Best Green Beans Ever

Learn, tip by tip, how a Southern Living Cook-Off finalist makes her family's favorite veggie.

Try out this seven-ingredient side dish. It comes from Caroline Harris, a finalist in our 2005 Cook-Off. The Lexington, Georgia, resident says, "This recipe is on a 12-year winning streak on my family's holiday table. I call these beans universal. They go with any meat." Step into the kitchen as she shares a few tips.

-SHIRLEY HARRINGTON, ALYSSA PORUBCAN

Green Beans With Mushrooms and Bacon

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN., COOK: 20 MIN.

We loved the dash of dried crushed red pepper-it made the flavor lively, not hot.

2 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

8 bacon slices

3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 7 oz.)

¼ cup chopped shallots

1/8 to ¼ tsp. dried crushed red pepper

½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

1. Cook beans in boiling salted water to cover in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain. Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and set aside.

2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-low heat until crisp; remove bacon, and drain on paper towels, reserving 1½ Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Discard remaining drippings. Crumble bacon.

3. Sauté mushrooms and shallots in hot drippings over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until shallots are tender. Add green beans and crushed red pepper; sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir in crumbled bacon, ½ tsp. black pepper, and ¼ tsp. salt.

Asparagus With Mushrooms and Bacon: Substitute 2 lb. fresh asparagus for green beans. Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus. Cut asparagus into 1½-inch pieces. Proceed with recipe as directed, cooking asparagus pieces for 2 to 4 minutes.

Sugar Snaps With Mushrooms and Bacon: Substitute 1½ lb. sugar snap peas, trimmed, for green beans. Proceed with recipe as directed.

For More Info

Top-rated green bean recipes and Caroline's competition dish: southernliving.com/november2006

The flavors and cooking techniques in Green Beans With Mushrooms and Bacon also work well for asparagus or sugar snap peas.

Secrets You'll Want To Know

Caroline offers this advice for making Green Beans With Mushrooms and Bacon.

"I usually use the common green beans," she says. Snap or break to remove the woody tip. You can buy haricots verts [ah-ree-koh VEHR], a more slender and sweeter bean, for a good price at wholesale clubs during the holidays. Shorten the recipe cook time when using the skinnier beans. Don't use pole beans-they're tougher and require a longer cooking time. At peak freshness, look for a velvety skin and listen for a snap when a bean is broken in half.

Caroline suggests doing the first recipe step the day before serving. Pat beans dry with paper towels, and store in a zip-top plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Use the mushroom cap only; discard the tough stem. Use a soft brush to clean caps. "Avoid rinsing them with water; they soak it up like sponges," Caroline explains.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation Nov 2006
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