Green Bean Casserole: A Tradition For More Than 50 Years

(NAPSI)-Green Bean Casserole is a time-honored holiday side dish that was created 53 years ago and is still just as popular today. Here's the dish on this iconic holiday staple:

• An estimated 30 million households serve this creamy, crunchy favorite year after year.

• The traditional Green Bean Casserole recipe calls for a combination of green beans, Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom soup and French's® French Fried Onions. Through the years, people have started adding their own special touches, making it an integral part of their families' holiday recipe repertoire. Custom touches include garlic, red pepper or hot sauce, bacon, almonds, pecans and cheese.

• Save some for the next day! Try cutting leftover turkey into bite-sized pieces and stirring into the leftover casserole for an all-in-one meal.

• Love the flavor of Green Bean Casserole but prefer a lower-fat or lower-sodium variation? Try substituting 98 percent fat-free or 25 percent less sodium cream of mushroom soup.

No matter how you choose to enjoy it, this is one side that serves up rave reviews each and every time. For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.campbellskitchen.com.

Green Bean Casserole

Prep: 10 minutes

Bake: 30 minutes

Makes 6 servings

1 can (10¾ ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Dash ground black pepper

4 cups cooked cut green beans

1⅓ cups French's® French Fried Onions

1. Mix soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and ⅔ cup onions in 1½-qt. casserole.

2. Bake at 350° F for 25 min. or until hot.

3. Stir. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

TIP: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 ounces) frozen green beans, 2 pkg. (9 ounces each) frozen green beans, 2 cans (about 16 ounces each) green beans or about 1½ lbs. fresh green beans for this recipe.

For a change of pace, substitute 4 cups cooked broccoli flowerets for the green beans.

For a creative twist, stir in ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese with soup. Omit soy sauce. Sprinkle with ¼ cup additional Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions.

For a festive touch, stir in ¼ cup chopped red pepper with soup.

For a heartier mushroom flavor, substitute Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup for Cream of Mushroom Soup. Omit soy sauce. Stir in ¼ cup chopped red pepper with green beans.

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Stuffing: A Quick And Comforting Dish

(NAPSI)-In the top-10 list of comfort foods, stuffing is surely high on the list and the favorite part of the meal for many. Some insist on calling it "stuffing" while others prefer "dressing." Purists make a distinction between a stuffing, usually cooked inside meat, and dressing, baked separately in a casserole. What it's called at your dinner table may depend on regional differences or simply family traditions.

Onion, celery and bread are the classic components of stuffing, while dried fruits appear in many a dressing. According to the experts at Sun-Maid Growers of California, natural dried fruits such as raisins, apricots and apples perform best in dressings as they take up some of the liquids, blending well with other ingredients.

For stuffing and dressing ideas, visit www.sunmaid.com.

Easy Everyday Dressing

¾ cup chopped onion

½ cup sliced celery

¼ cup butter or margarine

1¾ cups (14.5-ounce can) chicken broth

½ cup Sun-Maid Natural Raisins

1 package (8 ounces) herbed stuffing mix

⅓ cup coarsely chopped pecans, toasted

Cook onion and celery in butter over medium heat until softened, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth and raisins. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered 3 minutes. Stir in stuffing mix and pecans. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Casserole dressing: Spoon mixture into a buttered casserole dish. Cover with foil. (If desired, refrigerate until ready to bake.) Bake 30 minutes at 350°F. Uncover and bake 5 minutes longer for a crisp top.

Waldorf Stuffing

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup sliced celery

¼ cup butter or margarine

1 cup tart apple, cored and chopped

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

1 cup Sun-Maid Natural Raisins

8- to 10-ounce package herb-flavored stuffing mix, prepared

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. In a saucepan, sauté onion and celery in butter. Stir in apple, nuts and raisins. Toss mixture with prepared stuffing. Stuff turkey, chicken or Cornish hens as desired.

Casserole dressing: Spoon into greased 1½-quart baking dish. For a moist stuffing, cover during baking. For a drier stuffing, bake uncovered. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until heated through. Makes 6 servings.

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