Campbell's Green Bean Casserole

http://www.campbellsoup.com/Products/Condensed/Classic-Favorites/2310

This is one of those iconic American recipes that many, many families enjoy during the holidays.  It's so easy to make, and so delicious, it's no wonder it has found an honored place on dinner tables for Thanksgiving. There are ways to gourmet-it-up, and you can do that, using fresh green beans, your own roux, freshly sliced mushrooms, and just-breaded onion slices, but really, why?  It's not necessary if what you are going for is the memory of this favorite from holidays past.  In honor of my mother's generation, when convenience foods first made their presence known, I defer to this recipe from Campbell's.  For all its manufactured sentimentality, I will always love it.


CAMPBELL'S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
straight from Campbell's kitchens

Ingredients:

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

Directions:

1.  Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
2.  Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the bean mixture.     Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
3.  Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

This single recipe would never be enough for me my family, so doubling is always a good idea.

Original recipe:  http://www.campbellskitchen.com/Recipes/RecipeDetails.aspx?recipeId=24099 

Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts

There's a lot of good cooking on TV the week before Thanksgiving, and I found some on PBS. This weekend, Christopher Kimball and Cooks Country offered this take on green beans, roasted rather than boiled with a balsamic vinegar honey coating and tossed with crunchy, toasted walnuts. I happily discovered the recipe on a favorite foodie Web site, SimplyRecipes.com.

Roasted Green Beans with Onions and Walnuts

Ingredients

* 1 lb green beans, stem ends snapped off
* 1/2 medium yellow or red onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges
* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* Salt and pepper
* 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
* 1 teaspoon honey
* 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
* 2 medium thin-sliced garlic cloves
* 1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts

Place rack in middle position, preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or Silpat. Spread the beans and onions on the baking sheet. Drizzle the beans with olive oil and use your hands to coat the beans evenly. Sprinkle the beans with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, toss to coat, and distribute in an even layer. Roast for 10 minutes.

While roasting the beans, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, thyme, and garlic slices in a small bowl.

After the beans and onions have roasted for 10 minutes, remove from oven. Drizzle the vinegar honey mixture over the beans and onions; use tongs to coat evenly. Put back in the oven and continue to roast until onions and beans are dark golden brown in spots and beans have started to shrivel, about 12-15 minutes longer.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with toasted chopped walnuts, and serve.

Serves 4.

Photo credit: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/roasted_green_beans_with_onions_and_walnuts/