I think Thanksgiving is my favorite.  Maybe because I’m a cook!  We usually have 20-30 people, and I have reluctantly sacrificed having it at my house  to my son Adam’s house, which is everything Thanksgiving should represent.  Both my grown sons bought 50 year old homes at auction, gutted them, and made them in to really beautiful HOMES.  They live back to back with each other!   Grassy yards, tall, old  trees (Adam has a fig tree!) and loads of warm, homey feelings and food.  In the end, it’s all about being with people you love…Abve picture is last Thanksgiving at Adam and Suzy’s house…

So in honor of the season, today I am posting our two favorite dishes with Green Beans, and one I just saw today on TV.  The first one I have blogged before, but you may have missed it.  It was my Mother’s recipe, so it has the added ingredient of memory along with flavor.  Warning:  It isn’t low fat,  because of  the bacon, the bacon grease, and the sugar….but as I always say, if it’s green it’s gotta be good!

GRAMMA’S GREEN BEANS (People with think they were fresh….ask me how I know…)

6 cans cut green beans (do NOT drain)

1/2 lb. chopped bacon

1 large sliced onion

1/2 cup sugar

This takes a couple of hours, but it’s very simple.  They turn out sweet and wonderful.

Begin by cooking the bacon in a large, heavy pot till crisp.   When the bacon is crisp, remove it with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel.  In the BACON GREASE, cook the sliced onion till limp and just beginning to brown, about 15 minutes.  Add the sugar, the bacon,  and all 6 cans of beans, with the liquid.  The idea of this is to cook it at a light boil till the liquid almost goes away.  Keep an eye on it.  It will probably take about 2 hours.  This can be made days ahead, and heated on the day, which makes it a really good thing for Thanksgiving when you have no more room on the stove!

CHRISTIAN’S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE (it’s the old standard favorite, but she puts a twist on it).  And besides, you young cooks need to do some of the oldies but goodies…)

2 cans green beans (or a pack of frozen)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can French fried onions (even kids will eat these)

Christian’s twist:  Fry a few slices of bacon until crisp.  Add to mushroom soup with the grease and blend  till smooth in a blender  and continue recipe on the onion soup can  as usual.

 

Now I’m going to surprise you with a recipe I just saw this morning on Kelly and Ryan. I thought it might fit in nicely with this blog.  And I always like to give you a choice of what might sound good to you.  This was Ryan’s Mom, Connie, who makes this every year.

ASIAN GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

2 lbs. frozen French cut green beans, thawed and divided in 1/2 (you are going to layer it)

1 8 oz. can mushrooms (reserve liquid)

1 can water chestnuts

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2  stick butter

In the butter, sauce onion till limp.  add water chestnuts and mushrooms, cook lightly about 5 minutes

Sauce:

3/4 stick butter

1/3 cup flour

salt, pepper

1 cup milk

1 Tbs. soy sauce (this makes it Asian, I guess)

Dash tabasco

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can French fried onions.

Melt butter.  Add flour.  Whisk out lumps.  Add milk, soy sauce, Tabasco and mushroom juice and whisk till smooth.  Add cheese and stir till melted and smooth.

To layer, start with 1/2 the beans.  Then 1/2 the sauce, then ALL the mushroom mix.  One more layer of beans, then sauce.  Top with onions and a little extra shredded cheese.  Bake  about 1/2 hour or till browning and bubbly.