This side dish comes together really quickly for a great Thanksgiving vegetable. With all of the heavy items on the table: mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes- I like to have a vegetable that is crisp and tender and tastes fresh. These green beans are perfect for that.
Of my five children, only one of them thought that they liked green beans. Until I added bacon. It is amazing what a little bit of bacon will do! Adding some nuts and garlic didn’t hurt anything either. This is the one vegetable I cook where there are NEVER leftovers. They go back for seconds on this dish before anything else on the table. What a change! Whenever they smell bacon cooking around dinner time, the first question out of their mouths is, “Are you making bacon beans?”
I love to use these skinny French green beans, sometimes called filet beans. They are super tender and very flavorful; not at all stringy. They cook very quickly, less than 5 minutes. Be sure not to overcook, or they will be mushy. Both Costco and Sam’s Club carry French beans (different brands, however). I think the one below is from Costco. You can also use regular green beans, but I really love these skinny ones. Bonus: they come with the ends already snapped. No advance prep necessary!
RECIPE:
Garlic Green Beans with Bacon and Pine Nuts
1 lb French green beans (or regular beans, snapped)
6-8 slices bacon, chopped
¼ cup pine nuts or sliced almonds
scant 1/8 tsp garlic powder (optional)
In a skillet, combine beans and about ½ cup water. Add a small amount of salt to the water, if desired. Bring to a boil; cover pan and cook beans for 3-5 minutes, or until beans are crisp-tender. Do not overcook. Drain water and place beans in a serving dish.
Cook bacon in the same skillet until almost crisp. Drain excess grease, leaving 1-2 Tbs of drippings. (If you are using precooked bacon, and there are no drippings, add 1-2 Tbs butter to pan). With bacon still in the pan, add pine nuts or almond slices and cook until nuts are lightly toasted (about 2 minutes). Stir in garlic powder, if using.
Add green beans back to the pan and stir to combine and warm beans.
NoEmptyChairs.me
No Empty Chairs 
What a great idea to put pine nuts in the green beans!! I agree, bacon makes everything taste great.
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Looks delicious. I will definitely try this delectable and attractive combination. Thank you for sharing! Blessings…
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Nice recipe.. Thanx for sharing
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hi there! just wanted to let you know that we featured this post on the FoodPress.com homepage today under “Today’s Specials” – was thinking this would be a good side dish for people for Thanksgiving! hope you’re well! 🙂 jane
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Jane,
Thanks so much! I am really enjoying Foodpress.
Kelly
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Great idea! the flavours in this one I guess would be lovely
Raymund
http://angsarap.wordpress.com
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