In 2016, Arizona grandmother Wanda Dench sent out Thanksgiving invitations to her six grandchildren when she accidentally texted the wrong number — sending a ping to 16-year-old Jamal Hinton in the middle of class.
Hinton quickly realized the text was a mistake, but it didn’t stop him from jokingly asking if he could swing by for a plate.
“Of course you can,” Dench responded. “That’s what grandmas do…feed everyone!”
In the decade since, the two once-strangers have grown closer than ever. When Dench’s husband Lonnie passed away in 2020 from COVID-19, Hinton stepped up to support her.
“It’s not really a friendship. We’re more a family now,” Hinton told CNN. “It means the world. We talk about anything. We go through everything together.”
In 2024, Thanksgiving looked a little different, but their tradition still prevailed. Hinton called her on FaceTime so that he and Dench could still eat together — despite being physically apart.
“I just recently finished up with chemotherapy, so I’m not 100% yet,” said Dench, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.
“I was looking so forward to meeting his family and having turkey with everybody but we have to accept things the way they are, and I’m sure next year is going to be so much better.”
Hinton said he’ll always be grateful for texting Dench back.
“I always felt like any and everyone could bring any type of joy into your life, and I’m glad that I actually reached out to Wanda when I did,” he said. “Even though I was joking, it turned out to be something amazing.”
And this year — as they mark their 10th Thanksgiving together — Hinton and Dench are partnering with Green Giant to share their favorite holiday recipes, including the “Best Ever Green Bean Casserole.”
“Wanda and I are thrilled to celebrate our 10th Thanksgiving together, and partnering with Green Giant makes it even more special,” Hinton said in a press release. “Green Giant has been part of so many holiday traditions, and we’re excited to make new memories with their vegetables at our table.”
“I am so grateful we’re able to continue to get together. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since that mistaken text,” said Wanda Dench. “For us, the holidays are all about connections and making memories. Sharing our 10th year – alongside Green Giant’s 100th anniversary – makes this year feel especially meaningful.”
Here is the full recipe for Hinton and Dench’s “best ever” green bean casserole
Lists of ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) Green Giant Cut Green Beans, drained
- 1 cup crispy french-fried onions
Recipe:
Serving Size: 6 | Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 21 minutes
- Preheat oven to 375˚F—heat butter over medium in a large pan. Add mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
- Stir in cream cheese, milk, chicken broth, thyme, salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until cream cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Stir in green beans to coat.
- Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish and top with fried onions. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until onions are golden brown.
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A version of this article originally appeared in the 2025 Relationships Edition of the Goodnewspaper
Header image via Jamal Hinton/Twitter
