(ARA) - These days, the traditional Sunday dinner includes a ham or turkey, scalloped or baked potatoes and a casserole. In many homes, it is the casserole that truly makes the meal.

The casserole of today evolved during the 1940s when more women entered the workforce and discovered they had less time to prepare dinner for their families. One-dish meals became a popular way to stretch a pantry and pocketbook, refashion leftovers, and put a wholesome, home-cooked meal on the table quickly and easily.

America's most popular and enduring one-dish meal - the Green Bean Casserole -celebrates a milestone this year, marking the 50th anniversary of its debut.

"Green Bean Casserole has so many things going for it. It is tasty. It's attractive. It's easy. It's reliable. It's inexpensive. What more could you ask for in a simple little recipe?" asks the dish's creator, Dorcas Reilly, who in 2002, presented the now-yellowed original 8 x 11 recipe card of her creation to the National Inventor's Hall of Fame.

Today, the Green Bean Casserole remains Campbell's most requested recipe. Even Mrs. Reilly, who has been dubbed "the Mother of All Comfort Foods," says she's "amazed and thrilled that it has remained so popular."

Here's the recipe:

Campbell's (R) Green Bean Casserole

Prep Time: 10 minutes Bake Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's (R) Condensed Cream of Mushroom or 98 percent Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Dash ground black pepper

4 cups cooked cut green beans

1 1/3 cups French's French Fried Onions

Directions: Mix soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-quart casserole.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until hot.

Stir. Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 minutes. Serves 6.

For a fresh twist on the original dish, try one of these variations created by today's Campbell's Kitchen:

For a change of pace, substitute 4 cups cooked broccoli florets for the green beans.

Please the cheese lovers in your family by stirring in 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese with the soup. Omit soy sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup additional Cheddar cheese and use French's Cheddar French Fried Onions.

For a roasted garlic twist, substitute Campbell's (R) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup with Roasted Garlic for Cream of Mushroom Soup.

For a festive touch, stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with soup.

For a heartier mushroom flavor, substitute Campbell's (R) Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup for Cream of Mushroom Soup. Omit soy sauce. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with green beans.

For more meal ideas from Campbell's Kitchen, log on to www.campbellskitchen.com.