A relative newcomer to the Thanksgiving table, the green bean casserole was invented in the test kitchen at the Campbell Soup company in the mid-20th century. It was originally made with Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup and frozen green beans. It was popular because it was easy, inexpensive and could be made ahead. Very sensible stuff Ohio.  

While this version of the dish is a little more challenging the flavor is wonderful and it brings us to the second challenge, pairing a bourbon. It wasn’t as hard as we thought since the recipe has so many elements that are rich in the umami flavor like mushrooms and aged cheese. These often accentuate flavors and as a result less sugar or salt is required to make something sweet or salty, respectively. It was harder to narrow it down!