Country-Style Green Beans Recipe

Green beans are my FAVORITE vegetable!  I love them in a multitude of ways, but my favorite is the Country-Style Green Beans or "cooked to death with bacon" way!

At Thanksgiving you can never make enough of these for my family. I know what you are thinking "Why in the world would I cook these, from scratch, for hours , when I could make them in a couple minutes from a can?"  Well, once you try these I think the question will be "Why Wouldn't You?"  The best part about this dish, you can make it on the stove-top OR in the slow-cooker, and BOTH ways can be done ahead of time.  Perfect for keeping your Thanksgiving prep as simple as possible. I can't wait to show you so let's get started!

Country-Style Green Beans:
*Prep Time: 20 min  *Cook Time: 1-1.5 Hours *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. Fresh Green Beans
• 4 slices of Thick-Cut Bacon
• 1 Onion, diced
• 4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 2-3 c. Beef Stock
• 2 tbsp. Butter
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne, optional

To get things started you will need to trim the ends off of the beans, and depending on how you like them, cut the bean into bite-sized pieces.

Give them a good rise.

Then, place your pot over a medium/high heat.
Once the pot is hot, add 2 tbsp. of butter and 2 tbsp. olive oil.
The butter adds great flavor and the olive oil gives it a higher smoke point.

Next add the onion, garlic and bacon to the pan.
You will only cook it long enough for the onions to soften and become translucent, and the bacon to begin to crisp and render it's fat.  About 5 minutes.

Next, add the trimmed green beans to the pot.

I used beef base and water, so I added the base, stirred it in,

And added the water.

 Then I added a 1/2 tsp. of salt,

 And a 1/2 tsp. pepper.

Bring the green beans to a boil and lower to a simmer.

 Cover and let simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

If you want to make these in your slow-cooker, you will saute the onions, garlic, and bacon in a pan.
Then, add everything to your slow-cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Look at that!  Right there is probably the BEST green beans you will ever have in your life! They are so rich a flavorful.  I am seriously drooling as I type!  I have made these on a Monday and served on a Saturday and they were even better than on the day I made them!   These will be a Thanksgiving day game changer for sure!  So until tomorrow...

Happy Reading, Happy Eating, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~

Country-Style Green Beans:
*Prep Time: 20 min  *Cook Time: 1-1.5 Hours *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings: 4-6

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. Fresh Green Beans
• 4 slices of Thick-Cut Bacon
• 1 Onion, diced
• 4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 2-3 c. Beef Stock
• 2 tbsp. Butter
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne, optional

Directions:

1. Cut the ends off of the green beans and cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Rinse.
3. Place a pot over medium/high heat and add butter, oil, onion, garlic, and bacon.  Cook until onions are soft and translucent and the bacon begins to crisp and render it's fat.  About 5 minutes.
4. Add the beans to the pot.*
5. Add the beef stock to the pot.
6. Add the salt, pepper, and cayenne.
7. Cover and cook for 1-1.5 hours, stirring occasionally. 
8. Serve and Enjoy!

*If you are making this in a slow-cooker, it is at this point that you will add everything to the crock-pot, cover, and cook on low for 8-10 hours.