Lest there be some confusion, let’s get this out of the way: The original green bean casserole was a canned affair. Invented by Dorcas Reilly for Campbell’s Test Kitchen in 1955, it involved just six ingredients (milk, soy sauce, green beans, french fried onions and most famously, condensed cream of mushroom soup) that could be thrown together in just 10 minutes.

While we generally agree that gussying up nostalgic foods misses the point, we like the revved-up texture and flavor that fresh ingredients bring to green bean casserole. While we didn’t want to stray too far from tradition — after all, the Campbell’s Test Kitchen recipe is so well loved that it’s served on about 20 million tables every year — we did add a few flourishes to elevate the dish.

First and foremost, this recipe calls for fresh green beans. In place of the canned soup, we use heavy cream, broth and a combination of shiitake and portobello mushrooms. A sprinkle of Parmigiano-Reggiano lends a salty, nutty kick. And of course, it’s topped with fried onions. (It’s not a green bean casserole without them, right?) The real beauty of this revamped recipe is that it’s still simple (though admittedly not a dump-and-stir situation) and can be prepared up to one day ahead of time, then baked when you’re ready to eat.

If you need additional side dish ideas, try our Marshmallow and Pecan-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole, Cast-Iron Brown Butter Griddle Stuffing With Chestnuts and Herbs, Extra Creamy Macaroni and Cheese, or Cast Iron Mash Potatoes with Goats Cheese.

Jessica Merchant, the cookbook author behind How Sweet Eats, loves riffing on classics. She got her start as a blogger and cookbook author by taking recipes she knew and loved and adapting them. Macaroni and cheese is one of those traditional favourites. In developing this recipe, she focused on an easy, creamy and delicious version that’s perfect for a decadent meal (or anytime, really).

For Jessica, who has no shortage of experience inventing delicious versions of the dish (see: Pizza Supreme Mac and Cheese!), her grandmother's mac and cheese set the standard to live up to. It’s a food memory that has rebuffed years of testing recipes said to be “the best mac and cheese ever.” Unfortunately, although Jessica watched her grandmother make her version of the dish for years, she never got the full recipe. “[My grandmother] went by the feel of the wooden spoon in the cheese sauce and how golden the bread crumbs looked on top, and would stir the dish in the oven to make sure it was creamy enough,” Jessica said. 

We love that kind of intuition, but it’s not so easy to replicate. After “years trying to perfect her method,” this epic recipe is pretty close to recreating the magic, with “fontina and Parmesan giv[ing] this dish a sharp, cheesy flavour while melting perfectly,” and bread crumbs that make for “the perfect crunchy topping.” 

This mac and cheese is a little different from other recipes you’ve come across — no cheddar or American cheese here! —but it taps into that same  classic comfort in a way that’s really special. Baked in a cast-iron skillet in your Ooni oven, it takes only 10 minutes to get bubbly, ooey and gooey. 

This recipe appears in Taking Thanksgiving Classics for a Spin. Find more Thanksgiving recipes here. 

Bio Jessica Merchant is a full-time recipe developer and writer who happens to be crazy passionate about all things food. She is the author of The Pretty Dish and Seriously Delish, and details her adventures in and out of the kitchen on her popular blog, How Sweet Eats, which is read by millions. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her family. Follow her on Instagram @howsweeteats.