Traditional Green Bean Casserole

A lot of Thanksgiving is about traditional American food. And as much as I hate to admit it (and I really do hate admitting this), it's going to involve some sort of creamed or condensed soup in a casserole. I'll be honest with you -- I'm not a fan of casseroles and anything that uses cream of something from a can. But I realize that other people do, and a big part of their Thanksgiving dinner involves the time-old tradition of Casserole.

This of course, refers to Green Bean Casserole. Almost as much a staple at American Thanksgiving dinner tables as the turkey and mashed potatoes, it's a part of life I need to get over. And yes you need the fried onions on top.

When researching recipes to post here I thought best to go to the queen of American cooking, Ms Paula Deen. So here's her recipe for a pretty easy and basic green been casserole...with the onions...that is as American as apple pie. Might as well make that for dessert too!

Green Bean Casserole     recipe courtsey of Paula Deen from Foodnetwork

1/3 stick butter
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups sliced green beans
3 cups chicken broth
1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (2.8-ounce) can French-fried onion rings
pinch of House Seasoning (mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic powder)
1 cup grated Cheddar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a large skillet. Saute the onions and mushrooms in the butter. Boil green beans in chicken broth for 10 minutes and drain. Add the green beans, mushroom soup, onion rings, and House Seasoning, to taste, to the onion mixture. Stir well. Pour into a greased 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes, then top the casserole with the Cheddar and bake for 10 minutes longer, or until the casserole is hot and cheese is melted.