Is Green Bean Casserole The Most Hated Thanksgiving Dish?

We hear about the most hated Halloween candy every year...candy corn. And now that turkey day is near, I'm hearing again that Green Bean Casserole is the most hated Thanksgiving dish. Although I get the reasons for the dislike, I have to say I enjoy the iconic dish.

I don't know if it's the combo of the creamy comforting mushroom soup or the crispy fried onion topping. But I look forward to it every year. I'm the only one in the family who really likes it. But I'm the one foing the cooking, so I make Green Bean Casserole every year without fail. I admit, it's one of the few Thanksgiving dishes that is best served immediately and doesn't fare as well as a leftover as its other counterparts.

However, it is a simple dish to prepare. And it doesn't make a ton. So what's the harm. I've considered scrapping it from the lineup. But I think if it weren't there, I'd be disappointed. Plus the humble Green Bean Casserole has quite the storied past with an interesting history.

Whether you love or hate Green Bean Casserole, you have Dorcas Reilly, who lovingly became referred to as 'The Grandmother of the Green Bean Bake,' to thank. According to Chowhound, Reilly was a recipe supervisor at Campbell's and she was tasked with coming up with a concoction of ingredients the average home cook could assemble from pantry staples without a trip to the grocery store.

And since it was a few years post WW II, economical canned goods were the go to. The Green Bean Casserole was not intended to be a Thanksgiving side dish. But through the years its popularity on turkey day propelled sales of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup. In fact, the months between November and January account for 50% of sales of the product.

Now, before you scoff at Green Bean Casserole, keep in mind the original card Reilly wrote the recipe on is now housed in the same building with Thomas Edison's light bulb in Akron, Ohio. So, I'm off to the store to gather my ingredients. Happy Thanksgiving!