Green beans are wonderful and very nostalgic. Many people will have grown up with fond memories of eating home-grown green beans from the vegetable patches of their back garden. However, rather surprisingly, it was not until I arrived in Seattle that I discovered the wonderful dish that is Green Bean Casserole.

Again it was at mom’s dinner table that I got my first taste of this dish and I simply cannot fathom why it hasn’t made it across the pond to the UK. In season, we gain a glut of these wonderful fresh green wonder-beans and yet we don’t seem to do anything more adventurous with them than throw them in the saucepan or steamer – delicious, but rather dull!

Green Bean Casserole is, in my mind, the best invention since slice bread! It conjures up a divine combination of creamy casserole sauce and a crisp onion topping. It is traditionally served as a side dish at Thanksgiving, alongside roast turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes and veggies – very much like a traditional English Christmas dinner.

An important part of the dish is the French Fried Onions, which not only make up part of the dish, but provide the tasty crunch topping. You can make your own by slicing the onions, soaking them in milk for 5 minutes, coating them in flour, and deep frying. However, I am all about keeping things simple (and I hate the smell that endlessly lingers after deep fat frying!), so I bought my French Fried Onions from Wholefoods –  they are also available from many UK supermarkets, including Tesco and Waitrose.

So here is a classic American recipe, and traditional Thanksgiving dish, for Green Bean Casserole. Go ahead and try it – your green beans will thank you for it, I promise!!!