Dishin With Denise… Thanksgiving Casserole

As I begin to prepare for the Thanksgiving feast … I always include the quintessential casserole, a creamy mushroom soup sauce that surrounds either green frozen peas or green string beans topped with frozen onion rings and French’s crispy onions. Mixing this up in 3 minutes flat always make me smile as I remember my Mother in her apron preparing this dish after she put Tom into the oven somewhere around 6 am?  It was the early 60’s when she was hooked by this easy Campbell’s soup recipe found on the can of the cream of mushroom soup. Although she never made anything from a can especially vegetables she became influenced by the Betty Crocker movement and the easy to prepare recipes. This Expected…Epic casserole became a tradition to savor. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving at my table if this dish wasn’t part of the fussin’ …but really a No Fuss. Some things do change~ the faces at the table, fancy dishes like cream of pumpkin or butternut soups, roasted Brussel sprouts instead of steamed, fresh cranberry sauce instead of canned, soaking Tom in fancy brine rather than table salt, and cooking the stuffing outside of the bird. Keep some traditions trusted and consistent. There can be many variations to this casserole~ but some things are best simply as they were! A bit unrefined for a gourmet cook~ it still induces a salivating, overwhelming food nostalgia of my childhood Thanksgiving’s.  Gather and give Thanks! Happy Thanksgiving!  Give the gift of tradition. Xoxo Dishin’ With Denise

1 casserole dish in which you mix 4 cans (10 ½ ounces) of Campbell’s condensed cream of mushroom soup with 1 cup of milk or ½ & ½. Fresh black pepper, 8 cups of frozen petite peas or green beans. Mix thoroughly and top with frozen onion rings and 11/3 cups of French’s crispy onions. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and onion rings are golden brown.