole]

Am I the only one who hates this stuff?

Nope I’m with ya. Most overrated casserole ever.

 

[NoleSoup4U]

No I can't stand it. It gives me GAS. There I said it!

 

[goldmom]

Beano is my friend!!

 

[GA.NOLE]

Am I the only one who hates this stuff?

It's awful!

 

[SeaPA]

I love properly cooked green beans (i.e. simmered in water with some bacon or salt pork), but I detest that green bean casserole slop. The food at the after-the-service reception is gonna really suck, nothing but pans full of that garbage.

 

[SeaPA]

No I can't stand it. It gives me GAS. There I said it!

Ha, that's not the way you phrased it a few years ago. (Yes, I waste way too much time on here).

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

I’m not usually a big fan of green bean casserole but it definitely has its role. So many “home cooks” can barely manage to avoid setting the house on fire let alone make anything edible. And this original recipe is incredibly easy with 99% of the work done for them (really just reheating canned food for the most part) and it turns out....ok. And ok is better than 99% of their other cooking outcomes so I accept it for what it is.

It's usually when the "home cooks" try to go beyond dumping mushroom soup on canned green beans that the green bean casserole turns out terrible. Over the years I've had versions with basically raw flabby bacon rather than delicious crispy bacon; one with fresh green beans they didn't know they had to string; one with basically raw mushrooms sitting in congealed but separated butter and cream; etc...

 

[goldmom]

I’m not usually a big fan of green bean casserole but it definitely has its role. So many “home cooks” can barely manage to avoid setting the house on fire let alone make anything edible. And this original recipe is incredibly easy with 99% of the work done for them (really just reheating canned food for the most part) and it turns out....ok. And ok is better than 99% of their other cooking outcomes so I accept it for what it is.

It's usually when the "home cooks" try to go beyond dumping mushroom soup on canned green beans that the green bean casserole turns out terrible. Over the years I've had versions with basically raw flabby bacon rather than delicious crispy bacon; one with fresh green beans they didn't know they had to string; one with basically raw mushrooms sitting in congealed but separated butter and cream; etc...

So at what point do you get off your overly expert a$$ and show them how it's done, Mr. Expert?
Apologies to the mods...

 

[Fijimn]

We always have the green bean casserole and the Paula Dean corn pudding/soufflé thing (basically Jiffy, creamed corn, whole kernels and butter). Those dishes are assigned to the sis-in-laws that don’t cook but want to contribute. Considering we usually feed about 35 people throughout the day —the casseroles are needed

 

[FSUSarah]

I love that green bean casserole, but only on Thanksgiving. I'll make one from scratch with fresh beans randomly throughout the year.

 

[goldmom]

I only have fresh (and de-stringed) pole beans which have been simmered with bacon. No one in my family will eat that casserole. They do like squash casserole and that Paula Deen thing, just so they can stay on track for heart disease at some point.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

So at what point do you get off your overly expert a$$ and show them how it's done, Mr. Expert?
Apologies to the mods

I'm pretty sure I frequently share cooking advice on here all the time so anyone who asks for help and advice I will freely share it and I don't keep "secret" recipes.

Most home cooks should stick to the original recipe as its simple and beats 99% of the variations. I did experiment with making a version from scratch using mostly fresh ingredients and it was excellent and an actual improvement but probably not worth the time and effort.

In my version I made my own cream of mushroom soup by pressure cooking creme fraiche I made the night before out of heavy cream with fresh Portobello mushrooms and reconstituted morels and black trumpet mushrooms (which has a truffly earthy flavor mixed with a distinct and sometimes sharp blue cheese flavor) as well as Vidalia onions, fresh herbs from my herb garden (tarragon, savory and thyme mainly with hint of oregano and basil), Vegemite and a little mace blade. Rather than fresh green beans I used Chinese long beans which are similar but softer so they need less cooking time to hit the right casserole texture so it's bright green flavor (midway between fresh asparagus and American green/string beans) stays longer and more apparent. Combine the sliced Chinese long bean with slivers of almond and add in some reconstituted "Chinese black fungus" or wood ear which is a very delicate flavored fungus really used more for texture and then pour on the mushroom soup. Then I topped it with my own "french fries" onion slices rather than prebought and some grated parmesan and tickler extra mature cheddar.

It's fantastic if you want to try it and about 1000x better than the original but it will also cost about 10x as much and is 100x as much labor so it kind of equals out to just dumping on cans of precooked food unless you're showing off your skills.

 

[KitingHigh]

I’m not usually a big fan of green bean casserole but it definitely has its role. So many “home cooks” can barely manage to avoid setting the house on fire let alone make anything edible. And this original recipe is incredibly easy with 99% of the work done for them (really just reheating canned food for the most part) and it turns out....ok. And ok is better than 99% of their other cooking outcomes so I accept it for what it is.

It's usually when the "home cooks" try to go beyond dumping mushroom soup on canned green beans that the green bean casserole turns out terrible. Over the years I've had versions with basically raw flabby bacon rather than delicious crispy bacon; one with fresh green beans they didn't know they had to string; one with basically raw mushrooms sitting in congealed but separated butter and cream; etc...

Made right, the homemade version is actually really good and 100 times better than the “pan-o-cans”.

Not to take anything anway from the inventor. Her job was to sell cans.

 

[KitingHigh]

I'm pretty sure I frequently share cooking advice on here all the time so anyone who asks for help and advice I will freely share it and I don't keep "secret" recipes.

Most home cooks should stick to the original recipe as its simple and beats 99% of the variations. I did experiment with making a version from scratch using mostly fresh ingredients and it was excellent and an actual improvement but probably not worth the time and effort.

In my version I made my own cream of mushroom soup by pressure cooking creme fraiche I made the night before out of heavy cream with fresh Portobello mushrooms and reconstituted morels and black trumpet mushrooms (which has a truffly earthy flavor mixed with a distinct and sometimes sharp blue cheese flavor) as well as Vidalia onions, fresh herbs from my herb garden (tarragon, savory and thyme mainly with hint of oregano and basil), Vegemite and a little mace blade. Rather than fresh green beans I used Chinese long beans which are similar but softer so they need less cooking time to hit the right casserole texture so it's bright green flavor (midway between fresh asparagus and American green/string beans) stays longer and more apparent. Combine the sliced Chinese long bean with slivers of almond and add in some reconstituted "Chinese black fungus" or wood ear which is a very delicate flavored fungus really used more for texture and then pour on the mushroom soup. Then I topped it with my own "french fries" onion slices rather than prebought and some grated parmesan and tickler extra mature cheddar.

It's fantastic if you want to try it and about 1000x better than the original but it will also cost about 10x as much and is 100x as much labor so it kind of equals out to just dumping on cans of precooked food unless you're showing off your skills.

That sounds amazing.

There is a happy medium though. I can make one with regular ingredients from the store that might not be as good as yours, but costs far less and while it takes a while to make, it’s not gonna take as long, and can be made ahead. Mine just uses fresh bella’s or criminis and dried forest mushrooms available at just about any decent grocery store, and normal beans.

 

[LandsharkNole]

the Paula Dean corn pudding/soufflé thing (basically Jiffy, creamed corn, whole kernels and butter).

Now there’s a winner...

 

[DanC78]

I like Green Casserole just fine, but more of a Broccoli Casserole kind of guy.

I also like bake Mac and cheese over creamy Mac and chees for thanksgiving.

 

[goldmom]

Yeah, loading up the night before Thsnksgiving with morels and creme
Fraiche when you're also juggling the homemade pecan pie, homemade apple pie, and pumpkin pie along with simmering the giblets for scratch made gravy, making the fresh cranberry relish and baking the sweet potatoes for that casserole just makes all kinds of sense.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Surprised nobody’s pulled out a barbequed green bean casserole recipe yet.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Yeah, loading up the night before Thsnksgiving with morels and creme
Fraiche when you're also juggling the homemade pecan pie, homemade apple pie, and pumpkin pie along with simmering the giblets for scratch made gravy, making the fresh cranberry relish and baking the sweet potatoes for that casserole just makes all kinds of sense.

That's not how my family or my in-laws have ever done Thanksgiving. The host does the turkey and maybe a couple of other dishes like gravy that goes with it and the guests each bring a dish or two agreed to beforehand. That's how every one of my family Thanksgivings have been even when I was a rugrat going up to North Carolina to be with my great grandparents.

I usually bring a succotash I make from crispy bacon plus its rendered fat and fresh white and yellow corn, baby Limas, green lentils, a sweet white or vidalia onion, garlic, red bell pepper, yellow or green banana pepper, zucchini, and yellow summer squash. I have most of the vegetables (all previously described) low simmered a bit in the bacon grease and a splash of heavy cream with some fresh thyme, savory, rosemary, ground mixed pepper with the "Pink peppercorn" and about a quarter teaspoon of Vegemite or marmite and the same of the chicken version of better than bouillon. When it's mostly done (ie the onion is soft and translucent and the beans are cooked through but by no means falling apart, I dice a little bit of ripe tomatoes, the crispy bacon pieces and fresh chives and enough heavy cream to form a binding sauce with the rest of the liquid. I usually do that the night before and let it all meld together in the fridge, then day of I throw it in a Crockpot and bring it up to high where the temp will kill any bacteria and then knock it back to "warm" during the dinner. Even people who hate vegetables love my particular iteration of succotash.

 

[funksouljon]

You have used Vegemite twice in one thread. You have hit the limit.

 

[goldmom]

That's how we do Thanksgiving now, and it works for all of us. However, for years when our family of four lived 1000 miles away from Florida, I made everything. When the kids were in high school they often invited friends to stop by; some whose parents were involved in churches where they provided dinner for shelters or homeless were happy that their kids were welcome to a seat at our table. It's my favorite holiday and not to brag, but I am a good cook.

 

[Fijimn]

Surprised nobody’s pulled out a barbequed green bean casserole recipe yet.

You have to have a BGE to do it right.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

You have used Vegemite twice in one thread. You have hit the limit.

Nope. Vegemite and good quality fish sauce (I use Red Boat 40 Degree North for lighter seafood and chicken dishes and Golden Boy that I age a couple of years extra myself for beef, pork and lamb) are the "secret" ingredients to make almost everything better. Well Vegemite or Marmite. Vegemite is much easier to mix and manage portions as it's "thicker" and more stable but marmite is cheaper so sometimes I just use Marmite instead.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

But how is it in a sandwich?

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

But how is it in a sandwich?

Vegemite or Green Bean Casserole?

Vegemite is great as a "sandwich" ie really just toast as long as you don't slather it on thick like it's peanut butter or jelly like most Americans who don't know what to do. If you do it Aussie style where the toast is thick with butter and you put a pea sized or a little bigger amount to in essence flavor the butter it's one of my favorite toasts. I'll frequently do a light brekkie of one Vegemite "sandwich" and one with either peanut butter or one of my homemade jellies.

British style Marmite which is what you get everywhere other than Oz and Kiwiland is nowhere near as good as Vegemite for toast purposes as it's more like a thick syrup than a peanut buttery spread. But IF you can get actual New Zealand made Marmite it's the best. It's got the same lighter flavor of the British Marmite but they make it spreadable like their neighbors Vegemite. But I don't pay to import the better Kiwi Marmite, it's not THAT different from Vegemite where it's worth the cost difference.

As far as green bean casserole sandwiches...I've seen them and never ordered them. Usually I believe they throw in turkey with it which would make it more of a "real" filling sandwich. Now a day after thanksgiving sandwich of leftover turkey, dressing, gravy and cranberry "jelly" with a thin layer of Miracle Whip (turkey and/or deli sliced chicken sandwiches is the only time I use MW over Dukes or Kewpie Mayo) is tastier to me than the separate items fresh on Thanksgiving.

 

[funksouljon]

Is the stuff you buy in the grocery store actually different that what they sell in Aus? I know the Italian Nutella is different than what we get here (at least it tastes different to me).

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Is the stuff you buy in the grocery store actually different that what they sell in Aus? I know the Italian Nutella is different than what we get here (at least it tastes different to me).

I don't think there's much if any difference between Australian Vegemite and what you get in America. If there is, it's not big enough I noticed without doing a direct side by side taste test. On the other hand there is a HUGE difference between New Zealand Marmite and the marmite you get in America and the UK. NZ Marmite is a paste like Australian Vegemite or American Peanut Butter while the other Marmites are like ultra thick molasses.

This is the only difference I can quickly find showing the difference between Vegemite and British Marmite. If you look at it on the spoon you can easily tell how much easier it would be to spread the Vegemite.

 

[Imtotallynottribe]

Here's another pic

 

[MagNoleA]

That's how we do Thanksgiving now, and it works for all of us. However, for years when our family of four lived 1000 miles away from Florida, I made everything. When the kids were in high school they often invited friends to stop by; some whose parents were involved in churches where they provided dinner for shelters or homeless were happy that their kids were welcome to a seat at our table. It's my favorite holiday and not to brag, but I am a good cook.

I really admire good cooks. They can handle all the heat. Of a kitchen. Its just great to think about what they may have cookin' next. Are you any good at deserts? I love delicious slices of assorted pies during the Holiday season.

 

[TexSkills]

Am I the only one who hates this stuff?

Nope. I find it repulsive

 

[montconole]

Am I the only one who hates this stuff?

Nope. But I think most of the sides cooked on thanksgiving are garbage.

If the sides are so damn good, why are most only eaten once a year.

 

[Gonolz]

But how is it in a sandwich?

You should meet my friend from Brussels.

 

[goldmom]

Nope. But I think most of the sides cooked on thanksgiving are garbage.

If the sides are so damn good, why are most only eaten once a year.

Well, that's interesting - but since the average American consumes 4000+ calories on Thanksgiving Day, it's probably best that most folks only get to eat those sides once a year.