By Joeelle Beale
Echo Staff Reporter
Green bean casserole, a dish that is a mixture of green beans, mushroom soup, and French onions, is a popular part of the Thanksgiving holiday.
Thanksgiving began with the pilgrims meeting with the Native Americans, otherwise known as the Wampanoag. This was a time of fun and festivity, with a lot of food and joyful games to play.
Since the Pilgrims had just arrived in North America, they had to figure out how to live in this new area. They were struggling to find food and be comfortable. Some of their people were already dead, but luckily the Native American tribe helped them adjust to this area by teaching them how to grow food.
To show their gratitude, they celebrated with them in return for their help, as told by Mark Unruh from “History Colored.”
As modern times came, the tradition of fun and feasting on food continued. One common dish is the green bean casserole. It began in 1955, with Dorcas Reilly.
Born on July 22, 1922, in New Jersey, Dorcas earned a cooking four-year college degree at Drexel University in 1947. She worked at Campbell’s a few years later as a cook and created many dishes, including the first green bean casserole, according to David Moye from “HuffPost.”
Since it was post World War II, canned food was popular because it could easily preserve the contents inside, and it was convenient for cooking. Considering these circumstances, Dorcas tried to craft many different dishes. However, they didn’t work out so well, producing very little money.
Eventually, Dorcas tried a new dish. It turned out to be very successful: the green bean casserole, which is still used today, according to Dana Pierson, “UMSL Global.”
Now if anyone is wondering how to make it, here are some directions:
First, gather two cans of green beans (any brand will do). Then collect one can of mushroom soup, ¼ cup of milk, and one container of fried onions.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients except for the fried onions in a baking pan that can fit all of them. Put it in the oven for 25 minutes.
At the last five minutes, add in the onions and then put it back in to continue cooking. It’s done cooking when the dish is bubbling. To know more about the recipe, see Green Bean Casserole Recipe – BettyCrocker.com.
To conclude, the casserole is a very popular dish and well loved for being quick and simple. It has brought much joy to dinner tables across America. Thanks to Dorcas Reilly, the tradition of Thanksgiving continues to live on today.