Did you know Thanksgiving is in just a couple of days? While shopping, I am always amazed at the huge stacks of green beans and mushroom soup and of course fried onions. Did you ever wonder what people ate for Thanksgiving before this dish showed up? Read on for I one clue.
I’m here to tell you, I hate this “classic” green bean dish. I guess “hate” is a strong word. It’s not that it is bad, it’s just that it could be so much better. How do I know? When I got married, my darling bride turned me on to the dish her mother made at Thanksgiving for years and years. After I started collecting cookbooks, I started looking for it. Yes, it exists. I found it in two (I have thousands of cookbooks). One was a Gladys Tabor cookbook from the 40s. If Gladys was alive today I have no doubt she’d be on The Food Network. I also found it in a 1960s church cookbook. So my hat is off to my wife’s late mom, Martha Cook. Wherever she got this recipe, she cooked it every year and when I got married, she saved me from “other” casserole. It is THE standard recipe at our house.
It looks harder than it is. I’m all about easy at Thanksgiving, and this is a type of homemade dish that is still easy.
Swiss Style Green Beans
2 Tablespoons Flour
2 Tablespoons grated onion
7 Tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
16 ounces sour cream
8 ounces grated Swiss cheese
4 – 5 Cans French Style Green Beans, drained well
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes
Lightly saute the onions in 4 Tablespoons of the butter and stir in the flour; stir until it is smooth. Add sugar, salt, and white pepper; blend well. Slowly stir in the sour cream and mix well and cook until smooth, and it begins to thicken, stirring occasionally.
Add the drained green beans and mix well. Pour the mixture into greased casserole. Top with Swiss cheese. (this can be made ahead and refrigerated at this point)
Melt the remaining 3 Tablespoons of butter and stir in the corn flakes and mix until well coated, toasting lightly. Spread on top of the cheese.
Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes.
Trust me, once you eat these green beans, you never go back. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
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Thomas Fenske is a writer living in North Carolina.
His books make great Christmas presents: http://thefensk.com
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