The ‘C’ is silent in casserole for chef
Casserole is a curious word. It can refer to a cooking pot, or to the recipe prepared in such a pot as well as a method of cooking where food is encased in a pastry crust which historically was made from pulverized rice or other grains. We have been preparing casseroles for some 10 to 20,000 years but the last 150 years has seen the casserole morph into a way of preparing a onedish meal. Classic modern casserole preparations include such culinary delights as cassoulet, tagines, moussaka, shepherd's pie, and lasagna.
When I was a kid I thought that casserole was code for “I cleaned out the fridge and cupboards today.” I remember sitting down at the dinner table at 5:30 and spending the next three hours of my life staring down plates of food in utter disgust waiting for my 8:30 bedtime so as I could be forcibly excused from the table otherwise the rules stated that “You can’t leave the table until you have cleaned up your plate.” I even made up different songs as I sat there many of which saw the word casserole pronounced with a silent “C” like “It’s a casserole not a finger bowl, give me patience, give me strength, to make to the toilet bowl.”
Such culinary innovations came during a time of modernization when coffee was instant, Tab was served with dinner and adults would smoke at the dinner table some between bites of food. Home cooks only needed to open a couple of cans and stir it together with a handful of pasta and frozen vegetables and when all else failed top it off with cheese before baking it. The 60’s and 70’s were the demise of the casserole and other culinary delights only to be saved by quiche, Chinese food, Swedish meatballs and Hawaiian pineapple chicken.
During these years Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup had become the béchamel du jour and defined cream sauce as no one appeared to know how to make or didn’t have the time. Campbell’s not only provided us with all of the necessary ingredients to toss together a meal they also gave us the recipes direct from Campbell’s Home Economics Department. Their most famous recipe of all time is the “Green Bean Bake” created by Dorcas Reilly in 1955 when she combined the ingredients of her green bean casserole for an Associated Press feature. Dorcas created countless recipes for Campbell’s including the tuna-noodle casserole souperburgers and tomato soup meatloaf. In 2002, Mrs. Reilly’s recipe for her Green Bean Bake was donated by Campbell’s to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Dorcas Reilly passed away earlier this month. She was 92.
As the Ontario green bean season comes to a close for another season I suggest whipping up a quick bean bake for dinner or nostalgia if nothing else using the original recipe as printed on the can and created by Mrs. Reilly.
More than 70 per cent of all vegetable ingredients contained in Campbell Company of Canada’s products are grown by Ontario farmers, are free of artificial flavours and colours and have removed BPA from its packaging.
Green Bean Casserole
1 can Campbell's Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup ½ cup milk 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 dash black pepper 4 cups cooked cut green beans 1 1/3 cups French's French Fried Onions
Method:
Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup of the onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole or a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
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.
Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
NOTE: For the cooked green beans: Use 1 bag(16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 packages (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, thawed, 2 cans(14.5 ounces each) green beans, drained or about 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans for this recipe.