The Timeless Tradition of Campbell's(R) Green Bean Casserole Continues to Serve Millions

CAMDEN, N.J., Nov 09, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- At almost every holiday celebration across America, you will likely find a variation on a timeless staple: Campbell's Green Bean Casserole. Dorcas Reilly first cooked up this all-American side dish in 1955 while working as a recipe developer and manager in the Test Kitchen at Campbell Soup Company CPB +0.69% . This holiday season, an estimated 30 million households will continue to enjoy this family favorite -- it's no wonder Green Bean Casserole has been nicknamed the "mother of all comfort foods."

Reilly's inspiration for Green Bean Casserole, which was originally called Green Bean Bake, was to create a quick and easy recipe using ingredients most Americans always had on-hand in the 1950s: canned green beans and Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. Like so many classic recipes, Campbell's Green Bean Casserole requires only a short list of ingredients (just five), doesn't take much time to prepare (only 10 "hands-on" minutes) and can be customized to please many different taste preferences. And today, canned, frozen or fresh cut green beans are all acceptable options when preparing the casserole.

For those looking for a new way to enjoy the iconic dish this year, the experts from the Campbell's Kitchen offer these easy suggestions:

Five Tasty Twists on Campbell's Green Bean Casserole

-- For added crunch, add 1/2 cup sliced almonds to the onion topping.

-- For bacon lovers, add 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, to the bean mixture.

-- For a festive touch, stir in chopped red pepper with soup.

-- For cheese lovers, stir in 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese with soup. Omit soy sauce. Sprinkle with an additional 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions.

-- For Golden Green Bean Casserole, substitute Campbell's Condensed Golden Mushroom soup for Cream of Mushroom soup. Omit soy sauce. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped red pepper with the green beans.

For more ideas, tips and recipes for the holiday feast, visit www.CampbellsKitchen.com .

Campbell's Green Bean Casserole

Prep: 10 minutes Bake: 30 minutes Makes: 12 servings

2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) Campbell's(R) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request(R)) 1 cup milk 2 teaspoons soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 8 cups cooked cut green beans 2 2/3 cups French's(R) French Fried Onions

-- Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 1 1/3 cups onions in 3-quart casserole.

-- Bake at 350 deg F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining onions.

-- Bake 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

CREATIVE TIP: Use 2 bags (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, 4 packages (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, 4 cans (about 16 ounces each) green beans or about 3 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe.source