The recipe I am sharing with you today comes from the pages of my Big Blue Binder. This is a binder full of collected recipes that I have been using for over 45 years now. It has travelled all across Canada and back with me and even across the Atlantic ocean and back.
It is filled with my tried and trues and family favorites. Recipes shared with me from family members through the years and from good friends. You just know everything in it is going to be delicious.
Recipes just like this one that I am sharing today for a fabulous side dish that is simple and delicious and that can be whipped together very easily at the last minute. Company Green Beans. Trust me when I tell you these are well worth sharing with Company.
Everyone loves these green beans when I serve them. There is a beautiful smokiness from the bacon, and a delightfully rich gooey tang from the use of a good cheddar. Chopped fresh tomato adds a touch of color and sweetness. Add to that the savory goodness of onion and garlic and you have a really winning combination.
Canned green beans dressed up beautifully. Ain't nobody going to be turning up their noses at these! I really hope that you will want to give them a go. I think you will agree that these are quick and easy to make, delicious, and the perfect side dish for sharing with the people you love!
WHAT YOU NEED
TO MAKE COMPANY GREEN BEANS
A few simple store cupboard and fresh ingredients. I don't do complicated.
- 3 slices of streaky smoked bacon
- 1 small red onion, peeled and finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 1 (14 1/2 ounce/411g) French cut green beans, well drained
- 1 fresh tomato, chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (120g) grated cheddar cheese
A slice is the same as a rasher. I have specified smoky bacon here as in the U.K. bacon comes smoked and unsmoked (or green as it is also known.) If the rind is still on, remove and discard it. You want streaky bacon with a nice layer of fat in it. I would use dry cured if I could get it.
My onion was about the size of a gold ball. Peel it and really mince it up as finely as you can. The same with the garlic.
I used French style cut green beans, in the can. Drain them really well. If all you have are tinned whole green beans or cut green beans, they will work as well. Just make sure you drain them really well in a sieve.
Alternately you can use fresh beans, trimmed, slivered/sliced and blanched until crispy tender in some lightly salted water and then drained well.
My tomato was about 3 inches in diameter. Just remove the core. There is no need to peel.
I used a good cheddar. I used Coastal British Cheddar which is available at Costco. I also like Cathedral City which is available here. Both have a lovely flavor. What I like most about the Coastal brand is that it is creamy, but you still get lovely salt crystals in it, which tells me it has been aged beautifully.
HOW TO MAKE
DELICIOUS COMPANY GREEN BEANS
This is a very quick and easy dish to make. Not a lot of effort and only one dish to clean when all is done and dusted. I like recipes like that.
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6.
- Add the bacon to a cast-iron, or oven-proof skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove (saving the drippings in the skillet) and set aside, leaving it to drain on some paper towels.
- To the bacon drippings, add the onion and the garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the well drained green beans, chopped tomato and seasonings. Crumble the bacon and stir it in as well.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over top and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and reduce the temperature of the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Bake for a further 15 minutes until hot and bubbly. Delicious!
HOW TO STORE ANY LEFTOVERS:
Remove from the skillet and transfer to a tightly covered container. Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
You can reheat gently in a skillet over medium low heat until heated through. Alternately you can reheat in the microwave. I do not recommend freezing this.
You could put this together earlier in the day and then pop into the oven about 45 minutes prior to wanting to serve it.
DO I HAVE TO USE CANNED GREEN BEANS?
Absolutely not! When fresh beans are in season, by all means use them. Wash well, trim, julienne and then blanch for several minutes in lightly salted water just until crispy tender.
You can use string beans or runner beans. All are delicious. Simply use the equivalent that you would find in two cans of beans. About a pound and a half will do it.
It is easier and quicker to use the tinned beans and trust me when I tell you that this is a really delicious way of presenting them.
A FEW OTHER VEGETABLE
SIDE DISHES THAT YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY!
CRUSHED MACARONI & VEGETABLES - A vibrant, rustic casserole born from humble pantry staples and elevated with a touch of Italian magic. Tender crushed macaroni soaks up a garlicky tomato broth, nestled between layers of juicy sliced tomatoes, wilted spinach and aromatic pasta. Olive oil along with a whisper of Balsamic add a tangy surprise. Baked until the pasta turns creamy and the vegetables melt together in savory harmony, this dish transforms every day ingredients into something extraordinary.
ROOT VEGETABLE TIAN - Layers of perfectly sliced sweet potatoes, parsnips, celeriac, and white potatoes come together in a rustic, yet elegant dish that celebrates the best of root vegetables. Blanched until crispy tender, and then layered in a baking dish, drizzled with a good olive oil and a whisper of sea salt. The vegetables transform into golden caramelized bites of flavor. Each mouthful is earthy, slightly sweet ad wonderfully satisfying.
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Yield: 4 servings
Company Green Beans
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 40 Min
A simply delicious way to jazz up green beans. A real favorite, this recipe can also be cut in half very easily. Ask me how in the comments section.
Ingredients
- 3 slices of streaky smoked bacon
- 1 small red onion, peeled and finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
- 1 (14 1/2 ounce/411g) French cut green beans, well drained
- 1 fresh tomato, chopped
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (120g) grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/ gas mark 6.
- Add the bacon to a cast-iron, or oven-proof skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove (saving the drippings in the skillet) and set aside, leaving it to drain on some paper towels.
- To the bacon drippings, add the onion and the garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the well drained green beans, chopped tomato and seasonings. Crumble the bacon and stir it in as well.
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over top and cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and reduce the temperature of the oven to 350*F/180*C/gas mark 4. Bake for a further 15 minutes until hot and bubbly. Delicious!
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