When You Should Be Making Green Bean Casserole On The Stovetop

It's time to break out our festive sweatpants and leggings, so we can eat ourselves into a food coma on Thanksgiving. Insider reports that Americans will enjoy 46 million turkeys, more than 5 million gallons of canned cranberry sauce, 214 million potatoes, and 19 million store-bought pies during the holiday. And with favorite Thanksgiving side dishes like sausage stuffing and green bean casserole, you better make sure your pants have an extra stretchy waistband!

According to Smithsonian Magazine, Dorcas Reilly created the recipe for green bean casserole at the Campbell Soup Company in 1955 for an Associated Press feature story. She had to play Iron Chef before Iron Chef was even a thing: The dish had to use ingredients that could easily be found in any kitchen. Reilly's "Green Bean Bake" still consists of only six ingredients: green beans, cream of mushroom soup, black pepper, soy sauce, milk, and French-fried onions. The simple preparation and quick cooking time helped the casserole earn a spot on the dinner table.

You'll get no complaints from guests if you serve the traditional green bean casserole. If you want to bring this retro side dish into the 21st century, add gouda or bacon or use homemade onion rings for the topping. Cooking it on the stovetop instead of in the oven can transform this iconic baked dish into gourmet comfort food.

Anyone who's put together a Thanksgiving feast knows the struggle is real. You wake up early to start the turkey roasting and realize just how big that bird is, taking up residence in your oven for up to six hours or longer. You'll be lucky to squeeze in that pan of scalloped potatoes.

Bust out that skillet and make green bean casserole on the stovetop. The process is just as easy as baking it in the oven: It still takes 40 minutes, but this recipe uses fresh ingredients like shallots, crimini mushrooms, and heavy cream instead of processed soup or canned ingredients. According to Eating Well, the casserole's flavors blend better when cooked on the stovetop. The mushroom's meatiness and the onion's sweetness are more pronounced. If you need more crispiness to your onion topping, finish off your casserole in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure to use an oven-safe skillet because glass casserole dishes can crack when used on the stovetop. Green bean casserole can also be made using a slow cooker or a pressure cooker.

Campbell's cream of mushroom soup sales soar between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's no surprise: The soup company claims that more than 20 million homes have green bean casserole on their Thanksgiving menu, and their recipe usually gets 4 million views on Thanksgiving Day.