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can DIY their own unique spin on the dish. Some reci- pes become green bean-anchored tributes to French onion soup — complete with gruyere cheese oozing over the top. Other families swear by adding bacon to the mix, for obvious reasons, or they up the creaminess by swirling in a dollop of ricotta or cottage cheese. If you’re looking for a way to elevate your green bean casse- role to quasi-fine-dining status, Jamie Brown of Bouil- laBabes Catering in Baton Rouge has a few tricks up her sleeve. “I fancy mine up by doing a trio of mushrooms — shiitake, baby bella and oyster — that I first sauté in butter and garlic, then top the finished dish with grated Manchego cheese for a subtle nutty finish.The result is so mouthwater- ing and delicious!” (You can also do what I do and just call the green beans “haricot verts” with an exaggerated French accent.) At its vegetable-filled heart, green bean casserole embodies the best of what casseroles can provide: a serving of nostal- gia-tinged comfort during a time of year when thoughts — and stomachs — turn towards memories of home.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE The swirl of mushroom-y, umami goodness. The zippy, munchable bite of French-fried onions. And that flash of emerald holding it all together! If there’s one dish that’s sure to turn heads when strutting down the holiday table red carpet, it’s green bean casserole. Created by Dorcas Reilly in 1955 for the Campbell Soup Company, green bean casserole has become pretty much synonymous with the time of year when the weather (hope- fully) turns a little colder, and hot toddies are socially accept- able to sip no matter the actual temperature. Reilly created the dish with the hopes it would be something simple fami- lies could whip up with ingredients that they already had stocked in their pantry. “It’s very tasty if it’s made the right way,” Reilly’s husband, Tom (now 91) told the New Jersey Star-Ledger in 2017. “It’s a very simple meal. It’s comfort food.We’ve heard many people recognize it as the original comfort food.” It’s also infinitely malleable, which means every family

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27 everyday NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018