From time to time I bring you delicious side dishes that really aren’t wild, but go really well with wild things. Today I’m bringing you one that is semi-wild. Green Beans with Toasted Pecans.
It’s semi-wild because Momma and Daddy collected these pecans from their backyard pecan tree, after saving them from the squirrels, and shelled them all by hand.
We were at the family ranch with some good friends, and I planned a pecan themed meal. These green beans are one of my favorite ways to eat green beans. I learned how to make these beans by watching Coach’s Aunt Leslie make them every year at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I enjoy green bean casserole, but I love the fact that Aunt Leslie makes these instead. Green bean casserole is good, but as many Thanksgiving and Christmas meals as I have to get to eat each year, I always look forward to Aunt Leslie changing it up.
And I wanted to share this green bean dish with you, just in case you are still looking for the perfect Thanksgiving side dish.
You will need:
Green beans | Bacon | Onion | Pecans | Salt | Pepper
I was in the middle of cooking my other pecan main dish and I forgot to include the pecans, salt, and pepper in the picture. Multi-tasking is overrated.
Step 1 ~ 5 minutes
Slice three to four strips of bacon into bite size pieces, and dice half of a large onion.
Drain two 15 oz. cans of green beans. This Double Luck brand {pictured above} available at my Walmart, and I love, love, love them. I’m told HEB carries them, too.
Step 2 ~ 10 minutes
Heat a large skillet on the stove, and stir in the sliced bacon.
Fry the bacon until it’s almost done,
and then stir in the diced onion.
{To make this a “lighter” version, drain out the bacon grease. I forgot to do that too, and it was delicious.}
Step 3 ~ 5 minutes
Cook until the onions are tender and turning translucent.
Step 4 ~ 10 minutes
Add the drained green beans,
followed by ½ c of shelled, chopped pecans.
Momma had these in halves in the freezer, and we used her electric food chopper to chop them up. I like them to be pretty coarse for this dish, so if you have to cut them with a knife don’t go to too much trouble. Chunky is good.
Stir the beans and pecans together, add a little salt and pepper,
and cook over medium-low heat as long or as short as you want.
This is what makes this an excellent side dish for a holiday gathering:
It only requires one pan,
It can sit on the stove on low as long as necessary,
It could be placed in a casserole dish and kept warm in a low-temp oven until serving {or with those fancy food totes},
And it’s a little different but 100% delightful.
And it’s so good I don’t reserve it only for holiday’s, either. Sometimes I reduce the green beans to one can, use a little less onion, and keep everything else the same for a simple side for my family.
Green Beans with Toasted Pecans
Ingredients
- 2 cans 15 oz of green beans
- 4 strips of bacon
- 1 meidum Onion
- ½ c of shelled chopped pecans
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Slice three to four strips of bacon into bite size pieces, and dice half of a large onion.
- Drain two 15 oz. cans of green beans. This Double Luck brand {pictured above} available at my Walmart, and I love, love, love them. I’m told HEB carries them, too.
- I was in the middle of cooking my other pecan main dish and I forgot to include the pecans, salt, and pepper in the picture. Multi-tasking is overrated.
- Heat a large skillet on the stove, and stir in the sliced bacon.
- Fry the bacon until it’s almost done, and then stir in the diced onion.
- Cook until the onions are tender and turning translucent.
- Add the drained green beans, followed by ½ c of shelled, chopped pecans.
- Stir the beans and pecans together, add a little salt and pepper, and cook over medium-low heat as long or as short as you want.
