Chicken Vegetable Soup

Tis the season for sniffles, allergies and colds!  WOOHOOO!

Actually I am not excited for sickness, for me or anyone of you, but IF it happens, I have the soup for you! 

This happy accident (long ago) soup is delicious.  I am a soup fanatic, and personally can NOT have to many soup recipes on hand.  Soup is always my first choice, year round actually.  I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do!  Shouldn't be to hard to remember the recipe, eh?!

1 T. olive oil
1 lb ground chicken
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 small bell pepper chopped
1 cup fresh green beans chopped (use canned if needed)
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 T. minced garlic
1  14.5  oz. diced tomatoes (add juice, more flavor!)
1 T. dehydrated onion (feel free to grate 1T fresh into the pot)
1 T. dried parsley
1 T. Italian Seasoning
5 cups chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

In a large pot, add in olive oil and ground chicken.  Cook chicken until it is halfway done and then add in carrots, celery, bell pepper, green beans, frozen peas and corn.

Stir until completely combined, then add in garlic and let cook for a couple of minutes stirring constantly.  Now add in the tomatoes, onion, parsley, Italian seasoning, and chicken stock.  I use low sodium chicken stock so I add in 1 tsp salt to start, you may need more, I did.  Also add in pepper.  Cover and simmer on medium for 20 minutes.

I think this soup is perfect for those sniffly days!  Add in some red pepper flakes, or a little hot sauce and feel the nose run, and run, and run!  It is perfect for healthy eaters and full of vitamin goodness!  I make this soup and keep it in the fridge, and eat on it for lunches or a snack.  Why not?!

ENJOY!

Mom's Vegetable Beef Soup

Ahh, this is a good food memory for me.  Sometimes the simplest things are the best.  And this soup is proof of that, in my opinion anyway!

As a family of 12, yes, 2 parents, and 10 kids, money was always tight.  My dad at the time was a high school dropout who signed himself into the military at at 16, and my mom had begun her young adult life as a model and then a teacher.  (lingerie, undergarments and wedding gowns, you GO girl)    Look at these two hottie parents of mine!

Back to the point at hand.  We had a HUGE garden.  We grew nearly everything we ate.  The garden was always full of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, potatoes, green beans, carrots, bell peppers, rhubarb, corn, and lettuce, or broccoli.  It would get canned and frozen for winter, my mom had a huge canning room downstairs.  Those tomatoes would become crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato juice, spaghetti sauce, and the cucumbers would be come 200 jars of my moms famous dill pickles.  (My mouth is actually watering just thinking of pickles, HER pickles) The green beans would be canned sometimes with a little bacon, the corn would be cut off the cob and frozen, carrots would be canned, etc.  I used to look at it as a necessity, it was how we got food, now I look at it as a complete blessing, we ate all of that whole, great, homegrown, non processed food everyday.  Any fruit became jellies, or were frozen for pies, she made relish, I mean, she kind of did a lot of everything!

As hard as times would be, we never once didn't have food.  We often joke how there would be only 1 lb. of hamburger to 3lbs of pasta in the goulash,  but if there was a time when there might not be enough, my dad would just take on another job, and another job.  He was usually carrying his full time job trying to grow his insurance agency and 3 or 4 part time jobs. (sports broadcaster, carpet cleaner, jail tending, newspaper printing, school bus driver, etc.)  He believed in working hard to provide and somehow, he seemed to have time for us in between when he was home.  My mom worked full or part time most of the time and that is just how it went.  We all had our weight to pull and we just did it, no arguing, no entitlement, because we knew it was part of being a family, all for one and one for all. 

So with that bit of history comes this recipe.  The ingredients can easily be cross referenced to what we grew in our family garden.  I suppose you could add any vegetables you wanted but, this is how mom made it, and this is how we loved it.  While my mom wasn't big into spices or herbs, I do add a few to mine now.  I will write those in as optional.  My mom would also use fresh canned stock.  This is something I do still, I can't live without fresh stock, but I freeze mine instead of canning it.  The "beef" part of this recipe for us as kids would have been a marked down soup bone at the store that we always loving referred to as "used meat" and the bits of meat that were left would be the beef in our soup.  As much or little as it gave off, is as much or little that was in the soup.  I use stew meat now, and cut each chunk into really small pieces.  So while I have to use canned tomatoes now, the veggies are a collection of leftovers from evening meals, all dumped into one gallon size freezer bag.  So when I write the recipe it will be for a gallon freezer bag full of veggies.  Those can be veggies of your choice. Depending on the leftovers the soup might be corn heavy, or carrot heavy but that is just the luck of the draw and what changes it just a little bit every single time.  Maybe you don't have as many green beans in your freezer bag as you want, so add some more, no biggie at all!   So, while I can't give you exact measurements on the veggies, just use a gallon bag and pour in what you have I guess, when it gets full, that will be the right amount!  If you add any canned veggies pour their juice in as well!  Free flavor friends!  Free flavor!

Oh, and one more thing, feel free to do this in a large slow cooker.  Let it simmer on low all day.  It will be perfection!

If you are going to use a soup bone, go ahead and add a bay leaf and some peppercorns when you cook it!!  My mom just called and told me not to forget that!  I thought she cooked the soup bone IN the soup but NO!  Cook it separate in water, with the peppercorns and bay leaves.  When it is done pick off the meat and get rid of the peppercorns and bay leaf!   She put bay leaves in EVERYTHING!

You will need:
28-30 oz. plain tomato sauce
32 ounces beef stock
2-3 beef bouillon cubes
14 oz. diced tomatoes with juice
4-6 medium size potatoes, peeled and diced into a medium size
1 med-large finely diced onion (just depends on how much onion you like)
1 lb (or more if you choose) of beef stew meat cut into small pieces or a soup bone!
1 gallon freezer bag of leftover frozen veggies.
salt and pepper to taste

Seasonings (Optional) My mom would be MORTIFIED to see this list of "extras"! HAHA
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tbsp. dried parsley
1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning

In your slow cooker or large soup pot, add ALL ingredients including seasonings if you are using them.  My mom would NOT have.  In a soup pot, simmer for approx. 1-2 hours.  If you do this in the morning, and then let it cool and refrigerate and then reheat for dinner it will be the BOMB.  If you simmer it and eat it, it will also be the bomb.  In a slow cooker, set on low and let it go a good 4-6 hours.  Set it on keep warm until ready to eat it.  Let those flavors soak each other up.

We would eat this with plain old store brand sliced bread and butter.  Lord have mercy when I ate this last night I was transported right back to my moms tiny 8x10 kitchen, with pink walls, peeling up linoleum, and counter tops that were probably a health hazard!  

My parents financial hardships may be a thing of years gone by, and that kitchen has been all redone, (still small) but the lessons it taught me as a child are priceless.  I wouldn't have had it any other way.  I know what hard work is,  I know how to do it, I know what it gets you and now my parents have retired, and enjoy their lives doing what they want as their health allows.  Thanks mom and dad for working hard for us, and I am so glad it paid off now, for you. 

Enjoy this pot of my childhood.  And remember, it makes a huge batch and I can promise you, it will taste even better the next day!

Love and Blessings friends..........

Farmer's Pie

Good evening!  It is finally starting to feel like winter around here.  Even a little white stuff on the ground, a very little.  I won't complain, at the same time, I feel like we need one of those big, "give it to me good" snow storms where you can't leave the house for a couple of days.  I know, I know, some of you want to slap me right now but, don't worry, I am on the other side of your computer, you temptation will die. 

This pie, I am so excited to share with you.  Honestly, I don't really know why, but the idea all started with, Hunter's Pie, a British dish.  My mother in law, who lived in England for several years would make Hunter's Pie with birds or game my father in law hunted.  Ok well, there are so many things wrong with that idea to me, that I won't waste your time or mine.  No game.  No "shot it myself" birds, and did I mention no wild game?  I know traditionally only venison is used, but this was my late mother in laws way of doing it. 

As my husband was telling me, I had thoughts of more domesticated meat, pork, chicken, and beef in my mind.  Almost like sugarplums, and far from the shiver causing, gag reflex inducing idea of wild game or pheasant, or any of that "stuff" we had to eat as kids.  Oh yea, you thought I was just being nasty because I didn't like the idea of it, when the truth is, this is a lot of what we ate as kids.  Deer meat, never mind, I can't even go there.  My mom would try to sneak it in everything.  My son still tries to get me to eat it.  No, No, NONONONO. 

 

So in a nutshell I decided if I used pigs, chickens and cows, it could be a farmers pie.  A few potatoes and veggies as most farmers or their wives have gardens, and a cast iron skillet and pie crust could round it out.  Perfect, a Farmer's Pie! 

At first I thought this was completely wrong.  Wrong as in, the idea of serving a fried egg on top of a chicken breast, but then I decided, pigs, cows and chickens all get along on the farm, why not in my pie?

You will need:
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
8 ounces chicken, uncooked and diced
5 ounces beef, uncooked and diced
8 ounces pork, uncooked and you guessed it, DICED
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1/2 lb.  Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tbsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
3 tbsp. flour
1 pie crust (I used a premade one for this)
1-2 tbsp. milk (to brush on crust)

While I did this in my cast iron skillet, I am giving you directions to do it in a pot first, then pour into cast iron.  Okey dokey?

First of all, in a large measuring cup pour your chicken and beef stock together.  Add in parsley, onion powder, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Mix to combine and set aside.

In a large skillet or pot on high, add in butter and oil, let the butter melt and add in all of your diced chicken, beef and pork.  Stir and let brown for 3-4 minutes. 

Turn down to medium heat and add in garlic, potatoes, carrots and beans.  Stir and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.  Add in flour and stir until the flour is absorbed, stir for 1 minute to cook off the raw flavor of the flour.  Now, add in stock, and let simmer a until the stock has thickened stirring a few times to combine.  

At this point you can pour it into your cast iron skillet or just a 9 inch round casserole dish.  Now lay the pie crust over the top of the filling.  You can be sloppy!  Just bunch it up here and there so there is just a little bit hanging over, and gently push to adhere to the edges and let it hang. 

This is a rustic pie, let it look that way!  Cut a few vent slits on the top.   Brush the top of the crust with milk and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving!

ENJOY!

Funeral Casserole. Dead Man's Pie. Tater Tot Casserole

Yea, I used the word, but ONLY because I love the name my family has for this dish.

So, you know how in cities people have funerals and then a meal at a resturant or at their home right?  Well it is different in small town USA.  Growing up in a small town, when someone passes away, after the funeral they have a luncheon.  This luncheon is often a main dish such as ham and a side dish, like scalloped potatoes, prepared by the church women.  In my church it was the Altar Society!  I still get a little pit in my stomach when I think of some of those ladies.  Scary.  I thought you had to have gray or silver hair to be in that "club", turns out, you don't!   Anyway everyone else is to bring potluck type dishes.   Many times the whole town pitches in and this is how funeral lunches go in small town USA, ok Nebraska USA.

My mom would ALWAYS made this for funerals, so it was dubbed many years ago "Funeral Casserole" in my family.  Thanks to the wit of my sister Sue, it later became "Dead Man's Pie".  After deciding it was to traumatizing to her children she went back to the old standby name. LOL  Anyway, this casserole is a staple or was a staple in many households through the years.  My mom made it plain, hamburger, green beans, mushroom soup and tater tots.  Oh yea, the tater tots.  I swear, my mom used to measure the casserole dish, divide it by the size of the tots and how many she had to make sure she had PERFECT lines, and not a single spot left uncovered by the tot!  

One time, I just threw the tots on top.  She hasn't been the same since.  See what I mean?

I have added cheese on top of mine, you don't have to.  I also added some seasoned salt to the hamburger because honestly, it feels a little bland if you don't.  Cheese is my new staple on this dish, should I decide to purposely make it again at some point in my life!

This recipe makes 1, 8x8 or 9x9 pan.  Simply double the ingredients for a 9x13!

1 lb ground beef
2 cans of cut green beans (or use fresh, that you have cooked, 2 cups)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
16 ounces of tater tots, frozen  (you might have a few leftover)
1 tsp seasoned salt (I used Northwoods by Penzeys)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded cheese (optional) I used Colby

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Place hamburger in the bottom of your baking dish.  Using your hand or a spoon, spread it evenly to cover the entire bottom.  Salt and pepper, (if you choose) and sprinkle your seasoned salt of choice over.  I like the ground beef to have some flavor instead of...."blah, ground beef, woohoo".  You know what I mean?  OK, good.

Next, in a bowl combine green beans and mushroom soup.  My mom never did this, but I do, I find it aggravating to try and spread the soup on the green beans.  Cut out the madness friends, just mix them together!  Now, spread that mixture on top of the ground beef.

Now, according to Marlene (my mother) at this point, you arrange the tater tots in a near obsessive compulsive manner.  You line up the tots, evenly and those lines BETTER be straight.  Got it?  (just kidding ma, kinda).  You could add a little salt and pepper and seasoned salt or one or the other, or nothing at all to the top.  I don't do bland, so I like adding a little flavor to every layer. 

Bake for approximately 40 minutes, then add cheese to the top and bake another 10-15 minutes

Enjoy this easy, great for making ahead or freezing C-word! HA!

Your "Marlene is watching your tater tot lines" Chefwannabe

Spicy Asian Green Beans

I love green beans.  I will eat them nearly anyway you make them.  As a kid my mom grew them in her garden and I remember endless summer nights on the front porch snapping green beans so she could can them for use in the winter months.  It used to be the dreaded job, but we all had to do it and let me tell you that woman grew more green beans than I have ever seen!!

As you all know, my husband, the Chinese food master always has us eating it!  I always see these green beans on peoples plates, and on buffets, but, I have never tried them.  I am not sure why, I mean, I do love green beans, but they always seemed to look questionable to me.  I finally sucked it up the other day and tried them.  Now, I could go there, and eat only green beans.  However, as usual, I needed to add a bit more spice to mine.  I don't know how they make them, I have tried swindling other recipes from the waitresses and owner, to absolutely no avail.  Back when I was working on General Tso's Chicken, I tried, and that recipe seems to be locked up like Fort Knox.  That's fine I say, I will make my own dang green beans.  And I did! 

These are easy and quick.  In fact, this recipe is great for 2!  You can always just double it for a bigger batch.  So enjoy this twist on green beans, that I find can sometimes be a bit plain!

You will need:
1/2 lb fresh green beans
2 tsp peanut oil
1 tsp crushed or minced garlic (make that a heaping tsp)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp soy sauce
splash of water (2 tbsp approx)

Snap your green beans, just to get the ends off.  You can snap them in half or smaller pieces if you like, I prefer mine long.  Rinse them and let them drain while you begin preparing your wok.

Heat 2 tsp peanut oil in a wok or high sided skillet.  When the oil is hot, add in garlic, and red pepper flakes.  Stir constantly, do not stop or the garlic will burn.  Stir for 1 minutes and then add in the green beans.  Stir fry them for 3-4 minutes, add in water and soy sauce and stir fry another 1-2 minutes.

The beans will be crisp tender.  This is not for those who enjoy mushy green beans!!  They will have a nice crunch but, be tender.  You can omit the red pepper flakes if you don't groove on the spice!!

I hope you enjoy these delicious green beans!

Your "green beans are like green love"chefwannabe

Where's the BEEF Pot Pie?

It is Friday morning.  Still no snow out here, we keep getting small chances but they never come.  AMEN.  I love the cold, I can leave the snow and ice.  One less day of me worrying about my husbands morning commute to work.  People out here drive like mad people.  Have you ever noticed how everyone always seems to be in such a hurry?  So much so that they seem to take unreasonable risks behind the wheel, cutting people off, running lights, etc.  Don't even start me on texting and driving.  I challenge you today, to notice, how many people you see while you are driving with a cellphone to their ear, or reading or sending a text.  It scares me to death.  How many people do not have driving safely, as the only priority when behind the wheel of a car.  I am so thankful our car has blue-tooth built in, but up until then my husband would pull over before he would talk on the phone.  If I didn't reach him for something I needed before he left work, I was doomed because he would not answer while driving.  My rant is over.  Just all comes rushing to me when I see how much a hurry people are in, sometimes I think it is all in the name of the almighty dollar.  Sometimes they have children in the car, and it just freaks me out.  Rant officially over.........

I figured since I live in Nebraska a "Where's the beef" type title was appropriate.  I have been seeing all kinds of different versions of Chicken Pot Pie lately just none for beef.  Chicken is my favorite, right down to those little ones in the freezer section of the store.  I know, I KNOW, but leave me alone, it is a double whammy for me, I love pot pie and I love the smell inside the freezers at the store.  Leave me alone, I will tell my MOM! :)  Sad thing is, she would agree I am a freak of nature.  She would deny she ever gave birth to me and then claim not that she chose to adopt me but I was dropped off in a basket on her front porch and she felt an "obligation" to me.  I swear, I can hear it now.  Age has made her a pretty funny chick.  Maybe raising 10 kids did it, or oh I KNOW, it was my DAD.  God knows being married to him for 55 years would make anyone funny, as a survival technique!

Ok, seriously now.  This turned out really well.  I have been making pot pies forever but decided to cut down on the varieties of veggies I usually use because I have a whiny little kid for a husband when it comes to vegetables.  I cut it down to carrots, potatoes and green beans.  I like peas and celery and onion as well but....waaaaaaaa  waaaaaaaaaa.  Need I say more? :)  If you choose to add more veggies, you might want to knock back a potato and a carrot so you don't have way more filling then you do pie space!

Time to get down to business.  You can use store bought gravy if you choose, you know how I feel about fake brown gravy.  LOVE.  I did use beef stock and just thickened it.  Mine isn't the rich brown color I normally like, but if it bothers you throw in some kitchen bouquet or something to deepen up the color.  I also used london broil for my beef.  Use whatever you have on hand or like, heck you can  probably even use ground beef.  I mean it would gag me, but you might enjoy it!

I did promise to post my crust recipe.  It is awesome.  I even add cinnamon and sugar if I am using it for something sweet.  This recipe will be enough for 2 crusts.  There are no real ingredient secrets, the secret is using FROZEN butter and ice water.  All ingredients must be kept as cold as possible.  When you mix the ingredients you want the little frozen pea size bits of butter to stay that way.  When you bake your crust those are the spots that cause flakiness and buttery goodness!  I make this in my food processor but if you don't have one, just use a pastry cutter thingymabober.  I don't remember where I got this recipe it has been so long.  It is the only recipe I have ever used or will ever use for pie crust!

CRUST:
2 stick of butter frozen, cubed and FROZEN
2 1/4 cups flour  *I even chill this*
1 tsp salt
8-10 tbs of ice water.  I just put ice in a glass, fill it with cold water and refrigerate until ready.

Put the butter, flour, and salt in the food processor, and pulse briefly just until the mixture resembles pea sized bits of butter.  

Add the water, 1 tbsp at a time pulsing briefly after each spoonful of water. Keep adding water until the dough just begins to gather together.  Transfer equal amounts of dough into 2 Ziploc bags or pieces of saran wrap. 


 Pat into disk, wrap well and put into the fridge and let rest at least 30 minutes.  Remove 1 disk at a time to use so it stays as cold as possible until baked.  

FILLING:
3 potatoes, peeled or not, and cubed
3 carrots, peeled and I sliced mine.  Slice it or dice it, whatever makes you feel warm inside
1 cup (ish) green beans (fresh or canned, just drain if canned)
2-3 cups of cubed beef. (We like lots of meat so....again, w/e makes your heart say.. "aahhh")
2 1/2 cups of beef stock
2-3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large pot, add butter and beef, you are looking to cook your beef almost all the way here.  Toss it around from time to time, when it stops saying, "MOOO"  it is probably done. Remove from the pot and add your potatoes, green beans, and carrots (if you add celery or onions do that now too).  Pour in enough beef stock just to cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes.  I like my veg to keep a little bite to it, so I go 5.  Remember it will bake another 25 minutes too!  When your veggies are done, add flour to remaining stock in a measuring cup or bowl, whisk flour in until smooth and pour into pot with veggies, cook on medium until thickened.  

Add beef back in at this time as well.  Cover and cook on low, checking occasionally to make sure it isn't sticking or over cooking.  Now for the crust.  Take one crust from the refrigerator and roll out to approx 10 inches on a floured surface.  Gently roll it up unto the rolling pin and unroll over your deep pie dish.  Fit it in and then fill with your filling.

Get second pie crust and you can just place it over the top like normal or you can do a lattice work as I did on mine.  Whisk egg and brush entire top and sides of pie. Sprinkle course salt, pepper and parmesan cheese over the top.  


Place on a pizza pan or cookie sheet in case it runs over.  Bake 25-30 minutes until golden and delicious!!

This is what SHOULD be for dinner tonight!

Enjoy!

Your "pot pie rocks my socks off" chefwannabe

Chris

It Ain't Easy Bein' Green.......3 new ways to make GREEN BEANS!

Well......it's true isn't it?!  I thought you agreed with me!

I am a true, die hard fan of the green bean.  I have been since I was a child.  In fact, it was the only vegetable I would willingly eat as a kid.  I can remember many a meal of green beans only because I refused to eat whatever else my mother had prepared.  (likely shoe leather roast beef, sorry Ma) Green bean casserole, green beans plain, green beans fresh and green beans in a CAN!  I am not a fan of the frozen green bean!  I think they are tough no matter how you cook them. I especially love using the term, "haricots verts" pronounced properly sounds like "airy covair"  Long green beans, wrapped in bundles with a piece of bacon or a scallion and roasted in the oven, is another favorite way to prepare them.

All in all green beans are a great side dish, for a small family dinner to a huge meal for a special occasion.  What would Thanksgiving be without green bean casserole for heaven's sake?!?! This by they way is a specialty of my sister Peg.  She got me started on it and it's been love ever since!  For me, the vessel in which I get my beans, a can, a bag, or out of the garden, makes no difference.  I only am particular about what variety I use for each application I use them in.  I will post photos of each of the kinds I enjoy making.  This will include a grown up version of green bean casserole.  No processed canned cream soups in this version!  Trust me, it will be worth it.  I hope you give one of these a try to change up your green beans for Thanksgiving or to add to your menu.  I will post the very simple directions under each photo.

 

I prefer CANNED green beans for this dish. (serves 4-6)

3 cans cut green beans or 3-4 cups of fresh or frozen green beans

4 slices of bacon chopped

1/4 cup FINELY minced onion 

2 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)

Melt butter in saute pan, add in bacon pieces.  Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add onions and cook for another 5 minutes until tender and translucent.  Add drained green beans and let cook covered on low for 15 minutes, stirring to coat beans in butter.  Add almonds and stir to coat again.  Salt and Pepper to taste before serving!

 

2 cans of french cut green beans

1 cup french fried onions

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)

1-1 1/2 cups milk

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

3/4 to 1 cup grated parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Drain all liquid from green beans.  Melt butter in a small saucepan, add flour and whisk.  Let cook approx 1 minute to cook the raw flour taste from the mixture.  Add 1 cup of milk and whisk vigorously to combine ingredients into a smooth sauce.  Stir in mushrooms and parmesan cheese.  When it is completely melted add salt and pepper to taste.  When sauce has thickened, add green bean and stir.  Check seasonings again!  Place in a casserole dish that will accommodate your mixture.  I used approx. a 7x10.  Spinkle the top with french fried onions and bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.  

 

1/2 pound of fresh green beans.  *snap ends*

4 slices of bacon

4 long green onions

salt and pepper

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.  Salt liberally.  Add in green beans and let boil 2 minutes.  Drain.  On a foil lined cookie sheet, seperate beans into 4 equal bundles.  Wrap on piece of bacon around the center, and then wrap on green onion and tie it on the top making "bundles".  Back at 375 for 15 minutes.  Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper immediately after removing from the oven.  

 



I hope you enjoy these twists on plain green beans.  Change up your Thanksgiving table or maybe just your dinner table on a regular weeknight.  Remember, make time to eat with your family around the table!  Family time is so important whenever you can get it with people's busy schedules.  You will enjoy spending time with your children, talking, and laughing.  You will learn more over a meal than sometimes you want to know!  (trust me on this one)

Your "it ain't easy bein' green" chefwannabe

Chris